The first Android 4.0 tablet is also destined to be one of the cheapest: the Novo7 with Ice Cream Sandwich is now available to order in China for $99. MIPS, a designer of processors for home entertainment and networking hardware, and Ingenic, a China-based processor builder, are launching this 7-inch tablet with Ingenic's JZ4770 single-core 1GHz XBurst CPU, making it unique amongst the many Android tablets running on ARM-based processors.

The JZ4770 is a MIPS32-based system-on-a-chip optimized for 1080p video with OpenGL 3D graphics — the entire chip consumes about 250mW under a full load. Despite claims of superb power management, the processor is based on 65nm technology, which looks rather outdated compared to the 28nm chips coming soon. While the Novo7 is initially launching in China under the Ainovo brand, MIPS and Ingenic claimed it would be coming to the US and other countries next year, along with 8- and 9-inch models as well.