MWC 2011 Live: ViewPad 4 & V350 Hands-on Preview

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After taking a brief look at the three ViewSonic tablets on display at MWC 2011 we went on to check out two handsets the ViewPad 4 and the V350.

Both running Android these new devices are expected to hit at some point in Q2 in various markets including Europe. We have no release dates for you at this time and no pricing details either.

The ViewPad 4 was the first smartphone I looked at today and, just like the Flyer, ChaCha and Salse at HTC’s booth the ViewPad 4 was locked in a glass cabinet. Luckily I was allowed to take it out and, to my surprise, it even booted Android. The phone doesn’t seem to be ready to serve its purpose yet and it was a challenge to navigate through certain menus. As for its general aspect the ViewPad 4 looked like it has just returned from a tour in Afghanistan rather than being locked in a cabinet.

The ViewPad 4, although it bears the name of a tablet will offer you an Android smartphone experience. It has a strong 1GHz processor and 512MB of RAM under the hood and a decent 4.1-inch display. Add to that two cameras and Android 2.2 Froyo and you get a pretty dependable device. Gingerbread is coming later, ViewSonic’s staff assured me of that, although there’s no telling when that will happen.

The V350 is not a high-end device like the ViewPad 4 and it’s rather an entry-level handset, like the HTC Wildfire S, the HTC Facebook phones or the cheap Samsung Galaxy family. Unlike the ViewPad 4 which was residing in a glass, the V350 was in someone’s pocket. I wasn’t able to turn on this handset, but at least we get to look at its overall experience: round corners, a 3.5-inch touchscreen display, nice finishes (certainly better-looking than the ViewPad 4) and some decent specs for an entry-level handset. You’ll get a 600GHz Qualcomm processor, support for two SIM cards, 512MB of RAM and Android 2.2 under the hood.

Anyone excited about any of these two ViewSonic smartphones?