Google's Rubin demos next-gen Android tablet: Will it live up to advance billing?
With the latest round of Android tablets being so-so at best, Google partners Nvidia and Motorola have smartly foreshadowed what's on deck with next-gen tablets. Google's mobile chief Andy Rubin gave folks a little taste of what those next-gen Android tablets will look like.
Speaking at the D: Dive into Mobile conference, Rubin demo-ed a Motorola tablet running Honeycomb, a version of Android due next year. Honeycomb is supposed to be the Android version that will give tablets more iPad fighting power.
Like most demos, Rubin's looked good. The tablet showed off pinch and zoom, email and performance gains due to a dual-core Nvidia chip. The button-free tablet "won't be out for a while," said Rubin.
The thing to note about Rubin's demo is the build-up.
Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang recently praised Rubin's team and said they are working on something "magical" that can compete with the iPad.
Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha said tablets are going to be a big factor for the company. Motorola's competition is likely to be Apple, HTC and Samsung. Note how PC makers took a back seat.
The big question is whether these next-gen tablets will compete well with Apple's iPad. There were some key features of the tablet such as a mini-bar for navigation.
Here's the demo so you can judge for yourself.
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