Both Amazon and Google are expected to release 10-inch tablets before the end of the year.
It should come as no surprise that Google isn't content on releasing a "Google Experience" tablet just in a 7-inch form factor. No, there's a whole tablet sector to conquer -- a sector with Apple's name written all over it -- and sources claim Google is continuing on with its quest by attacking the iPad on the 10-inch front.
According to unnamed sources, Wintek shipped 500,000 units of OGS (one glass solution) touch panels for Google's Nexus 7 tablet in June. Total shipments of OGS panels to the search engine giant are expected to top at least one million units during the May to July 2012 period -- that's not including the OGS touch panels Google will receive from TPK Holding subsidiary Cando as well.
The sources claim that Google will also launch a 10-inch Nexus tablet using OGS panels from Wintek, making the company the largest touch panel supplier for Google. Also in the 10-inch plan is supplier AU Optronics, the sources said.
Recently Wintek chairman Hyley Huang said that OGS panels are expected to become mainstream next year, with an estimated 26.5 million notebooks to adopt touch panels in 2013. He also indicated that the company is venturing into the development of F/G touch panel solutions which will come in thicknesses measuring 0.1 to 0.2-mm.
Wintek reports that it has a production capacity of three million medium-sized OGS touch panels, and five million small-sized OGS touch panels.
News of a 10-inch Nexus tablet arrives after Microsoft revealed its Windows 8-based branded Surface tablet last week. The gadget will arrive in two flavors: x86-based with Windows 8 Pro, and ARM-based with Windows RT. It will feature a cool screen cover that also serves as a super-thin keyboard.
There's also talk that Amazon will launch the 10-inch version of its Kindle Fire "Hollywood" tablet before the end of the year. Like the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD (2), it will feature a metal casing rather than a plastic body as seen with the original, a front-facing camera, and a possible mini-HDMI output jack.
This is getting really good!
While Apple has their products well marketed/displayed.
With ICS/Jelly Bean, and todays hardware, Android tablets are nice piece's of work. Looks like Google is getting the message and handling it's own destiny in regard to hardware and marketing.
Hopefully they won't spare money on the screen... =/
Define "do well" please? They're close to 40% this year, and their market share is only increasing.
Hopefully they won't spare money on the complete design. Period. Because majority of android devices are crap compared to even Nokia's. Sure I expect crap from Samsung, LG and ZTE but not from Sony(-Ericsson) or HTC. But there's ALWAYS something amiss.
E.g. The Sony Xperia U could be the perfect small device if it only had an microSD card slot (and gorilla glass screen). They could even increase its price with 50 quid for all I care. It would have been the allround winner Android phone. Now we have at first glance a nice specced phone which falls through with SERIOUS omissions which renders the device in-sustainable. Crap!