Chinese telecom solutions provider Huawei will be launching the Ideos S7 Android tablet, which is set to rival the Samsung Galaxy Tab, in Singapore this weekend. The 7-inch WVGA touchscreen slate features a rear kickstand and 3G cellular capabilities, but runs on the older Google Android 2.1 mobile operating system. The Ideos S7 will be available in the city-state on December 18 with telco operator M1 and subsequently without contract next month.
Previously known as the SmaKit S7, the Ideos S7, which is Huawei's first Android tablet, is positioned to cost less than the Apple iPad. The media tablet is currently available in the US, Austria and Australia (A$299 with Telstra), and will make its way to Malaysia and New Zealand after Singapore. Local pricing details will be announced on December 15.
According to Huawei, the Ideos S7 will not be updated to a newer version of the Android software, citing cost-effectiveness as a reason. Instead, the company plans to unveil a new tablet based on Android 2.2 Froyo at the Barcelona-based Mobile World Congress in February 2011. The Samsung Galaxy Tab currently runs on Froyo.
Huawei added that the Ideos S7 carried by M1 comes with a resistive touchscreen. However, units that are available from January 2011 will feature capacitive panels.
According to IDC, mobile computing "will continue to explode in 2011". The market research firm expects worldwide shipments of smartphones, media tablets and other app-enabled devices to reach 377 million units in 2011, and 462 million units in 2012, overtaking PC shipments.
News and image via cnet
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