Cheap Tablets: Asus MeMO Pad HD 7 ME173X

Available for Pre Order in Canada: $159 from Amazon.ca – Click here to shop!

Available for Pre Order in USA: $149 – Pre Order from Amazon.com – 16GB model in white, blue, pink or green

memo-pad-hd-7I think from previous posts, I’m on record that I live Asus products and the innovations that they continue to make. Playing it safe isn’t something that fits for Asus. Instead, they push the boundaries or expectations for devices. In this example, we’re talking about their upcoming and sure hit, the Asus MeMO HD 7. This tablet was first unveiled at the Asus Computer 2012 press event and Jonney Shih, the chairman of Asus, was proud to show the presentation slide which showed the amazing low price. How low are we talking? How about $149 for a 16GB model and $129 for a 8GB (only available in emerging markets)!

Asus already released a MeMO Pad with a very cheap price point, but that particular model make a number of significant sacrifices in terms of processing speed and the all important display quality. This version, the MeMO HD 7 vastly improves the features and quality while keeping a quite unbelievable price point. If you’re not yet owning a 7-inch Android tablet, this one may be for you. Heck, with such a low price point this may be a good secondary tablet for your kids.

If you’re looking at buying the MeMO Pad HD 7, you’re likely interested in how it stacks up against the competition. Correct? So you want to know if it’s better than the Google Nexus 7 or the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0. I’ve already discussed the price and that’s a clear advantage because the brand new Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 is $199 for a much less robust tablet. The price of the Nexus 7 may drop slightly, but I don’t think it’s enough to topple this nifty budget tablet from Asus.

The ME173X has microSD card slot (32GB card maximum) but the Nexus 7 does not. The MeMO HD 7 has a resolution of 1280 x 800 as does the Nexus 7, but the Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 has a resolution of 1024 x 600. The HD 7 comes with 16GB as does the Nexus 7, but the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 comes with 8GB of storage. Processor comparison, these 3 tablets are very comparable but the Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 comes with dual-core whereas the Nexus 7 and MeMO HD 7 come with quad-core. The MeMO Pad HD 7 has the new Android 4.2 but both the Nexus 7 and Galaxy Tab 3 are running Android 4.1. Bluetooth comparison, the ME173X is running Bluetooth 4.0, but Nexus 7 is using 3.0. The MeMO Pad HD 7 and Galaxy Tab 3 7.0 also have front and rear cameras but the Nexus 7 has only front facing camera.

See an official MeMO Pad HD 7 product feature page.

Video Hands-On Review:

Update: After seeing a new unboxing video, we’ve just learned that it also comes with a simple but effective stand accessory.

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6 Responses to Cheap Tablets: Asus MeMO Pad HD 7 ME173X

  1. Annie June 27, 2013 at 9:44 pm #

    Do you know when the Asus Memo Pad HD7 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 will be released in the UK? Any dates yet?

    • President, Techaholic Inc. June 28, 2013 at 2:43 pm #

      Hi, thanks for the comment. There isn’t an official date so far for the UK. With the recent official Asus product pages for the HD 7, it seems like we’re only days away. It’s available in Germany (at least to pre order) so my best guess is we’re talking days and not weeks. That said, sometimes Asus is slow to rollout products. I think this tablet though isn’t going to be delayed. I’m sure they want to get out ahead of the next gen Nexus 7. Thanks for visiting the site!

  2. Kev June 28, 2013 at 11:00 pm #

    I bought the Tab 2 for the other half this past Christmas and this is making me want to upgrade already. I can’t believe how quick the prices are doing even with the increase in specifications. They’re going to be a hundred bucks in no time.

    • President, Techaholic Inc. June 29, 2013 at 2:40 am #

      I agree with you. I think Asus has a lot of other companies scratching their heads on this one. That’s a pretty unreal price for what the MeMO HD 7 has. Thanks for visiting the site!

  3. Amir September 20, 2013 at 9:20 pm #

    Nice upgrade…bought Memopad ME172 few months back….nice asus. But lacking in accessories at store.

  4. azam July 9, 2015 at 7:48 pm #

    Wind mobile sim . How i can use in iphone 4 or 4s

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