Preorders open on Aug. 22 for the upcoming ConsoleTab tablet computer, a $349 device with a 10.1-inch touch-screen HD display, an Intel Atom processor, and the inclusion of both Windows 10 and Android operating systems.
The new machine, which was announced at the Intel Developer Forum event in San Francisco this week, will allow users to choose between the two operating systems each time they use the machine, according to its maker, Console.
The device will ship initially with Android 5.1 Lollipop, but will soon be upgraded to Android 6.0 Marshmallow and eventually to Android 7.0 Nougat when it is released.
The tablet will also feature a quad-core 1,83GHz Intel Atom x5-Z8300 Cherry Trail processor, 4GB of DDR3L memory, 64GB of built-in storage and a microSD slot that supports storage cards up to 200GB. Also included are a detachable QWERTY keyboard and trackpad, a mini-HDMI port, two USB 2.0 ports, built-in speakers and a microphone, and a one-year warranty. The ConsoleTab weighs 1.28 pounds.
Options include 200GB of internal storage for an additional $50, plus an optional keyboard dock that features an extra battery and a built-in kickstand to hold the tablet at an angle, for an additional $99.
The ConsoleTab is a joint venture between Console, which is based in Santa Clara, Calif., and Teclast Electronics, which is based on China, according to the companies. The partnership between the companies was unveiled in June.
Customers who preorder the device as soon as it is announced for preorder on Aug. 22 will receive a discounted price that has not yet been announced. Preordered machines will not be charged to customers until the device is certified by the Federal Communications Commission and is ready to be shipped. Early preorder customers will also get to vote on the machine’s final color from several choices—including Reflective Gold, Kinetic Blue and Matte Black.
The discounted ConsoleTab price for early preorder buyers will gradually increase until the company shuts down the preorders in preparation for the first batch, according to the company.
Christopher Price, Console’s founder and CEO, said in a statement that his company’s use of the Intel Atom Cherry Trail processor in the ConsoleTab is an important part of its strategy.
“We are really excited about the future of Cherry Trail because of the long-term opportunities,” said Price. “ConsoleTab is the first in a series of Cherry Trail devices that we plan to launch.”
The Intel Atom Cherry Trail processor will be maintained and sold by Intel for years to come and includes the same I/O as Intel’s Broxton chip for Windows and Linux, he continued.
“Intel remains committed to Android for [the internet of things] and we’ll continue to keep tablets part of that circle with ConsoleTab,” he said.