HP launches Slate 7, the first tablet with Beats Audio

HP today unveiled the HP Slate7, an affordable Android Jelly Bean consumer tablet that provides customers with easy access to Google mobile services.

The HP Slate7 is expected to be available in the United States in April with a starting price of $169.

With a 7-inch diagonal screen and weighing 13 ounces, the HP Slate7 is an ideal trusted personal companion, featuring a stainless-steel frame and soft black paint in gray or red on the back. It also is the industry's first tablet to offer embedded Beats Audio, for the best-sounding, richest audio experience available on a tablet.

The HP Slate7 delivers the Google experience with services like Google Now, Google Search, Gmail, YouTube, Google Drive and Google+ Hangouts for multi person video chat as well as access to apps and digital content through Google Play.

"To address the growing interest in tablets among consumers and businesses alike, HP will offer a range of form factors and leverage an array of operating systems," said Alberto Torres, senior vice president, Mobility Global Business Unit, HP.

"Our new HP Slate7 on Android represents a compelling entry point for consumer tablets, while our ground-breaking, business-ready HP ElitePad on Windows8 is ideal for enterprises and governments. Both deliver the service and support people expect from HP added Torres.

The HP Slate7 joins the recently introduced HP Chromebook as part of HP's push to offer access to the Google experience."

HP's tablet offerings reside in the company's newly formed Mobility Global Business Unit, established in September 2012 with the hiring of Torres.

Powered by an ARM Dual Core Cortex-A9 1.6 GHz processor, the HP Slate7 is fast and responsive. Integrated wireless allows customers to access email, the internet and key applications, while the High-aperture-ratio Field Fringe Switching (HFFS) panel offers wide viewing angles that provide easy viewing of documents, games, photos and videos-even in outdoor lighting conditions.

The HP Slate7 includes a 3-megapixel camera on the back and a VGA camera on the front for chatting, videos and photos.