First Quad-Core, More Android 4.0 Tablets Due

By Joseph Palenchar On Mar 12 2012 - 4:01am

BARCELONA, SPAIN – The first quadcore tablets, a greater selection of Android 4.0 tablets, and more 4G LTE tablets are in store for the U.S. market in the coming months if introductions here at the Mobile World Congress are any indication.

U.S. retailers could also be selling 10.1- inch tablets equipped with circuit-switched cellular voice calling if U.S. carriers decide to bring Samsung’s first such models to market.

Likewise, LG unveiled its first phone/tablet hybrid, the 5-inch Vu with circuit-switched calling. It will join Samsung’s 5.3-inch phone/tablet hybrid called the Note, which offers those features and is available from AT&T.

The late-February trade show attracted more than 62,000 attendees and new tablets from Asus, Huawei, Samsung, and ZTE. The first quad-core models deliver processing speeds up to 1.6GHz for Asus and 1.5GHz for Huawei.

More tablets with dual-core processors also turned up, with new models launched by Asus (1.5GHz), Samsung (1.4GHz) and ZTE (1.5GHz).

New Android 4.0 models appeared in the booths operated by Asus, Huawei and Samsung, joining 4.0 models previously announced by Coby and E Fun.

Some of the first 4G LTE Android tablets were introduced by Asus and ZTE. To date, all 4G LTE tablets announced offer dual-core processors, not quad-core processors.

Here’s what attendees found:

Asus expanded its Transformer Pad lineup of Android- based tablets, all with the ability to dock with a companion keyboard to deliver a laptop-like experience.

The three models feature quad-core processors, which complete tasks faster and with less battery drain than dualand single-core processors. Two of the new models feature Android 4.0 OS, and one model already available with Android 3.2 is upgradable to 4.0.

Two are the company’s first Android tablets with 4G LTE, and one is a Wi-Fi-only model.

Plans for the U.S. market weren’t disclosed.

The new lineup starts with the Transformer Pad Prime series, already available with Android 3.2 and upgradable to 4.0. It features Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core 1.4GHz processor and 10.1-inch LED-backlit Super IPS+ touchscreen with WXGA 1,280 by 800 HD resolution and 600-nit brightness, which is designed for better outdoor reading.

The Prime is the slimmest of the three, with 0.33-inch metallic-spun chassis weighing 1.29 pounds. Into that chassis, the Prime packs a choice of 32GB or 64GB memory, 1GB RAM, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, 8-megapixel front camera with LED flash and f/2.4 aperture, 1.2-megapixel front camera, stereo speakers, Micro HDMI port, MicroSD card slot, gyroscope, e-compass, no GPS and 12-hour battery life, which grows to 18 hours when the keyboard is docked.

Another new series, the Transformer Pad 300 series, will feature Wi-Fi-only and 4G LTE cellular versions. The Wi-Fi version will have an Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, while the LTE version will presumably have a dual-core processor, as has been the case with other LTE tablets announced at MWC. It will come out of the gate with Android 4.0.

The 300, due with 16GB memory, will offer most of the same features as the Pad Prime, including Android 4.0 and 1GB RAM, but it will add GPS, 1080p video recording and Bluetooth 3.0.

The top series in the trio is the Transformer Pad Infinity series, which will launch with Android 4.0, come in Wi- Fi-only and 4G LTE cellular versions, and offer 16GB, 32GB or 64GB storage. The Wi-Fi version features the Nvidia Tegra 3 TSS quad-core 1.6GHz processor, and the LTE version will come with Qualcomm’s S4 dual-core 1.5GHz processor. Enhancements compared to the other two models include FullHD 1,920 by 1,200 10.1-inch display, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, 2-megapixel front camera, HDMI 1.4a port, Super IPS+ technology with 600-nit brightness and GPS.

Huawei unveiled a quad-core tablet featuring its proprietary K3 1.5GHz quad-core processor. The tablet is also promoted as being optimized for entertainment uses.

The 4G HSPA+ 84Mbps device incorporates Google Android 4.0 operating system, 2GB RAM, and IPS (inplane switching) high-definition display with 1,920 by 1,200 resolution. Its processor features embedded GPU for fast processing of 3D graphics, the company said.

The MediaPad 10 FHD will also support other wireless network standards such as 4G LTE, Huawei said.

The MediaPad also comes with 8-megapixel rear autofocus camera, 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, unspecified Dolby surround-sound technology, and aluminumalloy unibody that is only 0.32 inches thick. It weighs 21.1 ounces.

LG’s first phone/tablet hybrid, or “phablet,” is the Optimus Vu, which features 5-inch 4:3 True HD IPS display compared to Samsung’s Note hybrid with 16:9 5.3-inch display. The LTE-equipped Vu features Android Gingerbread 2.3.5 OS but is upgradable to Android 4.0. The device also features 1.5GHz dual-core processor, ability to write and draw on documents via a stylus, 32GB of internal memory and a 2,080 mAh battery. The display’s 4:3 aspect ratio is said to be optimized for easy viewing and note taking.

Other Vu features include 8-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, 1.3-megapixel front camera, 1080p 30 fps video capture, 1,024 by 768 display, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct and stereo Bluetooth. The device, due in South Korea, features 800MHz LTE, which is not used in the U.S.

ZTE unveiled two quad-core Tegra 3 tablets, the 10-inch ZTE PF 100 and 7-inch T98, as well as dual-core LTEequipped tablets. All feature Android OS.

The quad-core tablets include the PF100 with Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor running at 1.5GHz, WXGA 10-inch display, 16GB of memory, 5-megapixel back camera and 2-megapixel front camera. No pricing or ship date were announced.