Once upon a time, Android tablets were few and far between, but with tablets like the Notion Ink Adam (if it proves to be anything more than vaporware), Samsung's Galaxy Tab, and even Archos' entries into the tablet space, that might be changing sometime in the not-so-distant future.

Cherrypal (a company most of us have never even heard of), has just introduced the Cherrypad America, a 7-inch Android tablet that may not be another high-end iPad competitor, but may instead be a pretty decent low-end tablet, featuring specs such as:

  • a 7" 800x480 resistive touchscreen display
  • an 800MHz Samsung ARM11 CPU + GPU + DSP system-on-a-chip
  • 256MB of RAM
  • 2GB of internal storage (ROM)
  • a 3.5mm headset jack
  • WiFi 802.11 b/g (no support for 802.11n, sadly)
  • a 3200mAh battery with a stated run time of six to eight hours
  • an external adapter for USB 2.0
  • an optional external (!) 3G modem
  • a weight of 1.3 pounds
  • aluminum casing

While the resistive touchscreen worries me since our own Brian O'Toole was bitterly disappointed with Nationite's MIDnite tablet,  I don't see any real dealbreakers here, especially as the tablet costs a mere $188 and is available today from Zecozi. Additionally, the tablet provides full access to the Android Market, which is certainly not something every tablet can say for itself. Unfortunately, there is one more caveat: the tablet will ship with Android 2.1, with the update to 2.2 scheduled to be released some time this quarter.

Full press release below.

Cherrypal Launches Powerful 7-Inch $188 Android 2.1 3D Tablet Computer For The Sub-iPad(c) Market
-- Cherrypal Enters Into Exclusive Deal with Green Shopping Site Zecozi
PALO ALTO, CA (October 7, 2010) -- Cherrypal, www.cherrypal.com a California-based manufacturer of high quality, low-energy consuming and affordable personal computers, today announced the availability of its new sub $200 tablet computer, the CherryPad America.
The CherryPad was designed for consumers who are looking for an affordable, powerful, high quality, and low energy-consuming tablet computer with the ability to run the Android operating system. CherryPad is powered by the fast Samsung ARM11, (CPU + GPU + DSP, OpenGL 2.0) 800 GHz processor and runs Android 2.1 and all Android applications. An upgrade option to 2.2 is planned for the fourth quarter 2010.
The CherryPad America features a 7-inch resistive touch widescreen display (no stylus needed) at 800x480 resolution with built-in gravity sensor.  Memory, storage and wireless functions include 256 MBs of DDRII RAM; 2 GB NAND Flash; Micro SD (1x) reader, and WiFi 802.11 b/g.
Standard I/O ports include USB 2.0 supported by an external adapter; 3.5 mm headphone jack, built-in speakers and microphone, DC port, optional external 3G modem. The CherryPad America's Polymer 3200 MAH battery has a run time of 6-8 hours. The device weighs just 1.1 pounds and is housed in a sturdy aluminum case. MSRP of the CherryPad America is $188.
"The CherryPad America does not compete against the Apple(c) iPad. The CherryPad addresses the sub-iPad market," said Cherrypal CTO Max Seybold.
According to Seybold, CherryPad has been designed for consumers who seek a lower cost, more compact tablet PC with the ability to run Android.
"The CherryPad is neither an iPad killer nor an iPad clone, it's a completely different product designed for a different market," Seybold said. "The screen of the CherryPad is only 7-inches big, the processor is slightly less powerful, and the CherryPad comes with Android 2.1 and not Apple's iOS."
At a MSRP of $188, the price for a CherryPad is also less than half of the iPad.
"Early user tests confirmed the CherryPad user experience has been extremely positive. Users appreciate full access to the Android Market, its powerful processor, battery run time, and high quality," Seybold said.
Cherrypal Partners With Zecozi
Cherrypal also announced a strategic partnership with Zecozi (www.zecozi.com), a new online shopping site for conscious consumers. All Cherrypal products will be exclusively sold through Zecozi in the United States, with the exception of volume buyers. Every Cherrypal comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, as well as a 1-year replacement warranty.
"We are a hardware manufacturer first and need to focus on our core competence in order to drive down costs and offer quality products that consumers can afford.  We can offer our products for such a low price because we are fugal with non-product related costs.  When we looked for a strong partner who shares our green, open and fair corporate value system, Zecozi was the obvious choice," said Cherrypal CEO John Collier.
About Cherrypal Corporation
Cherrypal (www.cherrypal.com) is a Palo Alto, California based manufacturer of high-quality, energy-efficient and low-cost computers with worldwide sales operations. Cherrypal's products are designed in Palo Alto, California and manufactured in Asia.
About Zecozi
Zecozi (www.zecozi.com) is a community-driven marketplace for conscious consumers, that enable users to shop with friends and come together in real-time with the community to collectively define sustainability.  The Zecozi community is the next generation of sustainable commerce.
iPad and Apple are registered trademarks of Apple. Other products/company names are either trademarks or trade names of their respective holders.