ViewSonic takes on iPad with ViewPad 7

The ViewPad 7 is expected to cost £350

ViewSonic has announced a tablet/smartphone hybrid device which could give the likes of the iPad and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab a run for their money.

The ViewPad 7 comes with a 7in LCD capacitive multi-touch screen, and will ship with Android 2.2 Froyo and multi-tasking capabilities.

The device is capable of housing a full size SIM card, and can support instant messaging, text and picture messaging, VoIP and standard voice calls, the firm said. It also comes with 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Additional features include assisted GPS, an office document reader, an interface that allows handwritten text to be inputted, an e-book reader and, crucially, a USB port which Apple's device lacks.

A VGA camera is located on the front and a 3-megapixel camera is set to be present on the rear. The device will also support micro-SD cards up to 32GB, and provide access to the Android Market with over 100,000 applications.

The 3G phone functionality combined with dual cameras gives the ViewPad 7 the ability to use augmented reality Android apps and video calling on the move with the benefit of an excellent 7in screen, according to Derek Wright, European product marketing manager at ViewSonic.

"The ViewPad 7 is aimed at users who require the always-on connectivity they are used to from a mobile phone with a more agreeable screen size for longer term use," he said.

The device is expected to launch in time for Christmas with a retail price of £350. ViewSonic will showcase it at IFA 2010 in Berlin later this week.