Viewsonic announces $170 ViewPad E70 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet

By Jerry Hildenbrand
last updated

Viewsonic has announced the ViewPad E70, a 7-inch tablet running Ice Cream Sandwich with an interesting price-point -- $169.99.  For under 200 bucks, you'll get a 1GHz CPU, 4GB internal storage, micro SD card slot, HDMI out and a front facing camera.  Viewsonic hasn't given out the full set of specifications just yet, so we're only sure of the above.

What you won't be getting is the Android Market or other Google Applications.  The ViewPad E70 ships with "Integrated apps and services" [that] "provide easy access to leading multimedia, entertainment content, and thousands of mobile apps offered."  The Amazon Appstore would probably work, as will other places like GetJar or SlideMe.  Of course, chances are someone will figure out how to drop the Market on this thing anyway eventually.  We'll be sure to hit ViewSonic on our travels and have a look at this one.  See the full press release after the break.

ViewSonic Introduces New Android™ 4.0 Tablet at CES 2012


ViewPad® E70 featuring the latest Ice Cream Sandwich operating system provides a premium mobile entertainment experience for web surfing, e-reading, gaming and more

WALNUT, Calif. – January 10, 2012 – ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions, today announced the newest addition to its tablet line, the 7” ViewPad E70. The ViewPad E70offers the ultimate in value and fun for a premium tablet experience at an affordable price, featuring Google’s latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, super light weight compact design and premium apps and services. The ViewPad E70 brings advanced technology to consumers with rich features and premium value, for an extremely portable and affordable mobile entertainment device. Integrated apps and services provide easy access to leading multimedia, entertainment content, and thousands of mobile apps offered.

The compact, ultra slim Android 4.0 tablet ships with a 1GHz processor and 4GB memory storage. Other features include a front-facing camera, Wi-Fi support and microSD expandable storage up to 32 GB. The ultra-portable design makes it easy for users to bring the device on-the-go for viewing and streaming multimedia with the included 1080p HDMI output.

“ViewSonic is committed to delivering advanced technology designed with the consumer in mind,” said Michael Holstein, vice president of business development, ViewSonic. “Featuring the latest Android operating system, along with leading apps and services for entertainment content, the ViewPad E70 continues the ViewSonic tradition of bringing feature-rich products to new markets.”

ViewPad E70 delivers a rich user experience with included apps, premium features, and the latest Android 4.0 operating system. One of the most portable and affordable tablet products on the market, ViewPad E70 is designed to meet consumer demand for a tablet that delivers on both quality features and value.

The ViewPad e70 will be available for an ESP of $169.99 in late Q1.

For more information on ViewSonic products, please visit ViewSonic.com or follow ViewSonic on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

About ViewSonic

ViewSonic® Corporation is a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions. ViewSonic develops, markets and supports a broad range of innovative products, including tablets, LED TVs, computers, LED monitors, projectors, digital photo frames, digital signage displays, 3D devices and digital media players. For further information, please contact ViewSonic Corporation at 800.888.8583 or 909.444.8888; or visit ViewSonic.com.

ViewSonic’s Finch Club offers resellers an opportunity to benefit from specialized product training and discounts. To sign up, please visit FinchClub.com.

Jerry Hildenbrand
Jerry Hildenbrand
Senior Editor — Google Ecosystem

Jerry is an amateur woodworker and struggling shade tree mechanic. There's nothing he can't take apart, but many things he can't reassemble. You'll find him writing and speaking his loud opinion on Android Central and occasionally on Twitter.

21 Comments
  • I could be interested in this. NOT!!!! . No Android market? Ugh. So the big price different between $170 and $400+ is market?? Wtf?
  • Not if Asus' 7 inch Tegra 3 tablet comes in at $249 like NVIDIA said yesterday.
  • Without the Android Market on there this will be a giant pass for me.
  • I thought having ICS pretty much meant Android Market included --- guess I was wrong.
  • My guess is that this tablet would probably drop to $100 within a few months.
  • So...how long till someone gets the market working on it?
  • I'm probably going to be getting Acer's Tegra 3 tablet even though I don't want to wait until March. However I have been looking for a decent 7 inch tablet for my wife so she can watch movies and I want it to have real Android (unlike the Kindle or Nook Tablet), have expandable memory, and I would like it to be under $200. She doesn't need a Tegra 3, but it would be nice if it had the Market out of the box. Why is this so hard to find?
  • You mean ASUS's 7" Tegra 3 tablet? Or is Acer also coming out with one?
  • No, I plan on getting Acer's 10 inch Tegra 3 tablet. I want a 10 inch tablet, but my wife wants something smaller.
  • As a G-tablet owner, i would advise everyone to stay away. The screens on the Gtab are miserable. If you can look beyond this its extremely hackable. I understand this isn't the gtab but i would caution everyone before buying a Viewsonic as their quality is lacking.
  • As a fellow G-tablet owner....100% agree
  • I bought the gTablet just to have something to hack. After spending about 2 hours researching, and about 20 minutes actually doing it, I have a decent Gingerbread tablet. The touchscreen isn't as bad as a lot of people have said after running the alignment tool. If you want an out-of-the-box ICS tablet, give this a pass. If you want a cheap tablet that can likely easily be hacked with a little time spent on XDA, then this might be an affordable option.
  • I owned a gTab for about a month. It was a decent tablet, but that screen ... oh god, that screen ... calibration wasn't the issue, it was the netbook-quality screen they used that turned into a psychedelic mush if you tilted the screen ever so slightly. Lay it flat on a desk and look from anywhere not directly above it? Impossible to see anything. Sold it on CL and bought a Transformer a couple of days after it was released. Now there's a real tablet :) I'm going to guess that this price gives you about the same quality screen.
  • The sad thing is, if you flip it over 180 degrees, it's very viewable...
  • +1 on this. Viewsonic hasn't done much with any of the tablets they currenty offer (or offered). The gTablet was pretty much DOA four months after release. What I still like about my gTablet is the developer community who has been turning it into what it should have been in the first place. Even Viewsonic's website points customers to XDA. I definitely think it is worth spending a little bit more for a full-featured (fully gApps capable), fully support tablet.
  • Viewsonic doesn't actually make their own tablets, they grab cheap Chinese knockoffs and put their name on them. This is likely MIPS-based, which means good luck running most apps, which is probably why there is no Marketplace. ' Spend the extra $80 for the 7" Asus when it is released. This one is for the unsuspecting who don't know why they're getting such a "good deal" on a tablet.
  • This sounds craptacular.
  • No Market? No way. That's even more important than the USB Host or full size SD slot I need for what I want with a tablet.
  • This brings me hope for my original galaxy tab.
  • Android - Android Market = fake Android.
    /opinion
  • It is extremely unlikely that I will ever purchase anything from viewsonic again. I would rather give my money to companys who support their products. Viewsonic is an orphanware producer.