Kogan selling cheap new Android tablets

If you really like the idea of a tablet, but hate the idea of being locked into Apple’s ecosystem, yet don’t have the money for a Honeycomb powered Android tablet, local technology company Kogan has just announced a pair of new affordable Android tablets.

Available in either 8-inch or 10-inch models with a 4:3 aspect ratio, the new Kogan Agora tablets are both running the Gingerbread flavour of Android, which is optimised for phones rather than tablets. That said, both tablets include a 1GHz processor, 512MB RAM and integrated webcam and Wi-Fi. 4GB of on board memory is beefed up with a MicroSD slot on each, which is accompanied by HDMI outputs and mini-USB connections.

Aside from the screen size, the 8-inch has a 800 x 600 SVGA resolution, compared to the 10-incher’s 1024 x 768 display.

While the lack of the Honeycomb (or the upcoming Ice Cream Sandwich) operating system may sway some potential buyers away, the price should swing them right back in – the 8-inch will cost $229 and the 10-inch $269 when they officially launch, but are available to pre-order using Kogan’s LivePrice system for as little as $149 and $189 respectively.

For that price, you could almost buy two and install them in the back seat of your car as long-trip child minders, without damaging your wallet too much…

Price: From $149 (8-inch) and $189 (10-inch)
Web: Kogan