Just when you thought the Android tablet couldn’t get any more competition, here comes Sharp with a pair of tablets called “Galapagos.” These tablets are being marketed as e-book readers but will certainly have much more functionality than any Kindle or Nook you’ve ever seen. The two models will be quite easy to distinguish, one has a 5.5 inch screen while the other has a 10.8 inch screen.
Both of the Galapagos devices will feature LCD displays with some pretty decent resolution. The 5.5 inch model will have a 1024×600 resolution and the 10.8 inch model will weigh in with 1366×800. When first launched, the tablets will ship with WiFi only but there should be a 3G model available not long after launch. Sharp hasn’t released the internal specifications for this device, let’s hope they don’t shoot themselves in the proverbial foot and choose a higher end CPU. Also, no word on which version of Android will be loaded, again, Froyo would be the best move.
As with most tablets, web browsing and document viewing will come with ease but the focus of this device is based heavily on the reading experience. Both Galapagos devices will ship with an e-book store that will have nearly 30,000 titles ready for download. Another mystery is the price! Expect a subsidized cost by the carrier providing 3G service but start saving now just in case.
This time next year, there will likely be many different tablets of all sizes and prices, most (if not all) likely running Android by then the standard should be the Tegra 2, if not its already determined successor, Tegra 3.
This type of market saturation should prove as a large benefit to those who aren’t early adopters of the iPad as there will be plenty to choose from.
I have included some videos and photos of the Galapagos for your viewing pleasure. (Note: One video is in Japanese.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0KMJgKETnQ