Tablet support
Microsoft went out of its way to show off the new Microsoft Surface tablet, but this is running Windows 8. Whilst there is no word from Microsoft as to whether we will see a Windows Phone 8 Tablet, we would bet that it ties in strongly to Windows 8, as they are both based upon the same kernel to allow easy development on both.
As mentioned, Windows Phone 8 also now supports the 1280x768 resolution, so seeing a tablet running the mobile OS is not as farfetched as it might once have been.
Android 4.0 was billed as the operating system that united both smartphone technology with tablet PCs. It took the best of 2.3 (Gingerbread) and combined it with 3.2 (Honeycomb) to provide a seamless experience that has been shown off well on the likes of the Asus Transformer Prime and now Android 4.1 takes that up another level, being debuted on the Google Nexus 7 device.
iOS also has a tablet…you may have heard of it… the iPad. Taking the world by storm since its release, the iPad has grown in popularity and is boosted by iOS 6 bringing Siri over from the iPhone 4S to the new iPad.
iOS 6 is scalable, but also basic in some people's eyes, as well as being too similar to the iPhone experience – se Windows Phone 8's compatibility with 'big' Windows could be a big selling point for those looking for a genuine, but compatible, difference between their tablet and smartphone.
Verdict
Apple continue to set the world alight, with the iPhone 4S and iPad selling in record numbers across the globe. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean takes the Cupertino giant head on, and with 400m Android devices (up from 100m last year) and 1m daily activations (up from 400k), it looks like it can.
Jellybean is not the revolution we expected, but we also expected the iPhone 5, and look how the iPhone 4S turned out. Android 4.1 is faster, smoother and much better looking, and it cracks the distinction between Phone and Tablet devices in a way it hasn't before.
With Windows Phone 8 now announced, the key to Android's success will be how it updates its devices. OTA updates are due mid July on selected devices, but the key is Google releasing the platform kits to partners. Thankfully it's now doing this sooner, so devices should be updated a lot quicker after the initial software release.
