Hands on: Viewsonic ViewPad 7 review

Viewsonic ViewPad7
The Viewsonic ViewPad7 can also make calls

After announcements today from Samsung and Toshiba, it's high time we had a decent touch-and-feel with the Viewsonic ViewPad 7.

We've been following the 7-inch Android 2.2-based tablet for a few weeks now.

It's based around Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor (QSD8250 , clocked at 600MHz) so expect network operators to offer it – it can make phone calls thanks to the silicon.

Viewsonic viewpad7

Viewsonic viewpad7

Viewsonic viewpad7

There's no UK release data as yet but October seems to be a safe bet, with a price point of "less than £350."

Viewsonic viewpad7

It's pretty speedy in terms of operation and we were impressed at how quick things were despite the underclocked processor. The capacitive multitouch screen is responsive, even if it seems a little grainy for our liking.

Viewsonic viewpad7

Viewsonic viewpad7

The device has a standard-size SIM slot housed under a flap alongside a micro SD slot. There's also a 0.3 megapixel VGA front facing camera and a 3 megapixel one on the rear.

Viewsonic viewpad7

Viewsonic viewpad7

Viewsonic viewpad7

Viewsonic viewpad7

Other connectivity includes Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS.

Viewsonic viewpad7

We really like the ViewPad 7 – it certainly seems well finished and isn't too heavy. For an Android tablet it really seems excellent. However, we can also see the argument that £80 more will get you an iPad. But the Dell Streak is even more than that and, as such, we think it's fairly competitively priced.

Contributor

Dan (Twitter, Google+) is TechRadar's Former Deputy Editor and is now in charge at our sister site T3.com. Covering all things computing, internet and mobile he's a seasoned regular at major tech shows such as CES, IFA and Mobile World Congress. Dan has also been a tech expert for many outlets including BBC Radio 4, 5Live and the World Service, The Sun and ITV News.