If you’re one of those very lucky guys, who have managed to put their hands on HP’s “not available anymore”  Touchpad devices, you need to pay close attention to possible opportunities arising from an early Alpha 0 build of CyanogenMod 9 that lets you run your own edition of Ice Cream Sandwich instead of the pre-loaded WebOS platform available on board. Of course you can have a triple boot tablet constructed from webOS, CM7 and CM9 all together, but that’s not really recommended. However, toying with the idea of bringing this new Android 4.0 into the Touchpad, definitely is (even though you may run into some minor issues when it comes to the camera, video acceleration and Android Market access). To learn more, please visit the RootzWiki link below, or click the jump to watch the video.

[via RootzWiki]

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At CES 2012, ViewSonic is announcing three new Android tablets for low-mid U.S markets. The first, known as the ViewSonic E70, runs the latest and greatest Ice Cream Sandwich platform on board, along with a 7-inch WVGA touchscreen on top of the slate and a 1GHz CPU, 4GB of internal storage, WiFi, micro-HDMI out, a front-facing camera, optional 3G connectivity, and micro-SD slot under the lid. This one will be ready for shipping somewhere towards the end of March for ONLY $169, which makes it very competitive price-wise, with the additional upgrades. The second, the ViewPad 10e, will go on sale by the end of the month for $299, and reportedly sports a 10-inch IPS display, paired with a robust 9.1mm chassis, a 1Ghz Cortex A8 CPU and either Honeycomb or Ice Cream Sandwich for the OS, to be determined later, after the show. And last but not least, is the 10-inch (1280×800) ViewSonic ViewPad 10pi, that houses a 1.5GHz Intel Oak Trail z670 chip, powered by dual-boot of Android 2.3 and Windows 7 OS. Now, frankly speaking, we’re not a huge fans of those two different platforms, running together under one slugish roof. It’s slow, very choppy and not a good user-friendly / user experience we, the gadget lovers, are striving for while we’re watching a video or surfing the net. That said, we leave it to your discretion, as long as you’re willing to pay $849 for it. Check out the videos after the jump.

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Toshiba has officially announced a new sleek 10.1-inch tablet which sports a 1280 x 800  Gorilla Glass IPS touchscreen and said to be the world’s thinnest tablet in the market, to date, with a .3-inch thick and only 1.2-pound in weight. The new slate that goes by the name “Excite X10″ is planned to include  a 1.2GHz dual-core TI OMAP 4430 processor under the lid, along with 1GB of RAM, Android 3.2 for the Os (ready for an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade), WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a microUSB, microHDMI, GPS support and microSD card slot. The way it looks, there are two cameras, one 5 megapixel camera in the back of the tablet, and a 1.3 megapixel camera in the front. Your choices among the Excite offerings are the 16GB that will run $529.99 while the 32GB version will retail for $599. Full PR and video, courtesy of Notebooks.com,  just after the break.

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CES is always a good time to prepare a roll-out strategy for brand new products around the world. And while there’s no official word from Asus yet, we hear that the company plans to launch its own 7-inch Eee Memo Pad tablet, at the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow which will take place in Vegas from January 10th to January 13th, 2012. A firm release date has not been set, but judging from a recent leak, we do know it  will be available with a 1,280 x 800 capacitive touchscreen display, a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, WiFi, 3G connectivity and 16, 32 or 64GB of storage capacities at your choice. The full details are yet to be disclosed, and all that’s left is for you to decide which configuration suits you best and which package will you get: this one or the Eee Pad Transformer Prime. Tough decisions!

Update: As it turns out, Asus is planning to offer TWO new Memo Pad devices and not just one as we had earlier thought. The first, the Eee Pad MeMO (ME171) that we’ve already seen before, packs a 7-inch WXGA 1,280 x 800 IPS capacitive touchscreen, along with  a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm 8260 processor, 1GB of RAM, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR,  a 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera plus 5 megapixel rear camera, GPS, gyroscope, proximity sensor, 16GB / 32GB of storage capacities, and  a micro-USB port. The 4,400mAh Li-polymer battery inside will be able to deliver up 8.5 hours of video time, on average, powered by the latest Android 4.0.1 Os running atop. General availability is scheduled for Q2 2012 in the U.S.

The second device, the  ME370T – A 7-inch  quad-core tablet, powered by a Tegra 3 chip, is likely to run an Android Ice Cream Sandwich under the hood, paired with a WiFi-only connectivity an 8 megapixel camera behind its back and some other goodies that you’ll just have to wait patiently for them a few weeks more. Video (courtesy of  netbooknews) and Full PR after the break. 

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It’s getting harder and harder to follow Archos these days. On the tablets front, at least. The company seems to be doing pretty well, bringing new variety of products into the market every month or so. Their latest in this area, that will certainly compete in the mid-range space, is the 70b Honeycomb tablet that will hit U.S retail shelves somewhere this coming January for $199, and reportedly will include a 1024 x 600 capacitive touchscreen, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage capacity, WiFi, HDMI out, a microSD slot and a powerful 1.2 GHz processor. There are plans for a direct Android Market access if you’re wondering, and we’re probably going to see a lot more of it at CES 2012. In the meantime, you can checkout the full PR right after the break.

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Chinese corp Lenovo introduces three new Android Honeycomb tablets, LePad S2005, LePad S2007 and the LePad S2010. At this point without price or confirmation of release dates. And while the 5-inch S2005 will reportedly pack an 800 x 480 LTPS display, paired with  a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, WiFi, HDMI out, Android 2.3.5 for the OS, and dual cameras with a 5-megapixel flavor on its back (capable of capturing 1080p) and a 1.3-megapixel webcam on the front, its bigger siblings will presumably boast Qualcomm’s dual-core 1.5GHz chip, along with 1GB RAM, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera plus 8 megapixels on the back, dual-mode 3G connection, WiFi, 1280 x 800 IPS display and Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade, planned for the foreseeable future, or so. In addition, there are few indications that the latter two not only differ in screen sizes, but also their batteries, as the 7-inch S2007 device features a 3780mAh battery, while the 10.1-inch S2010 is said to include the 7560mAh version which holds for sufficiently long times. More to come.

Update: More on that. we here that the S2 10 model is likely to have Android 4.0 running on board, along with that 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB LPDDR2 RAM, SSD with up to 64GB of storage, HDMI Micro output, and 1.3 megapixel camera up front, while the rear is at 5 megapixel, instead of an 8MP we presumed it would have. Besides that, Lenovo is going to offer a keyboard dock that boasts an integrated  multitouch trackpad, additional 9 hours battery station, an SDHC card reader and duo USB 2.0 ports. Hit the jump to watch the video.

[via Engadget]

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My, my, what do we have here? Looks like Acer is exploring jumping into the Tegra 3 tablets market, less than a year after unveiling the 10.1-inch Tab A500 slate at CES 2011. According to a leak at the company’s online support page we are expecting to see two new high-res tablets coming out in the next couple of months, dubbed Iconia Tab A700 / A701 and sport NVIDIA’s latest and greatest quad-core chipset, paired with a 10-inch 1920 x 1200 WUXGA touchscreen on top, an HDMI output to hook ‘em up to your tele, GPS, Bluetooth connectivity, and Google’s Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich platform, to handle the software under the lid. And just in case you were wondering, the only difference between the two is that the A700 is apparently listed as a WiFi-only model, while the A701 is likely to have a 3G connectivity as well. Price and availability are yet to be disclosed (probably at CES 2012).

Update: We’ve just added a quick Iconia Tab A700 hands-on video, curtesy of androidandme.com. Check it out after the break.

[via Notebook Italia]

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Rumor has it that Lenovo is planning to release a 10.1-inch Ice Cream Sandwich tablet with a 1.6GHz Tegra 3 chipset inside, by the end of the year. According to a tipster to engadget, the nameless Lenovo device which boasts a brush metal cover on its back, will presumably include NVIDIA’s latest and greatest quad-core Tegra 3 T33 “Kal-El” SoC, paired with 2GB of DDR3 RAM, a full sized USB port, a fingerprint scanner, a rear facing camera of some undetermined description and Google’s top-notch Android platform running on board. Other than that, we have no real details as far as measures, pricing or availability, so stay tuned to learn even more.

Update: New details emerging from the CES show are clearing up the speculations around Lenovo’s upcoming Android 4.0 tablet, the IdeaTab K2, which is rumored to include a high-def 1,920 x 1,200 IPS display, along with a pair of surround technology speakers, and either 1.6GHz or 1.7GHz speed clock CPUs at your choice. To learn more, simply click the jump and watch the hands-on video.

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Asus is upgrading its Eee Pad Transformer Android tablet lineup, launching the Transformer Prime, a 10.1-inch Super IPS plus slate with the first Nvidia quad-core Tegra 3 CPU running on board. This powerful device, which packs the latest and greatest technology available on market at the moment, comes with a stunning 1280 x 800 10-inch IPS screen that claims for 178-degree viewing angles and Gorilla Glass cover on top. In addition, it has an 8.3mm-thick body that houses 1GB of RAM, a GPS navigation module, SonicMaster audio system, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for the OS (update), and a 1.2 MP front-facing camera, paired with an 8MP lens, sitting on its back. The rear one can auto-focus at f/2.4, and is powered by a back-illuminated CMOS sensor that allows you to capture up to 1080p video frames. In terms of ports, you’ll find inside a mini-HDMI output, 3.5mm audio jack, and a microSD slot, while the battery will deliver up to 12 hours in one single charge, and storage wise, you get to choose between the 32GB version that is about to retail this coming December for $499, or the 64 gigs that will set you back for $599. Finally, there’s an optional mobile keyboard dock, but you’ll obviously need to splurge $149 more. Naturally, it will ease your typing efforts and speed up your projects on-the-go. You will find an integrated USB 2.0 port built into it, and a full-sized SD card slot. It’s a Tegra 3 machine and we’re looking forward to testing it ourselves, furthermore. Until then, you can hit the jump and read the full PR blurbs, or so.

Update1: Checkout the Eee Pad Transformer Prime in action, running Shadowgun at buttery smooth speeds. Hit the break to watch the video.

Update2: Well, looks like the Eee Pad Transformer Prime is finally coming out Stateside, and already available for your pre-orders in places like Amazon, B&H Photo, Tiger Direct and Best Buy. That’s $500 for the 32GB version and $600 for the 64 gigster, remember?

Update3: We’ve just added a quick Ice Cream Sandwitch demo video running on the Eee Pad Transformer Prime. Check it out after the break.

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You might have heard a lot about Amazon’s $199 Kindle Fire tablet, but it is worth bearing in mind (just in case you didn’t notice) that there is another e-reader/tablet of the same kind that will be coming in the next ten days. The culprit, if you’re still asking, is the Nook Tablet, which according to screenshots leaked online will be the next leading device for Barnes & Nobles. It has a 7-inch VividView IPS color (1024 x 600 ) touchscreen on top, paired with a 1.2GHz dual-core OMAP4 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, 802.11b/g/n WiFi connectivity, a microSD slot, about  eight hours of battery life, and ePUB, PDF, XLS, DOC, PPT, TXT, DOCM, Flash, JPG, MP3, MP4, AAC files support. There will be tons of books available for reading and full access to services like Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, etcetera, that will be offering their videoor music contents wherever you want and go. It will be shipped Stateside starting mid-November for $249, which are about $50 more than Amazon’s Kindle Fire itself. At the meantime, until it officially goes live, we through in some specs and comparison charts after the break, so check ‘em out before you buy one.

Update: Barnes & Noble has officially launched the Nook Tablet in a press conference that took place yesterday morning in New York City. And while most details are already known,  some are now being revealed. For instance, the tablet is offering even more battery life than we previously thought (up to 11.5 hours of work), and new buyers will get full access to 250 magazines and online comic books straight from their slate. In addition, it boasts a very light chassis (under 1 pound), features Read & Record capabilities and said to be available for your pre-orders today. That’s $250 bucks, remember?

Full PR after the break along with a quick hands-on video, courtesy of Mashable.

[via TheDigitalReader]

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Oh look! There’s the Motorola Xoom 2, and it seems it’s now only couple of weeks away from landing on European store shelves. At least according to a recent Carphone Warehous flyer ad. And while most details are scarce, the second-gen Xoom tablet is said to include an 8.2-inch touchscreen, along with 16GB of internal storage, and Android 3.2 Honeycomb for the OS (any chance for Android’s Ice cream Sandwich platform?). Ireland is the first country to enjoy this system among the English-speaking countries, while the U.S and the rest of the world will probably follow few days later on, with prices starting at  €399.90 (about $545) for the WiFi-only flavor. Stay tuned or hit the jump to see the ad.

Update1: Xoom 2 is now official. Motorola has just unveiled it with a choice of either a 10.1-inch touchscreen device or an 8.2-inch Media Edition flavor, while both versions contain the same suite of specs, including a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a  1.3 megapixel front-facing camera and 5 megapixel on the back, Gorilla Glass displays on top and Ice Cream Sandwich update running under the hood (confirmed!). As already mentioned, both slates will make their official debut in the UK and Ireland this holidays season while global release is yet to be determined. Hit the break and watch the video.

Update2: We’ve just added a quick hands on video (courtesy of Knowyourmobile), featuring the two new tablets, so check it out after the break.

[via engadget]

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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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Good news for those of you looking to grab a really cool Android 2.3 tablet at the $200 range. Thanks to global eReading company Kobo you can now get this whole new 7-inch Android Gingerbread device, dubbed Vox, just under two Benjamins, with a fine list of technical specs, including a AFFS+ display 1024 x 600 multi-touch screen resolution, 8GB of internal storage and up to 32GB via SD card, 512MB of RAM, an 800 MHz processor, integrated speakers, and 802.11 b/g/n WiFi connectivity on board. Kobo will also indulge its users with a bunch of pre-loaded apps and there’s a direct access to Google’s Android Market to download even more. As for availability, the Vox will be available Stateside from October 28th of this year and on, featured at at Best Buy and Fry’s Electronics stores. Hit the jump to read the full PR.

[Kobo]

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We’ve heard the rumours, but now it’s official. Amazon just announced its latest and greatest 7-inch Kindle Fire tablet that will be sporting a powerful dual-core processor inside, along with a 3.5mm jack, 8GB of storage, micro USB hub and an Android platform for the operating system. The most anticipated device, which lacks 3G capabilities, is priced very competitively for such a high quality slab (only $199), and comes with  a 7-inch Gorilla-glass and an IPS panel touchscreen, paired with an integrated WiFi and a wide range of audio/video formats support. Software wise, you’ll be getting a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, as well as full access to the Kindle books section, the Magazines, the Movies, the TV shows and of course, Google’s online Android Appstore. There’s also an option to connect your device to the big screen whenever you want, and last but certainly not least, Kindle Fire’s release date: November 15th, although we’d truly like to get our hands on it as quickly as possible and grab one for ourselves early before they hit all the stores. Make sure you check out the first commercial video plus full specifications after the break and please stay tuned for plenty stuff more.

Update: We’ve just added a quick Amazon Kindle Fire walkthrough video, courtesy of Thisismynext, so hit the jump and take a look.

[via Amazon]

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We have been hearing about Sony’s much-anticipated line of Android tablets ever since it first appeared as a quirky piece of mysterious sketches. And while the Japanese corp has officially announced it back in April, the REAL introduction came just four months later, at the 2011 IFA press event, earlier this week. Basically speaking there are two different tablets in this category: The Sony S (used to be called “S1″) that looks like a squarish curvy tablet device, and the Sony P (previously known as the “S2″), which is more of a clamshell design. Both tablets are running Android Honeycomb inside so in terms of use, the look and feel is very similar, though experience wise it is a whole different story – One has a single 9.4-inch touchscreen, while the other packs dual five-inch 1024 x 480 displays. In addition we’ve been told they are both planned to go out in Europe at the end of September and November, respectively, with prices set at €479 and €599, while a US release is still unconfirmed but strongly suspected within weeks (for $499 and $599).

Drilling Down to the nitty-gritty details, the Sony P, the one with the two 5-inch screens (we know, it’s confusing), is said to include a dual-core 1GHz Tegra 2 SoC chip, 5MP rear camera plus a VGA on front,  a 3,080mAh battery, an HSPA/radio, 4GB of internal storage, a micro-USB hub, 3.5mm jack and an SD card slot. The dual screens can both work together or in some cases, independently, while the Android 3.2 platform (the powerhouse behind the Sony P) seems to be running smoothly, all over the place, and at all times!

The second device, the Sony S, comes with a traditional tablet design, on first look, but there’s a typical Sony twist out there, when you get to show it off – especially on sides and behind. As mentioned, it boasts a 9.4-inch (1,280 x 800) IPS display with Sony TruBlack Bravia TV technologies, Android Honeycomb OS, 16GB or 32GB of storage capacities at your choice, WiFi,  Bluetooth, and a full-sized SD card slot. There’s also a Terga 2 chipset under the hood, along with a nice volume rocker on the side, and a battery that provides long hours of intense working time.

Make sure to check out the two videos after the jump, courtesy of netbooksnews.com and our friend Sascha, from the 2011 IFA conference in Berlin.

Update1: And looks like Sony’s S version (the one with the bigger screen), is now officially available for a pre-order both in Amazon and Sony’s own site, with shipping due to September 16th, and prices set at $499 and $599, depends on storage size.

Update2: Good news fellow readers, Sony has cut the price of its latest and greatest 9.4-inch Tablet S by a single Benjamin ($100), a 16GB model will run you $400 and the 32GB version will set you back for $500. Now that’s a competitive move, isn’t it?

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We’re not quite sure why HTC even bothers. With a whopping price of $849 and a specs lineup that includes a 10.1-inch WXGA touchscreen, 1.5GHz Snapdragon dual-core processor, a front 1.3 MP/rear 8MP cameras, Android 3.1 OS and a microSD slot, this all HTC Jetstream tablet, which is AT&T’s first LTE / HSPA+ slate package, seems a bit useless, considering the cheap solutions available on the market nowadays such as Apple’s iPad, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, HP’s TouchPad and many hundreds more. Not to mention you have to sign up for a two-years contract, but that’s the only part of the story which sounds reasonable to us. If you’re still interested, by the way, hop after the break to read the full PR announcement along with the complete list of specs.

Update: There’s a “sneak peek” video, courtesy of HotHardware, so check it out after the jump.

[AT&T]

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If you guys think that Archos has given up the tablet wars,  you need to do some extra thinking. In this context, it is widely reported that the French corp has just released its second-gen Arnova tablets, the Arnova 7 G2 and 10 G2 (in Hong Kong), both equipped with 7/10-inch capacitive touchscreen(!) displays, a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, a standard-size USB port, fully functional MKV file playing, and Google’s Android Gingerbread platform running on board. And while a US release is still in the pipeline, Hong Kong prices are set at HK$1,680 (about $215), and HK$1,980 (about $250), respectively. Capacitive touchscreens, no kidding, eh?

If you’re anything like me, you get really excited when you see there’s a new Android player joining the game. I mean it’s not that we haven’t heard about it before, but this time it’s for real, as Vizio officially announces this week it will start selling its latest and greatest 8-inch Android device throughout the States, for a price as low as $299. So whether you are an avid Android junkie or you are just looking for a fun, cheap and easy-to-use tablet, then you may want to take a closer look at this slate, either at Amazon, Walmart, Sam’s and some other US retailers. Full PR after the break.

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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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Oh, looky-looky what we’ve got in here – A $99 Android tablet? Now that’s cheap. And more importantly, comes with fairly reasonable parts inside, including a seven-inch (800×480) resistive touchscreen LCD, 4GB of internal flash memory, WiFi, 720p HD playback support, AppsLib store accessibility (instead of Google’s Android Market) and Android Froyo running on board. There’s no word yet on when, exactly, we’re going to see this Archos Arnova 7 available in stores, but hey, you’ve got to give it to the French, for giving a fight and reducing the cost of their tablets.

[Arnova]