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Michael Dell pulls Mini 5 Android tablet from his parka, offers to put one in yours in 'a couple of months' (video)
Hot on the heels of us thinking maybe the Dell Streak / Mini 5 was possibly due for a name change to the "M01M," a roving heckler from TechCrunch managed to catch the man himself, Michael Dell, on the street and get a quick demonstration of the thing -- which he with no uncertain terms referred to as the "Mini 5." He swiped through a number of home screens and quickly showed the five megapixel camera on the back, mentioned 3G wireless, and then tucked it away again. No price was given, but the biggest news is confirmation that it's coming out in "a couple of months," which is something of a surprise given the company was still calling it a concept just a few weeks ago. Video of this choice encounter is after the break. [Thanks, Mark O.]
Viewsonic joins the Android Tablet fraternity with the VTablet 101
In a move that can only be described as caving in to peer pressure, Viewsonic has become the latest to prop up an Android-powered and keyboard-free device that probably won't revolutionize the way you idly surf the web from your couch. Called the VTablet 101 it rocks a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor and NVIDIA Tegra graphics powering an 8.9-inch, 1024 x 800 touchscreen display. There's 4GB of storage, WiFi, and Bluetooth, all in a reasonably attractive 3,000 Yuan ($440) price. Availability? Whenever hazing is over -- assuming it survives.
Paradigm Shift joins the tablet crowd with Android-based EMT-10AB/W
It's not doing it any favors with its selection of press photos, but Paradigm Shift has just let our word about its new Android-based EMT-10AB/W tablet, which joins the company's recently-announced, equally-nondescript pair of e-book readers. Set to be available in your choice of black or white, this one packs an 800MHz Marvel PX166 processor (slightly faster than the Camangi's), along with a 1,024 x 600 touchscreen (no word if it's capacitive or resistive), 2GB of flash storage standard (upgradable to 16GB), built-in WiFi, VGA out, an SD card slot for further expansion, and even the option of built-in 3G. Look for this one to hit the US sometime this March with an MSRP of $369.95.
Camangi WebStation makes FCC test bench appearance, torn down for good measure
Might this make it by the end of the year? Camangi has been touting its "early bird" pre-orders for the WebStation Android tablet for nearly a month now, and has been indicating things would ship before the month is through. Now we have confirmation that if that date doesn't happen you won't be able to blame the FCC. Our favorite US independent agency (next to NASA) issued its approval of the device back on November 14, and shared some lovely disassembly pictures for good measure (after the break). This means the thing isn't likely to kill you or to make your TV go all weird, but doesn't necessarily mean it'll hit your mailbox before the holidays are over. That, dear readers, is up to a higher power: Santa Claus.
ICD Ultra Android tablet hands-on
As you may have noticed, we had a chance to get our hands on a fairly interesting little tablet made by ICD dubbed the Ultra. The 7-inch, touchscreen tablet (resistive in the version we saw, but with capacitive versions to come) sports quite an impressive set of specs, including a 1GHz Tegra T20 CPU, 512MB of RAM and 512MB of ROM, 4GB of hardwired storage, 2G / 3G radios, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, HDMI out, USB 2.0, and a microSD slot. The device also has an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, and 3.5mm headphone jack. The version we had a chance to play with -- a prototype running Android 2.0 -- was blazingly fast when it came to 1080p playback and web browsing (as you can see in the video), but was pretty incomplete as far as the rest of the software was concerned (though the company says they're working on optimizing the experience all around). In terms of pricing, ICD reps didn't have a solid number, though they said they expect the Ultra to sell for somewhere in the $249 price range, with potential for free, subsidized versions depending on what kind of deals they work out with partners. We expect to see a whole slew of devices like this at CES in just a few weeks, but this is nice a taste of things to come. Check out our exclusive hands-on pics in the gallery below! Update: The video in question is right here! %Gallery-80649%
eviGroup's Wallet tablet/MID gets two-tone redesign, January release date
Sure, it was highly derivative of the iPhone, but we liked the styling on those eviGroup Wallet prototypes that the company teased us with a few months back. So, we're ever so slightly disappointed to see the new aesthetic in the latest (and, apparently, final) revision of the hardware above. That it's grown a front-facing webcam is a good thing, but the two-tone look in this shot makes that bezel look a bit chunky and not entirely lust-worthy. (The rendered shots at the read link look better, but then they always do.) The good news is it's said to be ready for production ahead of a January release and, with Dell seemingly joining the fray with its own Android-powered five-inch tablet/MID device, that date had better not slip.
Camangi WebStation nabs pre-order status
Those anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Camangi Webstation Android tablet / MID will be happy to know that the website -- which went up about a week and a half ago -- is now accepting pre-orders. The 7-inch glass touchscreen tablet boasts a 624MHz Marvell PXA303 CPU, 128MB of RAM, 256MB of flash storage, 3G connectivity, WiFi, and GPS, and it comes in white, pink or black. The $399 price is currently discounted for "early birds" to $389 -- so get going, champ!
Camangi WebStation website goes live, orders do not
It still won't sell you one, but Carmangi has just launched the official website for its Android-based WebStation tablet / MID, and cleared up a few remaining details in the process. As we'd heard, this one packs a 7-inch glass touchscreen and some of the usual niceties like WiFi and GPS, but it looks like the rest of the specs are decidedly par for the course, including a 624MHz Marvell PXA303 processor, 128MB of RAM, 256MB of flash storage, and 3G connectivity in the form of a USB dongle only. You will get a complimentary 8GB microSD card to boost that storage, however, and you'll soon apparently be able to get it in your choice of pink or black in addition to the basic white -- the company even has its own "Camangi Market" for apps, though it's looking a little sparse, and not all that unique at the moment.
NEC working on an Android tablet for suits?
Super-vague report in the Nikkei this morning about NEC working on a seven-to-eight-inch "mobile device as capable as a personal computer" that's aimed at business customers -- no specs are given, but the tiny accompanying pic definitely shows the Android app tab at the bottom of that custom UI. Very mysterious. The report says NEC thinks it'll move 100,000 to 200,000 of these a year after it launches next fall, and plans to sell a million a year over time, but we'll wait to see what's real and what's not before we tackle that prediction. [Via Slashgear; warning, read link requires registration]
5-inch Android-powered Archos Internet Media Tablet landing in September
Just under a month ago at Archos' Paris reveal, we were somewhat dismayed that an Android-based device didn't show up... officially, at least. We were told to expect more information about a Google-powered unit this September, but it looks as if said wait has been hacked considerably. According to The Inquirer, Archos has informed it that a 5-inch internet media tablet loaded with Android will be unveiled on September 15th, a date that certainly jibes with prior information. The handheld will boast Google's sauce underneath with a layer of Archos applications on top, and while the Windows 7-equipped Archos 9 PCTablet (pictured) is expected in October, this here device should hit shelves a few weeks prior. In related news, the briefing also included word that Archos was working on a few "telephony products," which is just barely enough to get you simultaneously excited / hot and bothered.[Via TrustedReviews]
GiiNii's Movit Mini WiFi Android tablet hands-on
We just spent some quality time playing with GiiNii's Movit Mini WiFi Android tablet, which might be one of the best things we've seen at CES so far -- think of it as the Android version of the iPod touch and you'll get why we're so stoked. The unit features a 4.3-inch, 480 x 272 resistive touchscreen (sigh), and it's got a soft keyboard for text entry -- they couldn't tell us if it's running Cupcake or not, but the keyboard worked just fine as we were playing with it. A built-in mic and front-facing camera lend themselves to out-of-the-box Skype support, there's also Bluetooth and a built-in speaker. Sadly, there's only 256MB of internal storage, but there's an microSD slot for expansion. All we got for pricing was "less than the iPod touch" -- we'll see how close GiiNii gets when this guy and the planned 7-inch Movit Maxx hit sometime in the middle of the year.%Gallery-40963%
