A new 7-inch tablet from Asus inspired by clutch bags
The biggest problem with Asus' new 7-inch Android tablet is the name. Asus already has one Asus MeMO Pad 7, which is why you have to put up with the silly model numbers to tell them apart.
But on first impression this new MeMO Pad 7 ME572C is the one to own. At £179 it's more expensive, but it's a stylish tablet at a reasonable price with a sharp and bright screen.
The Asus MeMO Pad goes on sale in Q4 for £179 as a John Lewis exclusive.
SEE ALSO: Best Tablets Round-up 
Asus MeMO Pad 7 ME572C: Specs and Features
Let's cover some basics first. The 7-inch screen has a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution, which immediately puts the ageing (but still excellent) Nexus 7 in mind. Asus would rather you buy this one, of course, and given the choice you should.
Beyond the screen it continues Asus' trend of putting Intel processors in its phones and tablets. In this case it's a quad-core Intel Atom Z3560 that supports 64-bit and clocks in at 1.85GHz. It sounds impressive and a short demo showed it ran things smoothly, but I can't say much more than at present. Graphics is normally Intel's weak point so we'll need to test it to find out.
SEE ALSO: Best Android Tablet Round-up 
Back to the screen, though, and it looks great. Blacks are crisp, colours rich and viewing angles looked excellent. It's an IPS screen, of course, which explains the good viewing angle, but IPS isn't always a guarantor of quality. It is here.
Other features include front and rear cameras -- 5-megapixels at the back and 2-megapixels on the front. Unlike the Nexus 7, there's a microSD to expand the internal storage.
The £179 version is Wi-Fi only, but Asus plans an 4G/LTE version (that's the ME572CL). We don't know if or when that is UK-bound, though.
Asus MeMO Pad 7 (ME572C/CL): Design
It's here that the Asus MeMO Pad 7 really distinguishes itself. Asus has modelled it after clutch bags. This sounds silly, but you can see the resemblance and it works.
The slightly exposed lip looks cool and the textured, soft-touch rear of the black version feels great in the hands. The power and volume buttons are soft touch, too, lending the MeMO Pad 7 that all important tactile quality that make it feel like your getting your money's worth.
Naturally, it's thin and light at just 269g and 8.3mm thick. Neither are astounding figures, but I've long ceased paying close attention to such numbers.
First Impressions
This is a very smart tablet, that much is obvious. If you're in the market for a small Android tablet then you should have it on your shortlist. It's a clear step up from the the Nexus 7. The only caveat is whether you're better off with an 8-inch tablet, though that will mean spending more still.
Next, read our Tablet Buyer's Guide
