The Consumer Electronics Show shined a light on Android from Google (GOOG) and the tab, especially the Dell (DELL) Streak.
There was big buzz about the new Android 3.0 OS, code-named Honeycomb, optimized for tabs and their bigger screens, such as the 10.1-inch XOOM from Motorola Mobility (MMI) for Verizon Wireless (VZ). Initially, the XOOM will be 3G, but will be upgradeable to Verizon’s LTE 4G.
Rex Wong said in GamerLive that Android tablets such as the Samsung (005930.KS) Galaxy Tab use slightly modified phone versions of Android 2.2, which wasn’t designed for tablets.
But Ben Patterson at Yahoo! News said LG’s (066570.KS) G-Slate with Android 3.0 only made a brief appearance at the T-Mobile (DTEGY.PK) press conference and was eclipsed by a tab that wasn’t Honeycomb-based. He was referring to the 7-inch Streak from Dell.
Speaking of the Streak, T-Mobile’s Jeremy Korst said: “Tablets are category revolutionizers. Smarter than a smartphone, more personal than a PC.”
Streak offers a resolution of 800-by-480, full-on Flash support and Wi-Fi data sharing for up to five devices.
“I gave the one-pound Streak (no pricing details yet) a brief test-drive after T-Mobile’s presentation, and sure enough, it’s fast and peppy, and comes with a Dell-designed skin—dubbed “Stage”—that offers quick access to your tunes, messages, the web, and your social-networking pals,” Patterson said.
Alex Wagner said in Phone Dog that a 10-inch Streak was teased at the press event. It won’t be available until 2012.
Wagner added: “I’m kind of surprised that Dell’s waiting an entire year to release the Streak 10, especially considering how fast this industry moves, but perhaps they have something special planned for it or something like that. Luckily, we don’t have to wait nearly as long to learn more about the Honeycomb-powered G-Slate (I hope).”
