Verizon tries its hand at a $250 7-inch Android tablet with the Ellipsis

By Andy Boxall November 7, 2013

Verizon Ellipsis 7 Front

We heard about the Verizon Ellipsis 7 through a recent leak, and speculated whether it would bring something different – in the shape of a modular design – to the already overflowing 7-inch Android tablet market. We’ve got our answer today, as Verizon has made the Ellipsis 7 official.

Sadly, it doesn’t have a module for adding 4G LTE, but to make up it simply comes with 4G LTE connectivity already inside. While we want all our gadgets to have 4G, at least if the Ellipsis had a plug-in unit to add it, the tablet would have stood out a little more than it does.

Not that there’s anything wrong with the Ellipsis 7, it’s just very similar to the many (many) other options already available. The 7-inch IPS screen has a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, and the power comes from a quad-core, 1.2GHz processor with 1GB of RAM. A miserly 8GB of internal storage space is on offer, but there is the option to slot in a MicroSD card to add another 32GB.

A 3.2-megapixel camera is fitted to the rear of the 10mm thick body, and a VGA cam above the screen will take care of all your low resolution video chat needs. We’ve already mentioned the 4G LTE connectivity, which is joined by Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0, plus the tablet runs a relatively untouched version of Android 4.2. Verizon has installed a few apps though, including Amazon’s Kindle ebook reader, Redbox Instant, and iHeartRadio.

So, how much is Verizon charging for the Ellipsis 7? It’s $250 with a month-to-month data option, or $150 if you decide to sign-up for a two year contract, and it’s available from November 7. The trouble is, anyone wanting a 7-inch Android tablet has to also be looking at the 2013 Nexus 7, which isn’t available through Verizon. It’s an ongoing saga, and the network told CNet it won’t change anytime soon, as attempts to certify it for use have been suspended until it’s updated to Android 4.4 KitKat. Even then, we’d be surprised if Verizon rushed it through, as it can now steer interested customers towards its own hardware.

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Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…

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