Chuwi’s new 13.3 inch tablet with an Intel Core M3 Kaby Lake processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage is now up for pre-order through a crowdfunding campaign at Indiegogo.
Early bird backers can snag a Chuwi CoreBook for $459 or you can opt for a bundle that includes the tablet, a detachable keyboard, and an active stylus for $499.
While I’m normally reluctant to use the words “pre-order” and “crowdfunding in the same sentence, Chuwi is pretty much just using the Indiegogo campaign to build buzz for the product. The company has successfully brought a number of tablets to market in the past, and the relatively low goal for this campaign suggests that Chuwi doesn’t actually need much money to finish development of the tablet.
The tablet features a full HD touchscreen display, a fingerprint sensor, and it works with a keyboard cover, much like a Microsoft Surface or iPad Pro tablet (although the kickstand is built into the cover, not the tablet). The optional stylus is a digital pen that supports 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity.
The CoreBook has an aluminum alloy chassis and a fanless design, and the tablet measures 12.4″ x 8.3″ x 0.3″ and weighs about 2.3 pounds.
It features a 37 Wh battery, and micro USB and USB 3.0 type-C ports. It supports 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0, has stereo speakers and a headphone jack, a microSDXC card slot, and front and rear cameras.
Chuwi says it expects to ship CoreBook units to backers of the crowdfunding campaign in March, 2018.
The full retail price for the tablet is expected to be $599, while the tablet + keyboard and pen will sell for $679.
Chuwi needs to seriously consider entering the North American market officially (with warranties and support), now that they are frequently selling products above $400. Personally, I won’t buy a Chinese product lacking a North American warranty above a certain price point. The old Cube i7 tablet was probably the most I would spend on an unwarrantied Tablet ($300).
The Cube Mix Plus which also has a M3-7Y30 and also an internal M.2 slot. Can be purchased now for $270 inc free shipping on sale – normally $330. It’s a 10.6 inch WIN10 tablet.
Hard to justify the huge extra cost of this Chuwi tablet. Especially when it’s being crowdfunded – not that I think it won’t be delivered
The CUBE sounds like a great deal, but at $499, the CoreBook has a 13.3″ screen, the keyboard and a stylist.