ZTE launches Z-Pad to join the V9 in expanded Android tablet range
Following closely on the heels of the sleek looking ZTE V9/ZTE Light is the newly announced ZTE Z-Pad, a very similar complementary device in ZTE’s Android tablet range that was shown off at a recent event alongside the V9. Featuring a less flashy and understated design compared to its Samsung Galaxy Tab-resembling stable mate, the Z-Pad retains the same 7-inch WVGA resistive touch screen and includes nearly identical specifications including Android 2.1, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, GPS, a front-facing (1.3MP) webcam, the standard USB and mini-USB ports, and SD card compatibility.
The main departures from the V9 come in the lack of 3G connectivity and the choice of processor, with the Z-Pad using an unspecified dual-core Rockchip chipset with a Mali GPU and G-sensor in place of the V9’s 768MHz Qualcomm Snapdragon. It’s likely the chipset is a Rockchip design we have encountered before, such as the RK2818, with the so-called “second core” simply being the platform’s separate DSP chip rather than an additional application processing core. If this is the case, then the Z-Pad is designed to be more of a budget priced tablet while the V9 would be ZTE’s high-end offering.
Pricing and availability for the Z-Pad is currently unknown, but the V9 is now available in Russia for around US$330, with plans to launch it in Australia next month through Optus for around US$279. Check out another image and some videos of both tablets after the break.
[netbooknews via Liliputing]
