Android tablets in 2012: the onset of Tegra 3

If you can look past all the iPad hoopla -- a massively improved operating system and new quad-core processors are taking Android tablets to a new level this year.

Despite being called a fad by some two years ago, the tablet juggernaut shows no sign of slowing. It’s actually taking over computing. As tablets keep on eating into sales of more traditional PC desktop and laptop computers, vendors are continuing to develop the technology, producing even more formidable devices with more of the functions of traditional PCs.


This year we've already seen the ultra-high resolution of the new iPad, and we can expect to see Android tablets move progressively into the Full HD 1,920 x 1,080 space, but at the same time, the more powerful processors inside them have been re-engineered to promote longer battery life. Voice input methods like Siri will make navigation and data input even easier without keyboards. Relatively small onboard storage of tablets will be mitigated by the cloud offerings now provided by several vendors. A new operating system in Android 4.0 will help bring the tablet experience even closer to the desktop.

But even more exciting, the evolution of tablets may have already resulted in the creation of the computing device that will reshape computing in the next decade: the hybrid tablet, which can function as a standalone tablet but can turn into a super slim laptop when docked with an accompanying keyboard dock.
 
We first saw the concept when ASUS launched its Transformer tablet/keyboard hybrid last year, but in 2012, ASUS has refined the vision with the Transformer Prime. The key is that by itself, the tablet is a stunningly powerful, thin and stylish device - but when attached to an equally stylish keyboard dock it turns into a tiny Ultrabook-like laptop, which gives you all the practical advantages of a keyboard and trackpad.
 
Combining with Android 4.0 in several new tablets is NVIDIA’s new Tegra 3 processor – which delivers massive improvements in performance and battery draw.

Tegra 3 is not an incremental improvement in power for tablets. It’s a punch to the face compared to the light slap from its predecessor. It has five times the raw performance of the Tegra 2 inside many 2011 tablets. Based on the ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore microarchitecture it trumps the Tegra 2 in everything, including computational performance, graphics, video and audio support.

But although it’s a quad-core processor, it actually has a fifth low-power core designed to take over when the tablet is not doing taxing work -- such as web surfing or playing music -- ensuring tremendous battery life. The new processor also packs a 12-core graphics processing unit that has almost three times the graphics performance of Tegra 2 and which supports screen resolutions of up to 2,560 × 1,600 pixels, as well as 3D. As a result, Tegra 3-powered tablets can deliver more PC-like games. And for things like web surfing, Tegra 3 also delivers better JavaScript and Flash performance

Samsung announces lower-cost Android 4.0 Tablets

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 has been launched in the US with pricing and general availability revealed for the first time since the Galaxy Tab 2 serieswas quietly shown at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona two months ago.

Back at MWC, the Tab 2 played second fiddle to the company's attention-grabbing Galaxy Note 10.1, itself a larger version of the Galaxy Note phone.

Today, though, the Galaxy Tab 2 series has the spotlight to itself. A light refresh of earlier tablets, the Tab 2 Series comes in 7.0 and 10.1-inch versions and features similar specs, with a few differences.

The biggest news surrounding these tablets is their markedly lower price. The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 is priced at $250, goes on pre-order April 12, and on-sale 10 days later. The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 is priced at $400, will go on pre-order May 4, and ships May 13.

Those prices are especially noteworthy given the red-hot tablet market. At $250, the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 sets its sights squarely on its bargain-priced $200 Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet competition. All three of those models have 7-inch 1024 by 600 pixel displays, and all three come with just 8GB of memory on-board. But of those, only the Galaxy Tab 2 has an infrared port for controlling your TV and entertainment components, and only the Tab 2 has Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (both Amazon and Barnes & Noble are using their own versions of Android, built on-top of 2.3 Gingerbread).

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 price reflects a 20 percent drop as compared with last spring's original Galaxy Tab 10.1. Both old and new 10.1-inch models had 16GB of memory and 1280 by 800 pixel resolution, but this year's version adds the microSD card slot and IR port, so you can use the tablet as a remote control.

Both of the new Galaxy Tabs have a 1GHz dual-core processor, though Samsung did not divulge if they were the same Nvidia Tegra 2 processors as in previous dual-core Tab 10.1 Wi-Fi, for example (presumably, it's not since they're not saying). The new models will replace the existing like-sized Tabs in the market, the 10.1 Wi-Fi and the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus. Oddly, when comparing the Tab 2 7.0 to the Tab 7.0 Plus, the latter—a late-2011 model--was actually more tricked out than the Tab 2, with a 1.2-GHz processor and 16GB of memory. The rear-facing camera's spec (on both models) of 3 megapixels stays the same as on the original Tab 10.1 Wi-Fi; but oddly, the front-facing camera drops from 2 megapixels on the 10.1 to a sub-megapixel 640 by 480 on the new models.

The physical specs of the Tab 2 models are virtually the same as on their respective predecessors. Likewise, physical build is comparable, too, to previous models (not to mention that it's notably better than the chintzy impression the Tab 2 series left in its pre-production state at Mobile World Congress two months ago). The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 weighs the same as the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus: 0.76 pounds, with a similar design and build quality, and similar dimensions (4.8 by 7.6 inches, but slightly thicker at 0.41 inches, to the 7.0 Plus' 0.39 inches). The Tab 2 10.1 also has similar dimensions to its predecessor, 6.9 inches by 10.1 inches, but slightly narrower (0.34 inches to 0.38 on the original Tab 10.1 Wi-Fi). Oddly, the new 10.1-inch model's weight is ever-so-slightly more, 1.28 pounds to 1.25 pounds.

In its launch, Samsung emphasized aspects of its software additions to the Tab 2 series. Among them: a year of included Dropbox service with 50GB of storage; the IR remote control capability, powered here by Peel's app; and features like Smart View for mirroring content from your TV on the tablet, and Remote Viewfinder for use with Samsung's Wi-Fi cameras. This feature could have some interesting applications for group photos, for example; using WiFi Direct and an app on the tablet, you can use the tablet to control the viewfinder, shutter, zoom, and flash of the camera.

The Smart View TV-to-tablet mirroring feature will work with only Samsung 7000 series LED HDTVs, circa 2011 and beyond. It was fairly nifty in a demo, requiring just a few taps to share a television's feed with the tablet; I noticed a fair amount of macroblocking and artifacts in the image on the tablet, but it's unclear if that's because of the tablet itself or the available Wi-Fi bandwidth. The image was certainly watchable in a pinch; and it sufficed compared with some other middling streamed images I've seen over time. Also, I noticed that, as compared to the same 720p image broadcast on a Samsung HDTV, the image on the tablet frankly called attention to the color reproduction deficiencies of the tablet's screen.

Is all of this enough for Samsung to stay competitive in a crowded tablet marketplace? Maybe, but it's still a tight call. These tablets are obviously being positioned as the company's “value” hitters—no 4G, no pen input as on the upcoming Galaxy Note, no high-resolution display—and that makes the inclusion of an infrared port an even larger coup.

Still, these models must compete with the Apple juggernaut along with the Android masses. And that might be a tough proposition without better, higher resolution displays, thinner designs, and better cameras. I also wish that Samsung had included its own universal remote control app with the tablet, rather than relying solely on a third-party app to do the heavy lifting instead

Toshiba Unveil Three Android 4.0 Tablets !

Toshiba have unveiled three new tablets which all run on Android 4.0 and feature the same specification  apart from their screen sizes , which vary from a whopping 13.3 inches down to 7.7 inches.

The 3 new Ice Cream Sandwich tablets are the Toshiba Excite 13.3 (pictured above), Excite 10.1 and the Excite 7.7 with the numbers reflecting the screen-size of each device. Although the display's differ in size they all have Gorilla Glass which protects them from scratches , while all three of the tablets come with a stylish and durable aluminium shell.

The new excite tablets are all powered by a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, which will give them more than enough power to run the latest version of Google's operating system without any trouble at all.

They also all have a 5 mega-pixel rear facing camera , which is backed-up by a front-facing 2 mega-pixel offering for video calling. The range of new Excite tablets also come with stereo speakers, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. Sadly, there is no mention of 3G support so we assume that its not present.

The Toshiba Excite 10.1 will be available in the US from the start of May which prices starting at $449.99 for a 16GB model and going up to $649.99 for a 64GB model.

The other two tablets will be available in June with the Excite 13.3 32GB model costing $649.99 and the 64GB model coming in at $749.99. The Excite 7.7 will be available in a 16GB model priced at $499.99, while the 32GB model will cost you $579.99.

We don't have any news on whether the new Excite tablets will launch in the UK, but as soon as we get any news you'll be the first to know.