The runaway success of the iPad 2 convinced many that the smaller 7-inch tablet form factor was done and dusted. But a batch of recent releases shows new life in the category.
While the rest of the world goes gaga over Amazon’s foray into the tablet market with the potentially game-changing (if perhaps not iPad-killing) Kindle Fire -- okay, we got a
little bit excited too, even if it’s not headed for local release yet -- Toshiba quietly announced launch details yesterday for its own take on what a 7-inch tablet ought to look like.
The AT1S0 may not be able to lay claim to the most inspiring device name ever (in the US Toshiba's tablet series is dubbed the Thrive, which sounds cooler... if a little bit like an invading alien armada) and even
Toshiba's web site seems a little confused on the topic, referring to the model as both AT1S0 and AT1SO (the former is correct), but at least the specs carry some panache.
Positioning the tablet as a miniature, compromise-free entertainment device (and with a somewhat higher-spec focus than yesterday's more humbly presented and priced Kindle Fire), the AT1S0 runs Android 3.2 on a dual-core 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor with 1GB RAM and 8GB onboard storage (expandable by microSD). There's Flash support, built-in GPS, Wi-Fi (no 3G option), Bluetooth connectivity plus Micro USB and Micro HDMI ports.
The
AT100's kid brother includes 5MP/2MP rear/front-facing cameras and packs in a nifty 1,280 x 800 resolution on its LED backlit display (this is distinctly sharper than other 7-inchers, which tend to offer 1,024 x 600). At a svelte 399g it's an attractive package. We don't quite believe Toshiba's claim that it will easily fit into your coat pocket (but I suppose that depends on your coat).
Expected to be available at the end of October for $449 (which means you should easily see it for less than $400 if you shop around), the AT1S0 is the latest 7-inch tablet to hit in recent times and demonstrates that rumours of the category's impending death might have been greatly exaggerated. Some commentators have concluded that the iPad/iPad 2's huge market lead on all other tablets indicates that consumers prefer its larger 9.7-inch frame (whereas we think it might have something to do with its Apple-ness), but clearly manufacturers at least aren't giving up on the potential promise of the smaller form.
Already this month we've seen the Kindle Fire and the
Acer Iconia Tab A100 (which bears more than a passing resemblance spec-wise to Toshiba's latest, minus the spiffy screen). While the market share of all non-Apple tablets is clearly a
slender proposition right now, we'd be surprised if those numbers hadn't seen marked change by this time next year.
Thoughts people?
