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Very hard to wish it off just like that. Yes, the Honeycomb still remains to drizzle anew. Following days of unbearable teasing, Ainol has come out clean (dressed 3.2 Android OS) about its NOVO 7-inch Android tablet. We managed to nab crux of the matter in specs, together with some ample time with the slate, and to be honest, we can’t complain on what we’re having so far on both fronts. Follow us immediately after the gallery break (hands-on impression!), plus some hot hot video review of the fad in action!

It’s becoming increasingly difficult for manufacturers to make a distinction on the look of these all-screen slates, but Ainol’s done a laudable job differentiating the NOVO 7 tablet from the rest with its distinctive back and front planes. The rear of the smoothed-off tablet gets a less glossy black plastic (so whether it will stay ghost black ultimately that remains to be seen), and the front flounces of a household flush black bezel and a 7″ Capacitive 5 points Multitouch Screen (800*480px).

True, Ainol’s display and bezel do emerge less glossy compared to the iPad – but you won’t mind keeping that Windex (or Brasso device polish) around, though. Talking of clean, no doubt exactly how we’d illustrate the rest of the Ainol’s design – front is home to four touch buttons (back, home, menu and volume), 3megapixel front facing camera, headphone jack on the top edge, microSD card slot, HDMI out 1080p and power out.

Honestly, our real admiration for the NOVO 7-inch Android tablet design comes to play when you talk of form factor. As you would have thought, 7-inch tablets are far more superior for one-handed use compared to larger-screened slates (for example, the 11.6-inch ExoPC or 9.7-inch iPad), plus the 7.4 x 4.7-inch display Galaxy Tab is no exception. Steve Jobs may perhaps never thought of size as  optimal, although for us  we couldn’t let go our smaller hands wrapped around the 0.81-pound / 0.45-inch thick device while using our thumbs to type on the on-screen keyboard reading or grabbing it like a smartphone. Right, we can’t compare its featherweight or thinness as the Kindle or 0.48-pound Dell Streak, but of course it’s light enough to send you to bed without fear of it dropping on your face.

Now, that’s not telling much considering the state of the Android war, but we can confidently confirm that the Ainol’s NOVO 7-inch Android tablet is the first real rivalry to Apple’s iPad. Its compact form factor, crisp display, touch-friendly OS including dual cameras unquestionably have what it takes to be the victor over the average tablet seeker.

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