Skytex has developed a modest portfolio of tablets and e-readers in the last two years and their SkyPad Alpha remains one of the best. Sources in the company have reached out to us to let us know they have a great new device up their sleeves to be debuted at CES, the Skypad Alpha 2.
This device will feature a 7 inch 5 point capactive touchscreen display with resolution of 800×480 pixels. Underneath the hood will dwell a Cortex A8 1.2 GHZ Multi-Core processor and 512 MB of RAM. One of the most important elements in this device is that it features a dedicated GPU to really drive the graphics up on gaming. The exact model is Mail-400 GPU@350MHz , 3D graphic engine. Internal memory will be solid for your multimedia needs with 4 GB of memory and expandable to 32 GB via the MicroSD.
The SKYPAD Alpha series comes standard with a mini-USB 2.0 OTG port, 3.5mm headphone jack, front-facing webcam, and a micro SD slot that takes up to 32GB cards. Its compatible with plug-and-play keyboards, mice, usb memory sticks and more with a SKYTEX approved OTG adapter (sold separately). The Alpha 2’s built-in webcam and mic gives users the ability to stay in touch with friends and family via their favorite video chat and voice over IP apps.
The company relized with their last model that customers really never took advantage of the bluetooth connection so instead of using it for this model they decided to use an HDMI port. This is a solid addition to the product lineup and HDMI is one of those modern elements that many people demand out of their devices and few deliver on.
This new model will be bundled on the software front with Android 2.3 and the vast ecosystem that comes along with it. SKYTEX has partnered with 1Mobile to offer Alpha 2 users immediate access to over 200,000 of the best apps and games available for Android—all for free. The choice for a lower version of Android is an odd one since Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) has just been released and many people are seeking devices with the next gen operating system. The company informed us that in the first few months of 2012 they will be offering a firmware update to bring the OS in line with the very latest release of the Android OS.
Skytex has informed us that they are shooting for a $199 price point which puts it on even par with other modern tablets like the Kobo Vox. The official release date is December 20th and you can order it directly from their website at http://www.skytex.com/ Canadians will be happy to see this device out soon and special deals for boxing day.
[cincopa AQJAnyqxGa_t]
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
