HTC’s CEO Peter Chou has reignited speculation that the company is preparing some sort of netbook. Chou apparently told reporters at the Taiwanese launch of the HTC HD2 that the company was “carefully looking into that category and how it can be part of that”; the comment echoes the chief executive’s vague allusions to a tablet or MID style device when SlashGear talked to him at the HD2’s debut in London last month.
The MOTO Development Group is no stranger to Android – they showcased an Android-based e-ink prototype a while back – and now they’re cashing in on that familiarity with a number of new devices targeted at developers. The MOTO Android Media Platform will eventually consist of three models – 3.5-, 5- and 10.4-inches – each with OLED displays as standard, OMAP processors and capacitive multitouch-capable touchscreens.
Even if you don’t quite see how a MID or UMPC might fit into your daily life, most people can summon up some enthusiasm about just how much tech is squished into those tiny chassis. Kohjinsha’s PA-Series MID wowed us when it made its dinky debut then caused us to choke when we saw what the company were charging; now Wow-Pow have unboxed the tiny convertible.
Video unboxing after the cut
It’s all go at Eston’s render labs this week, with two new tablets in the offing. The company has sliced off the hardware keyboard from their MID-02 and produced the touchscreen-only MID-05, a 5-inch handheld running either Android or Windows CE. If your fingers are too chubby for that, Eston also have the N97 MID, with a larger 7-inch touchscreen and integrated 3G.
Gadgets leaked by text are far less exciting than blurry, hurriedly-snapped photos, but we won’t turn up our noses at a preview no matter the method. It now appears that Cowon have a touchscreen MID in the works, the Cowon W2, according to a test page at the Bluetooth SIG, though specifications are still scant.
If you’ve seen one Chinese MID, the saying goes, you’ve seen them all, and yet we still keep digging through the dross in the hope of turning up something shiny and loveable. The latest glimmer amongst the grubs is the Soyea Z5, an Atom Z515 1.2GHz based ultraportable with a 5-inch WVGA touchscreen, 1GB of RAM, integrated 3G and a choice of Windows XP or Linux.
Navigation firm Mio is planning to use Android for certain models in their next-gen PND line-up. The Mio MiBuddy range will offer both Android models – complete with GPS navigation, media playback and internet access – and versions using the existing Windows CE-based OS of Mio’s current PND range. While specific hardware details and model numbers are yet to be confirmed, Mio has revealed that the Android models will have WiFi and Bluetooth; future versions may add WiMAX.
Kohjinsha’s PA-series MID may have satisfied us that the company is at least listening to critique about form-factor and usability – unlike other mini-notebooks, such as the UMID mbook m1 and Sharp’s NetWalker, it has a rotating touchscreen for use as a slate – but they still seem to have their fingers in their ears when it comes to pricing. According to WOW-POW, the PA MID will come in at 69,800 yen, which works out to a whopping $760.
After Dell CEO Michael Dell confirmed that the company’s Android smartphone would, in fact, make it to the US – albeit with some changes from the original Chinese model – details of a second Android-based device have leaked. According to Tinhte.com and another image supplied to SlashGear, you’re looking at the Dell Streak, a 5-inch WVGA 800 x 480 touchscreen Android 2.0 Donut MID, with WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G WWAN connectivity. Front photos of the Dell Streak – together with size comparison shots – in the gallery, together with a hands-on video after the cut.
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Rumors about Korean firm mintpass' next-gen models have been swirling since the company themselves tipped a bigger, potentially up to 7-inch touchscreen and all-metal construction. Now two possible models have been identified by Moveplayer, who spotted the mintpad 7wise and mintpad WSketch listed on the company's website.
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