E-Fun announced a nine-inch Android 2.3 tablet for $280. The Nextbook Premium 9 is equipped with a 1GHz Rockchips RK2918 processor, 4GB of storage, a two-megapixel camera, and a 1280 x 800-pixel capacitive display, says the company.

E-Fun is gradually herding its Nextbook line of budget Android tablets toward the mid-range market. Like the Nextbook Premium 8 announced in October, the Nextbook Premium 9 is still stuck in the thicket of single-core Cortex-A8 processors, as it hosts the same 1GHz Rockchip RK2918 processor as the Premium 8. However, the new tablet is not only larger at nine inches, but the capacitive screen offers considerably higher 1280 x 800 pixel resolution.

Nextbook Premium 9
(Click to enlarge)

The Nextbook Premium 9 is equipped with Android 2.3, and is said to be "fully upgradable with over the air (OTA) update capabilities," hinting at the possibility of an Android 4.0 upgrade. Like the Premium 8, the tablet is equipped with 4GB of onboard flash memory. The company has yet to post detailed specs, but considering how similar the tablet is to the Premium 8, it most likely also offers the same 512MB of DDR3 RAM, as well.

According to E-Fun, the Premium 9 supplies an SD card reader, supporting up to 32 GB of storage, but it's unclear whether this is a full SD slot or the microSD model available on the earlier tablet. Additional features include: a two -megapixel, front-facing camera;  802/11b/g/n wireless networking; and a mini-USB port, says the company.

The Premium 9 offers built-in speakers and a four-way G-sensor, says E-Fun. The tablet ships with an AC adapter, USB cable, and a protective pouch, while a carrying case is available as an option, says the company. No dimensions or battery details appear to be available at this time.

Like the Premium 8, the Premium 9 is loaded with the SlideME application manager rather than Android Market, says E-Fun. There's also a Kobo eBook Store App, with 25 pre-installed Kobo ebook titles, plus OfficeSuite Viewer and the Astro File Manager. Other pre-installed apps include a photo viewer, notepad, calendar, alarm clock, and assorted games, says the company.

Availability

The Nextbook Premium 9 tablet will be available Dec. 20 at various retailers, with an MSRP of $350 and a street price of $280, says E-Fun. More information should soon appear on the company's Nextbook tablet site.

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