If you’re in the market for a 7 inch slate, Samsung’s 7 inch Galaxy Tab is the undeniable leader in this area… but it’s definitely not the only device you should consider. Take, for instance, Enspet’s Identity Tab e201. This 7 inch device is nearly spec-for-spec identical to Samsung’s Tab, less a lower screen resolution, but it actually performs just as well and even beats the Galaxy Tab on some benchmarks. Have a look at the two in a head-to-head video below:

We showed you the Identity Tab [tracking page] unboxing and gave you a quick preview of the device just the other day. Now we’ve got a gallery full of photos for you to get familiar with the aesthetics of the 7 inch Android tablet. We’re still waiting on the Android 2.2 build with official Android Market access, to come our way (just a few more days) and when it does we’ll have a lot more info to share about the Identity Tab. For the time being, tide yourself over with some pretty pictures!

Identity Tab Full Gallery

We’ve mentioned the other day that we had an Enspert e201 [tracking page] inbound for testing, and it has arrived. I had to chase the FedEx truck several blocks down to get the box yesterday, and I did it all for you, dear readers! The Enspert e201 (which is available soon, exclusively from Dynamism) is being branded as the Identity Tab, here in the US.

I’m really surprised with the build-quality of the Identity Tab so far. It looks just like an iPad and I’m dreading the “hey is that a mini-iPad? inch questions that I’ll get when I’m using it out of the house; they may have copied the aesthetic, but they were fortunately also able to nail the build-quality. I’m really digging the physical buttons on the Identity Tab. The last three Android devices that I’ve tested (and numerous ones that I’ve covered) all use capacitive Android buttons (the Home, Back, Hidden-Menu, and Search buttons). The Identity Tab (though it might be lacking the search button) actually has physical clickable buttons, and I love it! The feedback on them is great, I don’t have to guess whether or not I’ve actually pressed them.

As I mention in the video, the Identity Tab is running Android 2.1 at the moment, but will be updated to 2.2 before shipping to customers. I think this is much better than promising a 2.2 download at some point later because companies sometimes don’t come through (*cough*Samsung*cough*), and even if they do, the process isn’t always easy! The device will also have official Android Market access when Android 2.2 comes through (we’ll have it on the device in about a week) and that will enable us to do much more with it. Stay tuned for more to come from the Identity Tab over the next week or two.

The Enspert E201 is a 7 inch Android slate out of Korea that’s actually looking rather impressive with a 1GHz CPU, PowerVR SGX 450 GPU, and legitimate access to the Android Market, all on Android 2.2 (Froyo). It’s cheaper than the Galaxy Tab [tracking page] to boot!

We’ve got one inbound for testing and we’re looking forward to it as Chippy was impressed with a family member device, the E301, that he had a look at during CES. Here’s a rundown of the E201 specs which are looking quite right for the price of $349:

• Android 2.2 (Froyo)
• ARM Cortex-A8 CPU @ 1GHz
• 512MB of RAM
• 7 inch capacitive touchscreen @ 800×480
• 3MP rear camera and unspecified front facing cam (likely 640×480)
• WiFi b/g/n & Bluetooth 2.1
• Mini-HDMI port
• Mini-USB port
• Full sized SD-card slot
• 3.5mm headphone jack
• And all the usual sensor goodies (accelerometer, GPS, manometer, ambient light sensor)

The Enspert E201 is available exclusively from Dynamism for US buyers. Their pre-sale starts on February 1st with the first shipments going out on the 15th.

As soon as we get our hands on it, we’ll run some benchmarks to see how it stacks up to the Samsung Galaxy Tab. The only places that it’s lacking at the moment seems to be in resolution department (the Galaxy Tab’s screen is 1024×600). Here’s some shots to tide you over until we can give it a thorough looking over, stay tuned:

In terms of build quality, the Enspert E301 stood out from the other tablets at CES. It’s from the company that brought you the Inbrics M1 (and used to be called ‘Identity.’) The Inbrics M1 never reached EU or US markets so let’s hope this one does better. With cellular data planned for the device, we think they stand a better chance this time round and based on what we’ve seen, this is up there with the best of the non-Honeycomb tablets.

Full specs are in the database but here’ are a few highlights:

• Samsung SP5C110 1Ghz Cortex A8 with PowerVR 540 graphics
• Digital TV receivers planned
• 3G/4G recievers planned
• 5.0MP Auto-focus camera
• Launch planned for ‘back-to-school’ 2011

It’s the last point that worries us somewhat. By Q3 2011, this device needs Honeycomb!

More images in the Gallery

This overview video goes over the main features of the device. (From CES 2011)