HP ships new $99 Android tablet

The Allwinner quadcore CPU and no Bluetooth helps keep the cost low.

HP this week started shipping in the US a new low-cost Android tablet. The HP 7 Plus Tablet uses an Allwinner A31 ARM-based CPU and ships without Bluetooth connectivity to keep costs down to $99 retail. The A31 is based on an older ARM architecture, the Cortex A7, another cost savings.

The HP 7 Plus Tablet is now available in the US for $99. (Source: HP)

The other specs are typical for low-end Android tablets:

1gb memory
8gb storage
802.11 b/g/n WiFi
Front camera 0.3 megapixels
Rear camera 2 megapixels
Battery life rated at 7 hours
1 MicroSD slot
Mono speaker
7-inch multi-touch LCD screen, 1024×600
Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

HP is still shipping a $149 Android tablet, the HP Slate 7 Tablet. Its higher cost is justified by the use of an Nvidia Tegra 8 CPU, higher screen resolution, better cameras, Bluetooth, and other upgrades.

What do we think?

It may be the Chinese low-cost Allwinner CPU and not an Nvidia Tegra or Qualcomm Snapdragon, but it is a quad-core processor and that makes a difference on Android. This could be the fastest $99 Android tablet on the market. At this price point it will be used more for games than other applications, so the quadcore boost at this bargain price is a real gift.