H.P. Slate 7 Tablet Using Android Is Introduced

Hewlett-Packard has introduced the Slate 7, a $169 tablet powered by the Android operating system, a centerpiece of the company’s effort to expand in mobile devices and reduce its dependence on the shrinking personal computer market.

The Slate 7 is H.P.’s latest foray into the consumer tablet market. It follows the failure in 2011 of its WebOS-based TouchPad, which the company stopped selling after just seven weeks, citing poor demand.

Powered by Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the Slate 7 offers Google services including search functions, YouTube and Gmail, as well as Beats Audio for improved sound, H.P. said. The 13-ounce device includes access to apps and digital content through Google Play, and cameras on both sides of the seven-inch screen.

H.P. said it expected American sales of the Slate 7 to begin in April, and said the product offers a “compelling entry point” for people looking to buy tablets.

Google’s Nexus 7 tablet costs $199, as does Amazon.com’s Kindle Fire HD.

H.P. also makes a business tablet, the ElitePad, which is powered by Microsoft’s Windows 8. WebOS had been developed by Palm, which H.P. bought in 2010.

The Slate 7 is part of a multiyear turnaround plan by Meg Whitman, the H.P. chief.