We rarely used to come across decently looking and decently specced gadgets over in “Shanzhai Land”, but something’s changed of late. We don’t know if it’s because the Mayan end of the world is nearing or just due to the planets aligning in some bizarre way, but one thing is clear – awesome Android-based devices are coming in flocks from China.
The latest is from well-established (just kidding) manufacturer Onda and is dubbed the V972. At a first glance, it doesn’t look that special, but the 1.4 pound weight and aluminum casing make me think I could definitely go out with this tab in public and get some compliments.
Things are even better on the inside, where this big guy packs a quad-core Allwinner A31 processor, a PowerVR SGX544MP2 GPU with support for HD video and 3D graphics and 2 GB of RAM. The 16 GB of on-board storage doesn’t sound very special, but fortunately there’s microSD support for expanding the memory.
On the back you have a 5 MP shooter with auto focus slapped, while on the front there’s a 2 MP webcam. The usual connectivity options, including Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth and USB, are all there, while 3G support can be had via an external dongle.
Still not impressed? How about if I tell you the V972 sports a 9.7-inch capacitive IPS display with a stunning resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels. That’s the same “Retina” resolution of the new iPad and it’s just behind the Nexus 10’s glowing display.
On top of it all, the Chinese 9.7-incher also comes with a hefty 8,000 mah battery supposedly capable of 10 hours of autonomy and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (soon to be upgraded to 4.2). Wow, just wow! And if that’s still not enough to make you excited, let’s wrap it up by saying the tab is supposed to start selling soon for just $240.
Ultimately, the V972 does come from a no-name Chinese brand and that’s always a hit-and-miss situation, but if you ask me that spec sheet might be worth the risk of the tab being a dud. That is if you can find ways to procure it.
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