Toshiba to launch Android based tablets soon?

Recently US retail website jr.com listed the Honeycomb based Toshiba Tablet for pre-order at a price of $579 (Rs. 26,000 approx.) sparking speculation of its imminent launch.

The tablet, that was first shown at CES 2011, features standard offerings for Honeycomb based tablets, i.e. 1GHz Dual Core Tegra 2 processor, 10.1-inch display with a resolution of 1200x800, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0. The front of the device houses a 2MP camera for video chatting and the rear has a 5MP autofocus camera that can record video in 720p. The device will be available in 8GB and 32GB variants.

The 8GB version is expected to cost $450 that is $50 cheaper than the 16GB Wi-Fi only iPad and the 32GB version will cost $579.

The first Android Honeycomb based tablet to hit store shelves in the US was the Motorola Xoom. The first to hit the Indian stores is the Acer ICONIA A500. The Samsung Galaxy 8.9 and 10.1 are expected to hit store shelves soon. Amazon is also expected to launch their Android tablets in 2011.

Toshiba is just the latest in a line of manufacturers trying to take Apple's iPad.