OLPC Unveils XO 3.0 Tablet for Kids in Developing Nations

The XO 3.0 keeps the green and white plastic design and comes with a rugged cover for the screen, which delivers 1024x768 pixels resolution. The hardware includes 512 MB of DDR2 memory and 4 GB of NAND flash storage. The software will be either Sugar Linux or Android. As with the original OLPC netbook, the XO3 can be charged by using hand cranks as well as "other alternative power sources" and has integrated solar panels.

At the core of the XO3 is Marvell's 1 GHz, single-core Armada 618 SoC, which we've seen in tablets such as Vizio's $330 8-inch tablet. The SoC supports Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 3, 3G cellular networks, USB 2 and HDMI interfaces, as well as a digital camera with up to 16MP resolution. Marvell says the 618 is capable of delivering 1080p video encoding and decoding at 30 fps.

"We're proud to introduce the XO 3.0 tablet, showcasing the design, durability and performance features that make it a natural successor for our current laptops, which have been distributed to more than 2.4 million children in 42 countries and in 25 languages," said Edward McNierney, Chief Technology Officer of OLPC, in a prepared statement.

Scheduled for a 2012 release, the final price is still targeted at "under $100", but that would not include the optional sunlight-readable Pixel Qi display, OLPC said.