The HTC Flyer, the first tablet from the Taiwanese firm running Android, has finally been unveiled.
Coming with Android Gingerbread from the outset (with a promise of an imminent upgrade to Android 3.0 Honeycomb) the Flyer also makes use of a tablet-friendly OS,
This means a complete overhaul of HTC's key applications, including the Calendar, Email and Contacts page - each offering cool elements like a dual-pane mode.
The home screen widgets are all now 3D-enabled, and all the applications have been re-implemented, according to HTC's Phil Blair at a recent briefing.
Faster processor
The HTC Flyer comes with a 7-inch LCD screen (1024x600 resolution) atop a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, in the only spec on the list to disappoint amidst a slew of dual core tablets being released at the moment - although 1GB of RAM should help that.
The charger is a slightly altered microUSB offering, designed to facilitate power to the 4000mAh battery, so at least the battery life should be a little better than before with a much larger power pack.
A 5MP camera with flash resides on the back of the device, and we're treated to a 1.3MP offering on the front for video calling - voice calling is not supported despite a 3G connection.
Hands up for the stylus
What is interesting is the bundled stylus - it's a standalone device, which can communicate wirelessly with the tablet to define pressure and function, so things like synchronised audio and note taking are on offer.
DLNA is supported too, with the Saffron movie rental portal and the cloud-based OnLive gaming portal too for a lot of cool content via the new tablet (although only the latter can be ported to a larger screen).
The HTC Flyer will be available both SIM free and from a 'broad range of operators' according to HTC. However, it won't be cheap, with a UK price 'equivalent' to that of other tablets on the market at the market, which is pretty much all above £500.
The HTC Flyer UK release date has been set for Q2 2011, so hopefully not too long to wait to see if HTC can take off with this single core slimline unit.
