It wasn’t so long ago when Ainol announced that they will be debuting a new Android 4.0 tablet pretty soon. And as you can see in the subject, it was just the beginning of good things to come. And when we say “things” then how about 5 new Ice Cream Sandwich tablets from Coby? Well, that’s exactly what the company says in a recent PR document – Five tablets, based on Google’s latest and greatest platform, to be available in early 2012. Now on to the nitty gritty stuff, all tablets will reportedly include 1GHz ARM Cortex A8 processor, 1GB of RAM, WiFi, HDMI output, up to 32GB of storage and a whole new arsenal of capacitive touchscreen displays, range between 7-inch (MID7042) and 10-inch (MID1042) at most. Additional information will be granted at CES 2012, but in the meantime you can checkout the official press release right after the break.

Update: Hit the jump to check out the video.

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As it looks now, the $200 tablets market is about to get even more crowded, with electronics giant Viewsonic stepping in to take on Amazon’s Kindle Fire, putting out the ViewPad 7e Android tablet. You may already have noticed the price ($200), for which you have every right to not expect a tablet with plenty to shout about. Surprisingly, however, the Viewpad 7e does come with enough stuff to keep you satisfied. For instance, there’s a 1GHz ARM A8 processor inside, paired with a “RiteTouch” 7-inch capacitive display, 4GB of storage, dual cameras, HDMI out, Google’s Android 2.3 for the OS, and a microSD card slot. There are also a variety of pre-loaded apps on the handset such as Kindle, Twitter and TuneIn Radio, as well as full access to Amazon’s Appstore for further content and direct downloads. In addition, we’re told that this special offer may be redeemed by the end of the month, which, frankly, makes this trinket considerably better. Hit the break to read the full PR.

[ViewSonic]

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What else can you say about those entry-level tablets rather than they are cheap. Well, they don’t cost that much. Right, but what else? Most of them come with a non-capacitive display, sport very limited storage, and are made (in most cases) from simple materials. But yet again, the most important thing that matters in this context is the pricing, and for that, we are witnessing a huge wave of low-end slates, hitting the US market these days. One of them, which has recently showed up at Best Buy for merely $170, is Pandigital’s 7-inch SuperNova Android device that packs an 800×600 screen resolution, along with 4GB of storage, an 800MHz processor, a front and rear facing cameras, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi connectivity, microSD card slot, and a micro HDMI port. It features (apparently) a direct access to Barnes and Noble bookstore application and runs an Android 2.3 platform on board. Sounds neat for a 170 bucks gadget, isn’t it?

Update: Looks like Pandigital just pushed out two more Android tablets, Planet and Star, both packing a seven-inch touchscreen display, while Star is powered by a 800×480 screen resolution, and Planet on the other hand, sports 800×600 pixels in size. Other than that, both slates run an A9 Cortex processor, paired with 2GB of storage and Android 2.2 Froyo running on top. As for price and availability, the Star is planed for shipping around mid-August, for $159, while the Planet will set you back for $189, and is available for order today and in stores. Hit the jump to read the full PR.

[via AndroidCommunity]

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LG is finally entering the Android tablet market in the US with the upcoming release of its latest and greatest 8.9-inch Android 3.0 G-Slate, which is based off of Google’s most anticipated Honeycomb platform, and consists of many high-end components including a 1GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor, 32GB of internal flash storage, built-in gyroscope and accelerometer elements, WiFi, 3G HSPA+ network (over T-Mobile’s 4G infrastructure), adaptive lighting integration and HDMI out for 1080p video support. Definitely sounds good, but wait ’till you hear this – The front and rear cameras is essentially what distinguishes LG’s future tablet from other similar devices available in the market today and is a big bonus for someone shooting quite a lot of video conference chats or high quality images, instead. In short, The LG tablet will be one of the first to market with a stereoscopic rear-facing video cameras, capable of 3D 1080p capture, while there’s one on the back (overall there are two rear cameras) featuring a 5 megapixel camera plus LED flash capabilities, and another at 2 megapixel, which the Korean corp has placed up front. A US release is set for March of this year with solid price and date details to be announced very shortly. Hit the jump for the full PR read along with another image reflecting the back.

Update: We’ve just added a quick LG the Optimus Pad video, featuring the 8.9-incher running with Google’s Android Honeycomb platform on board.

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Say hi to the new Cowon D3 Plenue: At first sight, it looks like a basic mobile phone, same size, same shape, same overall appearance. But beneath the 3.7-inch, 800 x 480 AMOLED face lies an Android 2.1 PMP with 32GB of storage, SD card expansion, a built-in accelerometer and a T-DMB tuner. And if it wasn’t already cool enough, it also comes with an HDMI output, WiFi connectivity and Bluetooth 3.0 support. Sadly, we’re still not sure whether it is going to include an Android Market access at this stage – though we’re surely going to see some sort of applications on board – but one thing’s for sure, you can definitely expect to hear more about it in the coming months, weeks or perhaps in early January, at the 2011 CES show. Stay tuned.

Update: Amazon has just now listed a pre-order page for Cowon’s latest and greatest Android D3 Plenue player, priced at $370 and set on an undetermined release date. Is it just us that think this is way too much for a player, at this point?

[Cowon]

Do you think that wearing 3D Glasses to watch TV is silly? Well, how about ditching the discomfort of wearing over-sized plastic 3D shades but watching the third dimension over a 4.8-inch media player, eh? No, we’re not kidding. Want more proof? make sure to check out Cowon’s latest 3D PMP revelation – the world’s first official device ever to support non-glasses 3D visualizer in portable players. 3D on-the-go, can you believe it? Of course you gonna get an HDMI output with it, and up to 64GB to store your high-def videos, but most importantly (at least for some of you), it has WiFi within, and its battery can deliver up to 10 hours of continuous video playback. Sweet!  Interested? You may want to start saving the pennies for this high-end number; we’re adamant it won’t be cheap. In fact, it’s gonna cost you (when it gets out in south Korea on December 10th) KRW499,000 (around $430) for the 32GB flavor or KRW589,000 (around $510) for the 64GB version.

[Cowon]

OH! What’s this? Looks like Acer is finally joining the Android tablets party, with two different types of capacitive touchscreens in stock. The first in that group is the 7-inch tablet which according to Acer’s official PR (after the break) will be packing a native 1280×800 screen resolution on top of a dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor, integrated WiFi, 3G connectivity and DNLA technology support. Not sure whether it will house the Android 2.2 OS or Google’s next Honeycomb platform on board. Still, we have plenty of time until we get to see this one-hot -slate officially coming out and shipping throughout the world (April 2011?). Next in that series is the 10.1-inch tablet which boasts that same impacable 1280×800 screen resolution, with a ten-point multitouch board (wow). Other than that, it is also said to include an integrated Gyroscope companion, along that same 1GHz dual-core processor, an HDMI output which is capable of delivering up to 1080p substance, and a 5 megapixels camera that will help you conducting high-res video conference calls. There are no prices to share at the moment, but we hope to get them for you as soon as we can.

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Japanese electronic giant Toshiba has purportedly started rolling out its latest and greatest Folio 100 tablet across Europe, according to official PR announcement, delivered after the break. Toshiba had promised it would roll out the Android Froyo slate in the continent before the end of the year, and seems to be sticking to its promise. The 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen device which will retail for €399 for WiFi only version or up to €529 for the 3G-enabled one (available Q1 2011), comes fully equipped with NVIDIA’s new ARM SOC chipset, along with 16GB of internal storage, mini-HDMI output, USB hub, SD card reader, 1.3 megapixel webcam and Bluetooth version 2.1. Battery wise, you’re looking at a seven hours package and we certainly hope to see this bad boy going live in the US somewhere around holidays time.

Update: Looks like Toshiba has just issued a new firmware update (v2.2.5.0053) in order to improve screen tap respond issues, audio / video processing and pinch-to-zoom capabilities. For more coverage hit the following link.

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Something tells me it’s going to be one hell of an awesome year for Android-powered tablets. Well, I hope so, I really do. The good thing is that there are so many well known options out there, including Apple’s iPad, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, Blackberry’s Playbook and the latest newcomer, Dell’s 7-inch Android Froyo slate – Impressive, Isn’t it? Absolutely YES. But, at the same time, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that there are also some cheaper versions out there which boast that same nice looking frame, and in most cases come fully equipped with the best technology available in market. One of them is the Disgo 6000 that packs a 7-inch WVGA touchscreen display on top and runs an Android 2.1 platform under the lid. It’s super slick and measures only 14.6mm thick. There are two miniUSB ports attached along with WiFi b/g/n, a miniHDMI connection, 256MB of RAM, a microSD slot, a pair of integrated 0.5W speakers and last but not least, 2GB of internal storage, firmly placed on the middle of the board. As far as software goes, there’s no Android Market access. Instead, you’ll get the optional SlideMe version, already preloaded with a wowBook eReader, a Skyfire browser and a built-in YouTube viewer. Prices are listed at £179.99 ($285), while shipping and handling due to the end of this month.

[disgo]

It’s not that we haven’t seen it before, it just seems to be on the rebound and perhaps in a more tangible shot. And whether it’s the real upcoming Windows 7-powered  8.9-inch HP slate or not, it still boasts a very responsive touchscreen display and a smooth flash support. Hardware appears to remain pretty much the same and a detailed hands-on video is just behind the bottom spot.

Upgrade: Looks like x313xkillax, the guy who made the first hands-on preview (attached after the break) is back with yet another video (this time even more detailed) that is comprehensively displaying the alleged HP slate. Basically, according to his second video, we’re looking at a 1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540 tablet which boasts an 8.9-inch WSVGA touchscreen along with a Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Video accelerator, 2GB DDR2 RAM, 60GB of storage, SD card reader, 802.11b/g/n WiFi connectivity, Bluetooth, two different webcams (3mp rear and 1.3mp up front) and a 2-Cell 30WHr Lithium-ion battery pack. As mentioned, Windows 7 Home Premium is running the entire operation on board and the tablet itself features a nice docking station and while browsing, even a pinch-to-zoom support. Hit the jump to see the action.

[via Gizmodo]

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Hannspree is no stranger for us at this website, but frankly it’s not as popular as other established companies you may well know. Nevertheless, you might still find it interesting, especially with that new 10.1-inch multi-touch tablet which the company has recently shown. Basically, for the €399 (about $505) that Hannspree is asking for, you’ll buy yourself a nice and lavish Android 2.2 device, packing a 1,024 x 600 capacitive display with 16GB of internal storage, WiFi, Bluetooth, a built-in accelerometer, HDMI output and one USB host. The 3,500mAh battery is said to deliver up to 8 hours of high-def video playback when this thing comes out somewhere around the end of this year, we’re told.

[via Tblt.de]

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It may still be intangible for most of us at the moment (until September 2), but the way it looks it seems that Samsung’s future Galaxy Tab has finally made its first official video debut. And while giving us a quick teaser for what we can expect seeing in the coming future – considering the short screen time – it would be just unwise for us to jump into conclusions. That been said, and from the few we’ve managed to catch, it sure looks like the the neat features included: a 7-inch display, running an Android 2.2 platform with an integrated e-reader, video calling capabilities, GPS navigation system, HD video playback and full internet surfing support, are definitely worth the wait and expectations. Hit the break to see the teaser.

Update1: Looks like Samsung’s lavish Android-based Galaxy Tab has just made its second video appearance – this time unofficially. What’s inside, you ask? Android 2.2 for the OS, along a 7-inch 16:10 ratio display, a front-facing camera, WCDMA 3G connectivity, a DMB tuner, SDHC memory slot, video calling capabilities and finally, slick and very responsive user interface platform. Check it out after the break.

Update2: And to keep the entire tablet’s accessories lineup in position, Samsung has just announced a new official collection, specifically designed for its 7-inch  Galaxy Tab. Among them you’ll find a “table charging station” with both HDMI and audio ports at  €54 ($70), a keyboard cradle at €82 ($105), and naturally, a nice leather case with a stand arrangement for €41 ($53). Stay tuned for more exciting news to come. New image after the break.

Update3: According to the FCC Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Tab (AKA: SHW-M180S) is likely to include dual-band 2.4GHz capabilities along with GSM 1900 radio frequencies (supported by AT&T) and a 5.8GHz 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi connectivity – pretty impressive Sami.

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We have known for quite some time now that Japanese electronics giant Toshiba is working towards a brand new tablet device – And now, it seems like the good guys at Notebook Italia have apparently managed somehow to get some detailed footage of the company’s alleged technology wonder. Basically, there’s nothing much to report at this point besides the fact it packs both USB and HDMI ports, paired with a memory card reader slot to their right, and a 3.5mm headphone jack to their left. In addition, there are four touch buttons up front the black slick display, implying the whole thing will probably run a Google Android platform inside. More about that at this year’s IFA event which takes place a week and a half from now.

Update1: Rumor has it that Toshiba’s brand new Smart Pad tablet is going to officially be called Folio 100. Other than that, the 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) Android2.2 device is said to include 16GB of internal memory along SD and MMC card readers, 3G WWAN, Bluetooth, and 802.11b/g/n WiFi connections, a 1.3 megapixel camera, a 7 hours battery pack, HDMI / USB 2.0 connectors and last but not least, NVIDIA Tegra 2 to smoothly handle  your 1080p graphics. Look under the hood and you are likely to find an Opera mobile browser, paired with variant office apps, e-book reader capabilities and Flash 10.1 support. Stay tuned for more updates next week, when IFA kicks off.

Update2: Rumors has been officially confirmed, Toshiba’s new tablet device is now called Folio 100. The 10.1-incher does run an Android 2.1 OS and comes with 16GB of storage along with a front-facing a 1.3 megapixel camera, capacitive multitouch display and a bunch of etched touch buttons placed on the right side of the bezel on top.

Tablets, tablets, tablets…that’s probably what you’ve all been hearing about in the past six month, haven’t you? If so, ezGear – a US based company – personally wants you to hear about their brand new Android-power tablet as well. From what we know, their latest revelation, Surfboard 700, which has no price tag or availability details to share at this point, will pack a RockChip’s RK2818 chipset, together with a 7-inch WVGA touchscreen, WiFi, 2MP camera, an HDMI output, a microSD card slot, USB 2.0 hub and dual stereo speakers onboard. And while inner Android OS version is yet to be determined (either Android 1.6 or hopefully Froyo 2.2), the battery pack that comes along with the slate, is claimed to deliver up to 20hrs of music playback or 9hrs of video- pretty cool, isn;t it? Now c’mon ezGear, give us a good price to satisfy our not-so-deep pockets, and we’re sold.

Update: Apparently, ezGear will start shipping somewhere around September of this year.

[ezGear]

It’s been a while since we’ve last heard from Onda, but it seems like the Chinese brand has now managed to return to business, this time on a new shape and form embodied in a 7-inch slate/PMP device, known as the VX560, and might (just might) remind you of quite another tablet machine on another world entirely. But it’s not. In fact, it’s just a natural evolution of the product, that now boasts a 800 x 480 touchscreen display, stuffed with an ebook reader (supporting PDF, PDB, and CHM files), and outputs 1080p videos via HDMI, along some other common formats such as H.264-MKV, AVI, MOV, MPG, and FLV. Still no word about price or availability for our Western audience across the globe, but looks like Eastern chaps will get their chance to add one to the cart in the not too distant future.

[viaIMP3]

ICD is no stranger to the growing interest in modern tablets technology at all. In fact, the company has already shown us some of its most unique and attractive Android-powered nifty slates, it has launched over the past three months, and boy they look good, aren’t they? Back then, no one seemed to care that much. Today, on the other hand, when multiple players (especially the big ones) such as Apple and HP, have taken the wraps off their own handy-dandy tablet machines, it’s a whole new world out there, and ICD seems to understand that pretty well, otherwise it wouldn’t have thought of launching yet another one, would it? And its latest revelation, also known as the Gemini, is definitely a game changer in this boiling sphere, with 11.2-inch 1366 x 768 capacitive touchscreen on top and some very impressive line of components seating under the lid – amongst you’ll find a 2 mp front-facing webcam along a 5 mp autofocusing slit on the back, FM radio, SD card reader, GPS, 802.11 b/g/ n WiFi connection, Bluetooth, HDMI, MicroUSB port, dual stereo speakers, a 40Wh removable battery and last but not least, Nvidia Tegra 2 SOC  – here that iPad, JooJoo, HP Slate et all? Still no word about pricing or shipping dates, but we’re all over the place to bring the latest updates. Meanwhile, you can check out the specs and comparison sheet, right after the break.

[via Slashgear]

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Pasen has been known for years for its average line of PMP products, but now, as it looks, the company has finally managed to somehow move on the  right direction with its latest and hopefully greatest MID5 android tablet – is that a tablet? Anyway, this 5-inch MID/Slate Android device boasts a 800 x 480 LTPS LCD display, along WiFi, micro SDHC slot, USB hub, Rockchip RK2808 processor, a built-in speaker and HDMI output, supporting 720p H.264 video files, as well as other common formats like AVI, MOV, DIVX, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, VCD, DVD, RM, or RMVB and audio codecs such as MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC, or OGG. Battery wise, you get to play up to 10 hours of music tracks or about 4.5 hours of video playback, so wouldn’t you want one, after all?

[Pasen]

Let’s face it guys, it’s not just the specs we’re after when buying a new netbook/laptop to ourselves these days, it’s about the looks and feeling that matters and in that case, the slimmer the merrier. You know it, LG seems to know it and the new X300 that was recently introduced, proves it well – it’s very thin, only 0.68-inch thick and merely 2.2 pounds weight to be accurate. The keyboard is a chiclet one, again very solid and bouncy, and the trackpad itself has no real clickable keys on it, but duo haptic capacitive keys instead, which makes it more interesting to use. In a bold move LG has placed all connections – amongst you’ll find HDMI out, 2xUSB ports, SD card reader and power – behind the chassis, so you’ll have to bend forward to hook things up. Components wise, we’re satisfied as well, with LG tossing inside a 2GHz Atom Z550 CPU along 11.6-inch 1366×769 display, 64GB or 128GB SSD capacities to pick from, WiFi, Bluetooth and optional 3G connectivity at your choice. Regretfully, prices and availability haven’t been disclosed, but one more image and a quick hands-on video are just after the break.

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Word on the streets is that Apple plans to announce a new iPhone machine, its fourth generation, somewhere around April of this year. A quick look at previous models, compared to what we think a good, viable and essential smartphones should look these days, made us realize there’s A LOT to be accomplished. Checkout the list we’ve made and feel free to add yours:

This is NOT the new iPhone. Please click this link and read all about the new iPhone 4.

1) A 5 megapixel camera (At least) – I mean seriously, 3.2mp camera isn’t enough these days when most mobile devices pack 5mp and even stronger.

2) A better auto-focus camera with a better optical zoom – People hate carrying around so many gadgets in their pockets, so a better camera that can deliver better focus would definitely save most of us the hassle of taking a digital camera with us.

3) Front facing camera (for video chat/skype) – Every simple phone has it, so why not? From one hand, I can hear the mobile companies getting intimidated from the fact that users will actually have live video chats in their phones, something which would probably make them speak less than before, but on the other one, we’d tell them: don’t fight with it, deal with it! (And same goes for the Google voice app).

4) Xenon flash – And closing the camera session, a good flash system would completely make a differece, don’t you think so? Bring the light!

5) Record video in HD 720p – The world is changing, and so does video quality. HD videos are part of our lives now, so a 720p video recording feature, integrated in phones, should be too (period!).

6) Hide app icons – Different people use different apps, and customized platforms are getting very popular these days, so having the ability to make apps like youtube, calender, calculator or others disappear, can definitely be a useful add-on.

7) Revamped design – Some would argue about this one, as the iPhone is hands-down one of the most good looking devices we’ve seen in years, but still there’s a plenty of room for a change, like maybe a bigger display (4-inch anyone?), or a squarish frame – less rounded on the edges.

8 ) Multitasking – Multitasking, multitasking, multitasking. Said enough. everyone’s been yelling this for years and yet nothing. C’mon Apple, we need this one ASAP! In an online environment where most users do several tasks concurrently, it’s crucial to allow apps (IM, music, photos, etc) to run in the background.

9) Silverlight support – Yeah, yeah…we all have our pride here, but lets make things a bit different. The more plugins our phone supports the better it would be – is there anybody listening?

10) Flash support – Same as Silverlight. Enough with the kindergarten games. Both Apple and Adobe should finally seat together and work things out. At the end of the day, it’s about us, the users and how we surf the internet nowadays, and lets face it Cupertino, flash is needed, whether you want it or not.

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Details scarce at this point, but a company called Hanvon just rolled out two impressive tablet machines, BC10C and BA10E, both under the suspiciously familiar brand – ‘TouchPad’ (you hear that Apple?!?). And while these two share this nice 10.1-inch capacitive multitouch display and Windows 7 Home Premium on top, there are some slight differences between them that worth to be mentioned and note. Starting with the BA10E model, it runs a 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor inside, paired with 1GB of RAM, 120GB hard drive, WiFi, Bluetooth, a 1.3mp camera and a mediocre Intel GMA 500 graphics card. Mind you that specs clearly indicate a Windows XP system while in demo itself the tablet was operating under a touch-friendly Windows 7 OS. The second, BC10C has a 1.3GHz Intel Celeron ULV743 CPU, tucked with 2GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, WiFi, Bluetooth, and 2mp camera -  which make it more strong. The company says that prices should be somewhere between 500 – 600 Euros, but we still don’t have any confirmation about release dates or any official pre-orders call. Hands-on video after the break.

Update1: The the BC10C launches in China March 25th, for $877, but ’till then, Jkkmobile has just released their Hanvon’s hands-on video, and they seemed very impressed with the results, so check it out as well, after the break.

Update2: We’ve just added another hands-on video from Jkkmobile, this time a lot more intrusive and comprehensive than previous. Hit the jump to watch it now.

Update3: According to jkkmobile, Hanvon’s TouchPad B10 release has been rescheduled again, this time towards the end of May, if you’re a Chinese buyer, and somewhere around June for the rest of the Western world. Prices remain with no change though, standing at $877.

[via engadget]

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