Asus MeMo Pad Smart 10 Coming to The U.S. on March 5 for $299

Asus seemed to lead the high-end Android charge against Apple’s iPads about a year ago, but since the Nexus 7 proved to be such a big hit, the Taiwanese changed their focus towards lower-end, budget-friendlier tabs.

And we’re not only talking about 7-inchers. Case in point, the MeMo Pad Smart, a 10-incher with a “meh” spec sheet, but a pretty awesome price point – $300 in the US. Mind you, that’s official pricing, with shipping set to start in a few days (on March 5, to be specific).

Also known as the ME301T, the slate looks a lot like the one year-old Transformer Pad TF300T, only it comes sans the optional keyboard dock. It also runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean upon launch, while the 10.1-inch IPS panel boasts the same mediocre 1,280 x 800 pixels resolution.

The quad-core 1.2 GHz processor is one generation behind, being of the Tegra 3 variation, but can you really complain at 300 bucks? Especially when you get a battery supposedly capable of 7 or 8 hours of continuous use, 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal memory, microSD support, SRS Audio, micro HDMI and a 5 MP rear-facing camera. Who’s ready to cough up the dough?

Via [Liliputing]