Where’s the Android Tablets?

For retailers, Christmas Holiday 2009 was the year of the Netbook. Thanks to the iPad, industry insiders are predicting that Holiday 2010 will be the year of the Tablet.

Of course, the iPad will be a big seller, but others like me are not in the Apple camp and looking for the opportunity to purchase a tablet powered by Android or another operating system.

Since Microsoft hasn’t stepped up to the plate with either its Windows Phone 7 or Windows CE to encourage tablets, I’m now waiting lustily for an Android powered tablet (note to manufacturers, I’m ready and willing to do reviews of all your products).

Problem is, finding an Android Tablet is almost impossible. Here’s a list of what we have found out there, if you’re clamoring for an Android tablet:

Augen Gentouch 78: On paper, these specs make for a winner device (7″ diagonal viewing, Android 2.1 and on sale at Kmart for $149). Opps… Google revokes this device’s access to the Android Market making it a glorified paperweight.

Archos 7: Archos is a solid company, but this was one of the first tablets out there. Limited by Android 1.6, this 8gb tablet with 7″ screen is really a glorified movie viewer. Now selling for less than $200, its ok, but still a reason to wait.

Dell Streak: Hitting stores on August 13th, 2010, the Streak is really more of a large 5″ Android cell phone instead of a tablet / content viewer. Still, the largest screened Android phone (HTC Evo is 4.3″) makes for an interesting purchase. Biggest drawback is the price – $549 direct from Dell or $299 with a 2 year contract from AT&T.

aPAD: Surprisingly, this Chinese Clone of the iPad, is the closest to a real Android competitor of the lot. A 10″ screen, Android 2.1 and 256mb of onboard memory but supporting up to 16gb via the SDCard slot, could the aPAD be the real thing? Not sure – folks have ordered these from Chinese distributors on eBAY, DHgate and other US retailers who are importing the devices. No word yet on functionality, speed and ability to access the Android Market.

IN CONCLUSION… Don’t throw your money at any of these tablets. We all have our fingers crossed that a real Android tablet contender will be available by October (the time retailers start to stock their shelves for their Holiday sales). In the meantime, monitor developments on the Android Clone tablets at our friends androidtablets.net

Step #3 of World Domination Plan: Control Smartphone OS Market

No need to repeat what numerous news outlets have reported; Android has now overtaken iOS (iPhone’s OS) and become the #2 smartphone OS in the United States.

This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone both in the industry and on the sidelines:

• First, the software is FREE. Hardware manufacturers have been looking for royalty free operating systems for ever. Computer manufacturers WISH there were viable OS alternatives to Windows, but linux hasn’t been ready for ‘prime time’. Manufacturers don’t want to pay a license to Microsoft to license Windows Phone in order to keep their materials costs down. That leaves Symbian. You could join the Symbian alliance but that gets me to my second point
• Second, Android is currently the only other viable smartphone OS. Microsoft screwed Windows Phone up royally. They had an OS that had the support of developers for years since they first created Windows CE back in the late 90′s. However, a lack of innovation and strong moves by Apple and Google have rendered their Windows Phone 6.5 platform antiquated. Microsoft’s only response is to start over with Windows Phone 7. Will they be too late to the party? That’s a subject for another day.
• Lastly, RIM. Poor RIM. The Blackberry had a stranglehold on the corporate smartphone world. Too bad a lack of innovation cost them their lead. As seen on the accompanying chart, its just a matter of time before Android eclipses RIM to take the #1 place in the industry.

UPDATED: NPD (rival to Neilsen) said Android reached the #1 spot in the smartphone market displacing RIM with iPhone in 3rd place. (link: REUTERS)