If you had the option of getting a tablet which more-or-less matched the iPad 2 in specs, for half the price, and double the flexibility of usage, what would you choose?

The Perfeo 9706 IPS is a relatively unheard-of name in the Android tablet market, and rightly so, because the company’s products are only available on home turf, which is Russia. The newest baby from their stable packs a 9.7″ IPS display at 1024 x 768 resolution and a 4:3 aspect ratio. It runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box, and packs a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor with 1 GB RAM for company. The sleek slate also has a multitude of connectivity options like 2 mini-USB ports, one of them with USB-host support for external 3G modems, mice, keyboard, external hard drives etc, HDMI-out with full-HD 1080p support, and of course, the usual WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0, and a whopping 8000 mAh battery.

Check out the full spec sheet below:

  • IPS-color touch screen 9.7 “1024 * 768 4:3 (capacitive desyatitochechny)   Before starting to peel off the protective shipping film screen!
  • Dual-core 1.5GHz processor RK3066 (Cortex A9 quad 3D accelerator Mali 400)
  • 2M camera and secondary camera for video calling 0.3M
  • The latest version of OS Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (rapid response interface, voice control, etc.)
  • RAM 1GB DDR3. Built-in memory 16GB NAND (expandable up to 80GB with a card micro SD)
  • Wireless connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n and Bluetooth 4.0
  • Li-Ion battery 8000mAch (up to 10 hours of video playback)
  • Built-in microphone, speaker, 3.5mm jack for headphones
  • Two-port mini-USB, one of them with support for USB-host connections for 3G modems, mice, keyboards, USB-flash drives and external hard drives
  • Output HDMI mini (support Full HD 1080P)Full HD 1080P)
  • Accelerometer sensor for gaming and auto screen rotation
  • Size 243 * 189 * 10 mm. Weight 620 grams
  • Durable design with a hard back cover made of aluminum
  • Pre-installed software: word processing Android 4.1, the services of Yandex Weather, News, Trains, Metro, trailer, Maps, Mail, clients of social networks, E-Book reader, video player, audio player, photo gallery, etc.
  • Supported the installation of new games and applications from the service Google.PlayPlay
  • Accessories: AC adapter, USB-cable, adapter USB-host, printed Getting Started Guide
  • 12 months warranty (on battery and accessories 3 months)

All of that, for a really great price of $232, which is indeed about half what an iPad 2 would cost. The catch is that this  super-value-for-money tablet is only sold in Russia, and as far as we know, chances of it being available outside its home turf are really, really slim. Specs wise, it really trounces all those cheap Chinese slates out there, and if it were to make an entry into the low-cost tablet space in the mainstream market, it is sure to give a lot of big players a frantic run for their money. The Perfeo 9706-IPS goes is expected to hit retail stores later this month.

On a different note, it is heartening to see smaller players like this, harness the power of the Android OS and make an earnest attempt to produce a high-end but affordable product. Had iOS been even semi open-source, do you think the Perfeo could have been priced as it is, or lower?