NVIDIA's new Shield Tablet K1 is almost identical to its predecessor, only with a $100 price cut to $199 and a few missing features, according to Engadget. Despite the design that features a nearly identical chassis and the same ports, buttons and camera layout, the tablet doesn't come packed with a charger or microUSB cable and does not feature a built-in stylus. NVIDIA says that these decisions were to cut costs, but were they worth it?
Putting the missing features mentioned above aside, the K1 is almost identical to its predecessor - the chipset is still NVIDIA's Tegra K1, and it still possesses a 192-core Kepler-based GPU, according to Ars Technica. Although this may sound disappointing, these specs are still miles ahead of anything found in Android tablets in the same price range.
With an 8-inch 1080p display, two front-facing speakers and the option of pairing it with a Shield controller, the K1 is ideal for gamers that want a phone that won't break their bank, according to TechCrunch.
If you already own a Shield tablet, there really is no reason to get the K1; given the nearly identical specs, the performance you're going to get out of the two are roughly the same. However, if you haven't already purchased one you will definitely want to consider it. Even if you're not a gamer, it's still a very competitive tablet that will give you your money's worth.
