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Hands-on with Polaroid's $200 10-inch Jelly Bean Tablet

By - Source: Tom's Hardware US | B 12 comments

The M10 is a $200 tablet done right.

We've come to expect that a $200 tablet can be no bigger than a 7-incher like the Google Nexus 7, with things like a SD slot or HDMI left out to as too much of a luxury for such a budget device. Well, the just announced Polaroid M10 10.1-inch tablet just blew these assumptions out of the water -- at least in the brief time we got to play with one at Pepcom's Digital Experience in Las Vegas.

One of the first things we noticed is the lack of a physical home button on the front, with only the typical Android virtual keys available on-screen for navigation. Though the tablet is running the latest version of Android Jelly Bean (4.2), Polaroid uses its own skin that makes the home screen look like Windows 8 at a glance. And that's not a slam as the large, colorful tiles are more forgiving to navigate for new tablet users, who are the target for the M10.

We were pleasantly surprised that the M10 has a metallic silver back cover with soft-touch strips along both sides for grip. Some users hate the feel of glossy plastic in their tablets at any price point, so it is worth noting that the M10 feels more expensive than its price tag suggests.

All the buttons and ports you need are all along the right edge of the tablet in landscape mode: power, volume, with the micro-HDMI, micro-USB, microSD (for up to 32GB to top up the ) plus a SIM Card slot for cellular connectivity under a cover. Before you get too excited that the M10 has both Wi-Fi and 3G access, the unit we saw is an international model and the American version will exclude the SIM slot, according to the Polaroid rep -- at least the version that is coming out by the end of Spring for $200.

Considering that the M10's competitors typically don't include dual cameras, it's quite a bonus for this Polaroid tab to have a front and rear camera, even if you don't tend to use the tab for photos or videos. We didn't get a chance to try out either camera, so we can't say how the M10's 2-megapixel front or 5-megapixel rear camera measures up to other tablet cameras. But it's hard to argue against having the option to use this slate for video chat or a quick photo, particularly at this price.

It's refreshing to see a new tablet that doesn't really cut corners on the key specs like expansion ports while keeping the price affordable. From what we've seen so far, this Polaroid slate is a legitimate device that's worth keeping your eye out for.

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  • 0 Hide
    the_crippler , January 9, 2013 7:47 PM
    I'll reserve judgement until I see more about the tech specs and how durable it is...without an app store they're subsidizing with like Apple or Amazon, at $200 something's gotta give somewhere.
  • 5 Hide
    joytech22 , January 9, 2013 8:18 PM
    As long as it has a dual-core CPU, 2GB onboard storage and SGX540 Equivalent GPU, $200 is DEFINITELY a great deal.
  • 1 Hide
    Onus , January 9, 2013 8:30 PM
    Yes, it needs at least a dual core CPU. How is battery life? Recharge time? The charging port is round, not micro-USB like so many other tablets and phones? How is the screen in bright light? Is it Gorilla Glass? What resolution?
    If the answers to these questions are "wrong" in your opinion, another $29 buys a Lenovo A2109 which may have what you need. The screen has bad glare in bright light though, but a screen protector should help. It is 1280x800.
  • Display all 12 comments.
  • 2 Hide
    thomron1977 , January 9, 2013 8:41 PM
    here are the specs....http://gadgetian.com/47368/polaroid-m10-specs-price/
  • 0 Hide
    LordConrad , January 9, 2013 9:05 PM
    thomron1977here are the specs....http://gadgetian.com/47368/polaroid-m10-specs-price/

    I call BS, 1280x800 resolution at 10.1 inches in definitely not 216 PPI. The Nexus 7 has the exact same 1280x800 resolution at 7 inches and is rated at 216 PPI.
  • 0 Hide
    InvalidError , January 9, 2013 9:44 PM
    LordConradI call BS, 1280x800 resolution at 10.1 inches in definitely not 216 PPI.

    That would be 150ppi, which is indeed a little low for something people may keep in their faces.

    On the other hand, it is a $200 tablet that cuts fewer corners than the N7 and the larger screen should make it easier to touch stuff without hitting a couple other nearby things. At first glance, it seems the only major thing it is missing is 2GB RAM and the CPU may be a little under-spec'd... but it does have SD and micro-HDMI which are sorely missed on the N7, so I would call it a fair trade.
  • 1 Hide
    rwinches , January 9, 2013 10:32 PM
    http://polaroid.com/download/M7_M10_Tablet_Brochure.pdf
    Gonna be some ass kicking.
    Plenty were satisfied with the 10c with 1024x600 .
    Just don't what processor manufacturer as to rooting models so far came partially rooted and could be rooted easily. plenty of roms are available also.
  • 0 Hide
    xpeh , January 9, 2013 11:38 PM
    joytech22As long as it has a dual-core CPU, 2GB onboard storage and SGX540 Equivalent GPU, $200 is DEFINITELY a great deal.


    Can't forget that it's 10 inches
  • -1 Hide
    freggo , January 9, 2013 11:39 PM
    No GPS.... too bad :-(
  • 0 Hide
    Anonymous , January 10, 2013 11:51 AM
    No GPS.... too bad :-(

    What do you want for the price holy shit I can do without gps considering everything else you get.
  • 0 Hide
    g00fysmiley , January 10, 2013 12:42 PM
    10.1" expandable memory and $200 ... sold when can i pick it up :) 

    only "con" is ppi is low comparitie to other tabes... btu fo rthe price it is still a great deal
  • 0 Hide
    hannibal , January 10, 2013 4:32 PM
    quad-core Cortex A7 CPU with 1GB of RAM, a 5 megapixel rear camera, 16GB of internal storage, and HDMI connectivity, 1,280x800-pixel resolution.
    Not bad for that price... Not for gaming, and not GPS makes it more like pure reading machine, but at this price it is guite reasonable! More competion in tab market!