$99 Tablet With Ice Cream Sandwich: It’s Real and It’s Fabulous?

First there was the iPad, at a relatively inexpensive but not chump change-y $500 starting price.

Then came Kindle Fire, at a shockingly low $199. Now there’s the Novo7, which undercuts even the low-priced Amazon effort at a super affordable $99. It’s not here yet, and won’t be in time for Santa, but the Novo7- already available in China- is expected to hit US shores in coming months and will be a formidable rival, if initial reports are correct. PC World has the specs, and it seems that if the $99 tablet is all it is expected to be, it could have a massive impact on the quickly-changing tablet market. The site says:

The game-changing tablet could shake up the market just like the Kindle Fire did with its debut in November. The Novo7 doesn’t skimp on specs and cut corners at every turn. It has a MIPS XBurst 1GHz CPU and includes front and rear cameras, 3D capability, 1080p video decoding and an HDMI port, not to mention up to 8 hours of battery life while watching video. It also features a multitouch-capable touchscreen and the latest version of Android, where other inexpensive tablets have been known to run older versions.

Leader International and OMG Electronics are said to be manufacturers tied to the project in the US. PC World points out that while Kindle Fire runs on Android, there are some limitations respective to the retailer (Amazon) that mean the $99 tablet could offer even better value to consumers as well as access to the Android market. In a statement, Android chief Andy Rubin said:

“I’m thrilled to see the entrance of MIPS-Based Android 4.0 tablets into the market. Low-cost, high-performance tablets are a big win for mobile consumers and a strong illustration of how Android’s openness drives innovation and competition for the benefit of consumers around the world.”

Does anyone else feel like they’d buy one sight unseen based only on this information? Are you interested in the $99 tablet?