NVIDIA announces 7-inch tablet - Tegra 3 and Ice Cream Sandwich for $249 [updated]

By Jerry Hildenbrand  | Jan 09 2012 | 8:50 pm  | 71 Comments

7-inch Transformer Prime

This just in from the ZOMG! department -- NVIDIA has announced that a 7-inch version of the Transformer Prime will be available, complete with the Tegra 3 processor and Ice Cream Sandwich (wait for it) for $249.  We don't have the full details just yet, only what we've said above.  But isn't that enough to get you excited?  I'm ready to get in line tonight!

PRIME!

Update: We just heard back from ASUS, and the model number for this tablet is the M370T.  That model was used incorrectly in a press release for the ME171 earlier this morning.  It still has the Tegra 3, and it's still $249.  I know most of us weren't really concerned about the name or model number, but now everything is all cleared up.

Jerry Hildenbrand

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There are 71 comments

its_miller_time says:

I'll take five...

Hand_O_Death says:

I'll take eight!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWoYmTAfDbk

Chris Parsons says:

Good gawd! I'm in.

Jerry Hildenbrand says:

One word -- techwood!

tim242 says:

Nah. I'll wait on the Nexus Tablet.

El Jefe says:

I hate to break it to you, buddy, but the Xoom has been out for a while now.

ak110707 says:

^^ ...lol

praqseven says:

You got that right lol lol ;-)

foxbat121 says:

Looks like 800x480 screen. In that case, I'm out.

PKnowles95 says:

the ces nvidia live said high res screen so dont just estimate

eyesparky says:

No it doesn't. There are six icons across the width, not 4. He said high resolution in the talk but no specifics.

eyesparky says:

Verge saying 1280x800.

foxbat121 says:

My 10.1 tab is 1280x800 and has 8 icons in portrait mode. Assume the icon size is the same, this has 6 icons so probably has 600 pixels.

ThreeofNine says:

If you read reports from other sources the display will be 1280 x 800. Just need a delivery date!

mikegonzalez2k says:

People do realize that you can change the size of icons right? Whether the screen has a 8 or 6 icons across can be a matter of changing the definition of the size of the icon.

For example in Windows 7 you would do the following....
Start -> Control Panel -> Display

Now even in the same resolution there are more or less icons on the screen.

droidify says:

It's a picture of a picture dude

xemtra says:

if this is marketed correctly, look out iPad...

rawpower87 says:

If the resolution is at least 1024 x 600 I'm all over this.

ajw20 says:

I'd at least hope for 1280 x 800. Hell, we're already getting up to 1900 x 1200 in the 10 inchers.

PainkillaFSR says:

OMG! Where do I swipe my credit card already!!!!

ISS2 says:

Looks like I'll be copping my first tablet. Hope they fixed the tegra chips, cause the 2's are handwarmers...

praqseven says:

Do you have one

kcls says:

Bye bye Nook Color! Hello Tegra 3!

thamenacing1 says:

Yep, that sounds about right!

Unibrow says:

I know I'm probably the only one that cares that nvidia supports the propossed SOPA legislation thus I'll be passing. sick price though...

richardsoper says:

I didnt know that...slowly starting to regret my Prime purchase...

wisevillageidiot says:

I assume you mean this?:
http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/06/sopa-list-esa/

In which case I think "NVIDIA - FOR (no response)" means...no response as in they are just ESA members and didn't actively respond to support SOPA. Do you have a link to say otherwise?

Unibrow says:

you can defend them if you'd like but so long as they are silent on the issue they are a supporter. Its pretty clear cut.

Jerry Hildenbrand says:

Oh shit.  That means my Grandma supports SOPA.

Robbzilla says:

Damn you Granny!!!!

dcvanderbush says:

"Grannies are pernonin n00bs."

Unibrow says:

if she belongs to the ESA, then I suppose she does?

the funny thing about this is that if the propossed bill were to go into effect your little illustration could be grounds for taking down your site without fox or whomever owns the copywrited material having to go through the proper (current) channels and that's only the small stuff never mind all the legal complications ...

wisevillageidiot says:

Vindicated: http://www.slashgear.com/nvidia-opposes-sopa-publicly-12209096

Geikamir says:

I think with a company with as much influence as Nvidia, and a bill as important as SOPA, the adage rings true. "If you are part of the solution, you are part of the problem."

praqseven says:

Probably have been told that they would face trade restriction like Italy

praqseven says:

Probably have been told that they would face trade restriction like Italy

richardsoper says:

Right after I buy the 10.1... I wish I would have remembered CES was coming. Probably would have waited to buy my tablet.

McPlot says:

Glade I did not get the Fire now.

cal3thousand says:

My question: How come this information is coming from NVIDIA and not ASUS?

Isn't ASUS the manufacturer of this tablet? It's like if Intel were announcing Dell's line of Ultrabooks or something...

aznmode says:

Asus' Shen (to the left) was there who pulled the tablet out of his pocket. He actually had 2 of them.

http://images.scribblelive.com/2012/1/9/183c4e90-a442-46b3-8b12-8b9e63e2...

kembry says:

Too many unanswered questions. GPS? SD slot? RAM? Bluetooth?

spongebob71 says:

CNET has pics with the ports (or lack of). http://ces.cnet.com/2300-33378_1-10010865.html?tag=epicStories

KillerG says:

Hey, high end specs for the sacrifice of what? Very little. If it has as many ports as my smartphone with a quad core CPU, I'd be happy...and I'd be paying less than I did for the phone. It even has cameras, this thing is pretty much everything you truly need in a tablet, except for the HDMI out. I can't really tell what's in it yet, but it's tempting. Waiting for more information...Asus just got themselves a whole lot of people interested in their stuff lol.

E_man says:

So many awesome 7" tablets. The Samsung 7.7, The Asus Memo 370, and now this?

MazoMark says:

Amazingly aggressive pricing. Really puts B&N Tablet and Kindle Fire in a bind.

One thing I thought of - all the tech sites claimed Amazon was essentially selling the Kindle Fire at cost. If that is true - how much profit is in this at $249 for Asus?

kembry says:

As the manufacturer of the hardware, I imagine ASUS has special price breaks they get that Amazon can't. Still, I would imagine that the tablet market is starting to get razor thin profit margins like the computer market. Thank you competition!

MazoMark says:

Now if same thing would happen to smartphones! If they can make a 7 inch quad core tablet for $249, why does a top end smartphone cost $600+ off contract??

I have a hard time believing the 3G/4G radios cost $400!

Robbzilla says:

You also have to cram about the same computational power into a box about half the size without it turning into a toaster oven...

Nirvana328 says:

then why are Samsung Galaxy Media players only $230?

samsung.com/us/mobile/mp3-players/YP-G1CWY/XAA

Danrarbc says:

The answer is carriers don't want you buying them that way so they inflate prices. As far as why the prices in Europe aren't much lower, I'd imagine there's a fair amount of shady backroom dealings going on.

MazoMark says:

Exactly.

PKnowles95 says:

will there be a keyboard attachment thats what makes the prime so appealing to me

Robbzilla says:

A 7" keyboard holds no appeal for me though... the 10" is barely big enough for me to use. But maybe... After all, they made 7" netbooks (My wife's 1st netbook was a 7" EEEpad and I HATED typing on that little toy. She did alright with it though)

hoosiercub says:

My brother has been wanting an Android Tablet.. looks like this'll be the one. Time and a place.. name it.

fuddster says:

I will add a qualified HELL YEAH!!!!

zerotheloner says:

That's epicly epic!! I am so getting this!release it now!!

Jerflash says:

I have an asus transformer prime on order form bestbuy plus the dock...this tablet and the Prime+ i will call it with its 1920x1200 screen has me wishing i did not. I know that we will ahve to wait for second quarter for these tablets but i have a galaxy nexus already...do i really need this prime? Asus is just as bad as Motorola in my eyes now...

Robbzilla says:

Yeah... I almost bought the 10" Toshiba (Refurb) for $279... Kinda glad I waited because I really want a decent 7". I was even considering the Nook tab... No more though!

S_C_B says:

Just might be getting this!

Comineeyeaha says:

I have already made this joke twice over on Google+, but something is wrong with my monitor, it isn't taking my money.

bsharitt says:

Looks like my and my Acer Iconia A100 aren't going to have a long happy life together after all.

Danrarbc says:

I almost want to return my Nook Tablet right now, but this isn't out yet :(

Chief85 says:

Knowing Asus, about 15 units will be available on launch date, after which the rest will have to wait approximately 4-6 months to get their hands on one.

Fortunately, I was in the initial 15 when the original Transformer was released, but I'm not sure I want to go through that headache again. Asus seems to be particularly inept at actually having product to release on the release date.

KCMike says:

Um, $249?!?! Count me in for a few!

plunder says:

The 7 inch form factor works for me, so provided the screen quality is OK I will be VERY interested in this one. Finally we will see some hardware that really can compete with Apple. Now if we could only get the applications to match.

Joe H. says:

Asus has been my favorite brands, ever since I got one of their netbooks. My mom just got the new Transformer for Christmas, and that runs great. I'm defiantly going to take a close look at this little guy when it gets closer to it's launch

Lummix says:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, then the Tegra 4 and then the Tegra 5 so on and so on. It'll make you happy maybe until next month when something else comes out and blows it out of the water. Just wait and see where it all goes before you go tossing cabbage at the "Next Best Thing."

kenyee says:

Without a release date, they might as well pull an ipad out of their butt and say it'll sell for $50 on ebay someday :-)

Wish I could believe this thing will be available before x-mas...

hrbib21 says:

This sounds interesting but I'm completely happy with my (rooted) Kindle Fire (running CM7) and I'm using it right now, not in 6 months or God knows when. Maybe I'll upgrade when this comes out in a year, lol

lionsson says:

I'm not blowing stem, but I'm going to buy 5 of this tablets on day one.

Impulses says:

The pricing is certainly interesting... There's no way the Prime is $250 more expensive to manufacture, but at the same time I'm sure they know that all 7" tablets will get compared to the Fire even if they're vastly more capable... I guess I'm just disappointed the Prime didn't debut at $400 like the TF but I guess they're being smart in pricing it just high enough to milk a market that's still saturated with $500 10" Tegra 2 models.

I'm about to purchase an original TF as a gift for $350... Is that crazy? The person I'm giving to is much better off with a 10" model and the old TF still seems like a bargain at that price given the alternatives. I'm SO glad I bought mine for $300 + tax last summer, otherwise I'd still be waiting for an affordable 10" model.