There is a rush of Tablet PC in Germany. Acceptance of orders for the Neofonie WeTab is about to begin and there is another lined up already called the 1&1 SmartPad Android tablet from the German cable Internet provider. And the good thing is, this tablet is scheduled to be launched this July itself.
The 1&1 SmartPad has a 7 inch LCD WVGA touchscreen display upfront and a 500 MHz ARM11 processor behind it. Screen resolution stands at 800 x 480 though its not known whether it will be capacitive or resistive. The SmartPad has 256 MB of DDR RAM and another 1 GB of storage capacity. There is also a 2GB SD card included in the package. The SmartPad comes integrated with 802.11 g/b/n Wi-Fi for connectivity though 3G has been made an optional extra. However, for anytime and anywhere Internet connection, a USB WWAN dongle can be made use of which stands in as a means to connect to cellular data networks.
The OS is Google’s Android 1.6 with the gadget makers assuring an upgrade to the latest 2.2 Froyo by September. One would get about 100 preinstalled Android Apps with the tablet, which includes the standard application packages like eBook reader, photo viewer, social media, music player and weather. The SmartPad will also allow its users access to the 1&1’s on-demand video service, Maxdome. No subscription to the Google android online market is provided though with the purchase. Instead, there is a propriety app store developed with the help of Germany’s AndroidPit that you have to rely on though unfortunately, choice of apps is severely restricted, with just 100 apps currently available. One would be able to purchase a docking station as well from the dealer at the time of purchase, which has an integrated subwoofer as well as a remote control.
“Increasing mobility, home networking, and the rapid development of ever more new features has created a new class of device, which is located between the SmartPhone and the note or netbook. From the benefits of both worlds, we have made the 1&1 SmartPad, ” said Robert Hoffman, 1&1 CEO, of their new product, the SmartPad.
1&1 has come up with a new marketing strategy to promote the SmartPad as per which they plan to dole out the tablet to new 1&1 DSL Doppel-Flat 16.000 completely free of cost while existing customers will be provided the Tablet later on, though no time frame has been provided as of now for that. Also nothing is known whether non subscribers will be provided the SmartPad though it seems the tablet will be confined to its home country as of now. Price for all these is yet to be released.
Watch this space 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.
