Camangi WebStation: The First 7-inch Android Tablet Shows There’s A Long Road To Perfection

Back when Camangi first announced the 7-inch WebStation I asked: Can this tablet make us forget the CrunchPad? Sadly, the answer turned out to be no. Not just because the CrunchPad rose from the ashes as the JooJoo, but because the WebStation is only likely to make you forget that you like the Android OS.

In our first hands on post we talked about the issues we encountered out of the box: sluggish performance, sub-par video experience. Though the slight hitch in video playback wasn’t endemic (we had too many apps running in the background, apparently), the quality of the video remained an issue. For a tablet that’s billed as a portable multimedia device there was little to recommend it in that area, including the screen.

The sluggishness never abated, making the WebStation often frustrating to use. It was also frustrating to see so much promise go to waste. The tablet is well-built and sturdy — a bit heavy for it’s size, but not too much. If it worked as advertised and had a speedier processor, some of the larger flaws shared by all non-phone Android devices could have been overlooked.

Sure, there aren’t many apps available yet and, yes, users won’t be able to use some core Google apps like Maps and Google Voice. Still, devices like the Archos 5 Internet Tablet have inspired its fans to get creative with seeking apps that will work and ways around the limitations. That’s because, at it’s core, it runs well and makes a good (if expensive) multimedia player. Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll see that kind of fanbase forming around the WebStation.

Check out our review here for the full breakdown on the UI, performance, and available apps and tell us what you think of the Camangi WebStation.