ICD Gemini Prototype Gets Hands-On: Buggy But Promising, Coming Summer 2010

The ICD Gemini certainly wows when it comes to hardware specifications, but anybody can write a glowing spec-sheet and throw together some renders; happily, ICD aren't all talk and no trousers.  Stuff have grabbed some hands-on time with a Gemini prototype and even have an estimated UK release date to go with it: August 2010, apparently, with carrier support bringing prices to roughly iPad parity.

Positive points include a "lovely, sharp widescreen display" and of course that NVIDIA Tegra 2 chipset which should make for a more potent experience than you'd find on the iPad.  However, this is a "buggy pre-production device" on which only very few features were actually working.  Hopefully ICD will be working on tweaking the standard Android apps to better suit the 11.2-inch touchscreen; Stuff say the email and other software all look somewhat "stranded".  Still, performance in the browser – perhaps what most people will be using tablets like this for – is "blisteringly fast".

Apparently ICD are currently in talks with network operators regarding offering the Gemini this Summer, and while they're mentioning no names it's worth remembering that the company have already clinched a deal with T-Mobile UK.  That carrier will be launching the 15-inch ICD Vega sometime this year.