Chinese networking and telecommunications giant Huawei said they are in the process of launching a tablet PC in Australia towards the end of 2010. The company revealed the 7 inch tablet will run the Google Android OS and claims the tablet‘s low price point will make it an appealing alternative to the Apple’s iPad.
The Huawei S7 tablet was first seen seen at the MWC 2010 and was also showcased at the recently concluded Computex, though if you aren’t familiar with it yet, here are the deatils.
The S7 ‘e-tablet’ has a 7 inch 800×480 resolution touchscreen display with a 16:9 ratio though unlike the iPad, the S7 uses a resistive touchscreen display. What this means is that you can use your fingernails or a stylus to make a selection, though on the flip side resistive screens generally aren’t as responsive as a capacitive display. The S7 is powered by a 768MHz Qualcomm SnapDragon ARM processor and runs the 2.1 version of Google’s Android operating system. Huawei has confirmed the S7 will be upgradeable to the latest 2.2 version of Android though didn’t offer a time frame. Being a Google Android device, the Huawei S7 tablet will have access to the more than 70,000 third-party applications available in the Android Market.
Other features of the S7 tablet include a flip-out stand, an integrated 3.2 megapixel camera that can be used for video calls and a scroll wheel. The S7 will be good enough for 720p HD quality video playback as well. Also, much like the Dell Streak 5, the S7 too supports 3G voice as well as data and can double up as a smartphone though its very much unlikely for anyone to hold up a 7 inch tablet up to the face to do the talking, for which a Bluetooth headset will most likely be used.
Speaking at the company’s official Australian launch, Global Director of Strategy and Marketing, Victor Xu, said the S7 tablet follows the company’s “Smart Device, Simple World” strategy. “Huawei is committed to bringing quality, innovative products that are smart, simple to use and affordable to the Australian market.”
Australian pricing and a release date for the Huawei S7 are yet to be revealed and the only thing that we know is that the company is currently in talks with operators and expects to release the tablet through a carrier “before the end of 2010.” Dell has already announced its intentions to bring its Streak Android tablet to Australia, but has not revealed a potential release date.
Also, the Huawei S7 tablet not being an 850MHz device, it will not support Telstra’s Next G network, meaning it will most likely be released through Optus, or Vodafone Hutchison Australia.
In the meantime, the S7 has already reached other western markets. It in fact is currently up for pre-order at the UK retailer Expansys with the actual delivery within 8 to 10 days and is priced at £299.99.
Keep tuned to this place for more on this as well as the latest tablet pc or e-reader news.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
