Chinese OEMs preparing $65 Windows tablets

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When HP announced a $99 Windows tablet a few weeks ago, we all thought that was pretty cheap for such a device. But Chinese OEMs are always looking to undercut the competition, with several lining up to release even cheaper tablets running Windows 8.1.

 

 

Emdoor, which isn't exactly a household name, will sell you (or perhaps another company) a $65 seven-inch Windows tablet powered by an Intel Bay Trail Atom Z3735G SoC. For that low price you also get a 1024 x 600 display, 1 GB of RAM and a front-facing camera, which isn't too shabby.

 

Since Microsoft has begun relaxing the licensing fees on Windows 8.1, and with subsidies available from Intel to push their Bay Trail SoCs into more devices, we're starting to see Windows tablets really compete with Android tablets at extremely low price points. Whether you get a better experience from a cheap Windows device remains to be seen, but the Z3735G in this $65 tablet is no slouch.

 

Usually tablets from relatively unknown Chinese OEMs don't go on sale in Western nations such as the United States. However, some online resellers do tend to stock them, so if you really want a $65 Windows tablet for reading books or browsing the web, it won't be that hard to import one.

 

If you want something a bit higher end, PiPO will sell you an eight-inch Windows tablet with a 1280 x 800 display for $81. Alternatively, Emdoor also sells a 3G-capable 8-inch Windows tablet, which will set you back $99.