The Asus ME173 gets some much-needed upgrades over its predecessor

The ME172V (pictured) featured a textured backside I wasn't too fond of. Here's hoping the ME173 improves on that design.

(Credit: Josh Miller)

Well, that didn't take long. Less than two months after I posted this review of the Memo ME172V, Asus has revealed its younger, more powerful sibling with an appropriately sequential name:, the ME173.
The newer 7-inch tablet will ship with Android 4.2, feature a 1.2GHz MediaTek MT8125 CPU and a PowerVR SGX 544 graphics processor. While I'm not familiar with that particular flavor of MediaTek silicon, the SGX 544 is nothing to sneeze at when its comes to graphics processing; however, whether the tablet's graphics will knock your socks off (not likely) will depend on just how many cores the 544 encloses.
Screen specs get an upgrade over the ME172V to an impressive-in-2012-but-expected-of-most-7-inchers-today 1,280x800 with an IPS panel. Expect sharper images and a wider viewing angle than what the ME172V was capable of.
The new tablet also features a 1.2-megapixel front camera and a 5-megapixel rear camera. No word on a cellular option, but 802.11 b/g/n is supported. You'll also find a microSD card slot (supporting up to 32GB of storage), micro USB, gyroscope, and e-compass.
According to Asus' press info, the tablet will come in four different backside colors: dark gray, white, what looks to be hot pink, and something that resembles turquoise, but Asus insists on calling green.
No word yet on price or availability, but the ME173 will ship with 16GB of internal storage.
Look for more info (like pics, hands-on, and an answer as to whether its backside is smooth and comfy or bumpy and lame) on the Asus ME173 in due time.