Toshiba is offering users a peek at its forthcoming Android 3.0 tablet, a 10.1-inch-screen device coming this spring with dual cameras, Flash support and a swappable battery.
Toshiba launched a preview Website of its forthcoming Android 3.0 Honeycomb
tablet, a device geared to provide features Apple's iPad lacks such as dual
cameras, a swappable battery, several data ports and Flash support.
eWEEK got a
sneak peek of the tablet three weeks ago at the 2011 Consumer
Electronics Show, but few specs were made available about the device, whose
name Toshiba has yet to announce.
However, much more information about this device has come to light vis-??Ã-vis
this Toshiba teaser
Website,
which shows an attractive, portable computer with a slip-resistant, EasyGrip
finish that will come in five colors.
Like the
Motorola Xoom, launching from Verizon Wireless and Best Buy next
month as the first Honeycomb tablet, the Toshiba tablet is powered by an Nvidia
Tegra 2 dual-core processor.
The device features 10.1-inch multitouch screen with a 1,280-by-800, 720p HD
resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio,
"so neither your favorite movies nor your favorite Websites ever get
cropped."
The screen also boasts an ambient light sensor to provide consistency
between indoor and outdoor viewing.
Motorola chose to eschew physical buttons for the Xoom; Google said it
designed Android 3.0 so that tablets wouldn't require physical buttons.
Toshiba offers the four physical home, menu, back and search buttons Android
handset owners are accustomed to on their phones. So users comfortable with,
say, the Motorola Droid X smartphone might be comfortable with the Toshiba
input design.
The rear camera is 5 megapixels with autofocus, while the front is 2MP.
As for connectivity, the device provides WiFi access and features ports for USB,
mini-USB, HDMI, and SD slot and headphone
jack. There's also a docking port to let users connect to larger monitors.
IntoMobile has a hands-on with the Toshiba tablet
here.
Again, the Toshiba tablet isn't coming until the spring, by which time the
Xoom, RIM PlayBook, several Windows 7 tablets and even the iPad 2 are likely to
be on the market.
The computer maker is clearly hoping feature differentiation such as the
rubberized grip, multiple data ports and a swappable battery help it stand out
in what is swiftly becoming a crowded market.
The tablet pie is large. IDC currently
forecasts 44.6 million to ship in 2011, which may be conservative given the hype
and trends.
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