Vizio teases 8-inch tablet as launch nears
The company's upcoming tablet will be based on Android and run a 1GHz processor. It will offer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.
Vizio today released more details on its upcoming tablet as the launch inches closer.
The Vizio Tablet will come with an 8-inch, 1,024x768 capacitive touch screen and allow people to connect to the Web via Wi-Fi, the company said. The platform will also support Bluetooth. Vizio's tablet will come with built-in GPS and feature 2GB of on-board storage. The device supports up to 32GB of storage through the use of a microSD card.
Last week, reports surfaced that claimed Vizio's tablet would be available at Wal-Mart for $349. However, the company has yet to reveal pricing or availability.
Vizio's tablet is based on Android and will allow people to access apps in the Android Market, but the company has stopped short of saying which version of the OS its tablet will run.
Considering Vizio is best known for its televisions, it's no surprise that the tablet will include an IR blaster and universal remote functionality, allowing people to control their home-theater setup from the device. The platform will also feature a micro-HDMI port for video playback on a big screen, and a front-facing camera for video chatting.
Vizio first introduced its tablet in January at the Consumer Electronics Show. At the time, CNET's Donald Bell had the opportunity to take it for a spin. He said that the device's touch screen was "very responsive" and that the custom Vizio-developed user interface running on top of Android "behaved fluidly."
Vizio's upcoming tablet is expected to hit store shelves this summer. The company did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment on pricing, release date, or which version of Android the tablet will run.
