Hands on: ViewSonic ViewPad E70 review

ViewSonic e70
Less money for less features

If you've been dying to get your hands on Ice Cream Sandwich, but can't afford expensive tablets, ViewSonic might just have a solution for you.

The ViewSonic ViewPad E70 is a 7-inch tablet that runs $170 and packs Ice Cream Sandwich.

While much has been stripped away to make the price point possible, we were pleased to see the ViewPad came with a front and rear-facing camera, mini USB, and has WiFi connectivity.

ViewSonic viewpad e70

It also has 4GBs of onboard storage, but can be expanded another 32GBs via microSD card slot.

But some pretty major sacrifices have been made, including screen resolution. At 800 x 480, pixel resolution is more what we've come to expect from phones than 7-inch tablets.

ViewSonic viewpad e70

The difference is noticeable, with everything from text to icons looking a tad pixely.

We're also a little apprehensive about running any intense processes on Android 4.0 on a 1GHz processor.

ViewSonic viewpad e70

Build quality is another place where corners had to be cut. The ViewPad E70 feels a bit like a hunk of plastic in the hands, to be honest.

ViewSonic viewpad e70

Ultimately, if price point is your main concern, it really doesn't matter though. The ViewPad E70 is capable, it's just not especially pretty.

ViewSonic viewpad e70

The ViewPad E70 release date is scheduled for sometime in quarter one.

Online Editor

Nic is a former Online Editor at TechRadar in San Francisco. He started as a games journalist before becoming an editor at Mac|Life magazine. He holds a degree in English Literature and English Writing from Whitworth University.