Vega Tablet is real, has Android 2.0 and a Webcam
Would an Android tablet like this be what you're looking for in 2010?
- Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
As if Apple and Microsoft didn't already make it clear (editor's note: by Apple, we mean the ever-pervasive rumors of their upcoming "slate"), 2010 looks like the Year of the Tablet. First viewed sitting on a table of an Nvidia executive, the Vega tablet will try to beat Apple's tablet (if the rumors are true), Microsoft's in-process Courier concept, and the semievaporated Crunchpad to the punch.
ICD, the manufacturer of the Vega, has confirmed the existence of the tablet as a real product, whose details will be more fully revealed at CES. Vega...Vegas...it seems appropriate.
The sleek black pad will come in sizes of 7, 11, and 15 inches, and will run Android OS 2.0. Its internal processor will be a Nvidia Tegra, which means that HD and even gaming-level graphics should indeed be possible.
Other specs, according to ICD:
- Resistive touch-screen display
- 1,366x768 screen (for the 15.6-inch model)
- 512 DDR/512 NAND storage
- 1.3-megapixel Webcam
- MicroSD card slot
- Bluetooth 2.1
- 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi
- USB 2.0 port/s
- 2g/3g data accessible
- Magnetic docking
- Accelerometer
- Dual microphones
The fact that it has magnetic docking and an accelerometer sounds promising, and ICD also claims video chat, gaming, and "on-demand Web TV" as features.
The dock, in the photos, seems to allow the Vega to be stood up like a photo frame, which is a nice touch. The most disappointing aspect: ICD's fact sheet claims 4 hours of battery life. We also would have preferred a capacitive touch display, like the iPhone's, as opposed to a resistive.
What's the cost? Well, we'll find out that soon enough.