Another Android dual core tablet is about to be unleashed as Huawei joins the race with a 7 inch Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet called the MediaPad, sporting a Qualcomm 1.2GHz processor.
Bringing multimedia capability in an ultraportable package, the MediaPad marks the Chinese company’s foray into competing with tablets from the likes of Apple, RIM and Samsung, with its smart, slim and light tablet weighing just 390g and supporting 1080p full HD video playback.
It also has front and rear facing cameras with a 1.3 megapixel camera in front, and 5 megapixel auto focus camera on the rear, bringing HD video recording with it.
Connectivity is also speedy, with HSPA+ 14.4Mbps and high speed wireless Internet on board.
The 7 inch tablet will be launched globally in the third quarter, with Victor Xu, chief marketing officer of Huawei Device saying it is demonstrating yet again, “that design, functionality and performance is within anyone’s reach”.
Although pricing has not been revealed, Xu said: “The MediaPad opens up new worlds of entertainment for consumers by removing the barriers to tablet ownership, enabling access to a truly high-quality mobile entertainment experience fully integrated with cloud-based internet content.”
The device is supported by Huawei Device’s Hi-Space cloud solution and Android Apps from Google’s Android Market.
Xu siad: “The 7-inch tablet remains the preferred size for portability and Android Honeycomb 3.2 is dedicated to enhance the full potential of 7-inch tablets.”
Huawei has traditionally operated in the low-price smartphone market, with offerings such as the Ideos X5 running Froyo 2.2. Its revenues are expected to grow to $6 billion in 2011, from $4.5 billion last year. Recently, the company saw its profits soar by 30 percent, although its device sales dropped.
Last year it shipped 120 m devices globally- a rise of almost 25 percent.
The company has also experienced massive “expansion in overseas markets” including its Australian business. Sales orders in Australia jumped a massive 35 percent and revenues 29 percent y-o-y.
The company’s strong growth came off the back of development of its Telecom Networks and Global Services divisions.
