Aigo officially launches the full AigoPad product family in Beijing, three new tablets revealed
Aigo has been extremely busy the past few months preparing what appears to be an all-out assault on the tablet market with its next generation of tablet MID offerings. When we first heard rumors of the so-called AigoPad, we were originally under the impression it was one or two products, but since the beginning of the year there has been a steady stream of new rumors, new tablet designs, and some individual product announcements.
All this has finally culminated in the official launch of the entire AigoPad series today in Beijing, with a few models we have seen before and some that we haven't. Five devices in all were revealed split between the N-series and E-series, with the returning models including the Android-running E500 and the N520 running Maemo, and the new members of the family comprising two 7-inch models, the N701 (shown above) and E700, and another 5-inch model, the E501. Unfortunately there was still no sign of the Tegra 250 powered N700.
Turning attention to some of the new devices, full specifications have not been released, but from the available information the E501 (shown above and below) is actually very similar to the E500 with a 5-inch touch screen, Android OS (1.5 or 1.6 we believe), WiFi, and a wide range of e-book/video/audio file support, but it also features a new design with a simple curved white case as shown in the three images below, and adds the ability to playback 1080p full HD video with a built-in HDMI output, in comparison to the E500's metallic case and max 720p video support.
The 7-inch E700 (image below) which was rumored before has finally made its entrance, but rather than the earlier leaked image where it featured a metallic case similar to the E500, the final version goes down the same design path as the E501, with a simple white colored body. However in terms of hardware, it appears to simply be a 7-inch version of the E500 with identical features and specifications, with Android, WiFi, and 720p video playback without an HDMI output.
Last but not least of the new models, the N701 (images below) seems to be the most interesting device in the line-up. Whereas the other tablets seem to be value and media-oriented, the N701 is intended to be a more fully featured MID, featuring a 7-inch screen that appears to have a less wide aspect ratio, probably for easier web browsing with less vertical scrolling.
The N701 runs Android 2.0, with Aigo stating it intends to release an update to 2.2 FroYo in the near future including Flash 10.1. Apart from the standard inclusion of WiFi, the tablet also features optional built-in 3G connectivity. Other remaining features are similar to the E500 and E700, with 720p video playback and a wide range of e-book/video/audio support. In terms of styling, the tablet has the same design language as the E501 and E700, with a simple curved case design, but apart from white, it will also available in black.
It seems clear that Aigo is intent on being the market leader of tablet MIDs in China with its AigoPad family of products. The wide range of devices varying in size, styles, and features is very impressive and looking over the available information and images, it looks like the company has created a series of well designed, high quality products in keeping with their good past track record.
For me, the two standout products are the E501 with its impressive media capabilities, 1080p playback, and HDMI output, and the more MID-centric N701. Although the exact specifications of the screens haven't been released, it's interesting to note that it appears to have a similar aspect ratio to the iPad.
Exact release dates for the new AigoPads were not stated, but the company said they should hit the market between July and August all priced under 3000 RMB (around US$439). There currently isn't any information on whether we will get to see any of the devices outside of China.
What do you all think of the AigoPad series? Share your thoughts in the comments and also have a look at some new images of the Maemo-running, QWERTY, 3G, and GPS-equipped N520 below.
