The FCC is a treasure trove of information, especially for leaks about upcoming products. HP has been an on and off player in terms of Android devices, and they had backed out of the devices segment some time back. Instead HP had been focusing more on their notebooks and desktop markets as well as enterprise business segments. However, HP has not forgone the Android devices segment altogether. We had heard of the HP Slate 8 Pro last year, which retails in the US under the model code 7600US and can be purchased for $310. In addition to the HP Slate 8 Pro 7600US, HP has also announced ultra-low cost Android tablet HP 8 1401 last month which is being offered at a remarkable price point – $170.
The details available on the FCC website point to a hitherto unannounced variant of the HP Slate 8 Pro with the model code 7650. The documents and details on the FCC website pertain to technical data regarding the devices’ wireless capabilities, while apparently there are no changes to the hardware. The HP Slate 8 Pro features an 8 inch display offering 1600 x 1200 pixels resolution display with a 250 ppi pixel density with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for additional protection. The device is powered with a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 4 T40 S processor clocked at 1.8 GHz, internal storage provided is 16 GB which can be expanded to 32 GB thanks to the inbuilt MicroSD slot along with an ample 1 GB of RAM. An 8 mega pixels (MP) primary camera takes care of regular shooting needs while a secondary camera takes care of the occasional selfie and video calls. The tablet also boasts of stereo speaks with Beats Audio sound enhancement. The difference between the two variants lies in the software segment – the older HP Slate 8 Pro 7600US was launched with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean while the unannounced HP Slate 8 Pro 7650 will allegedly come pre-loaded with Android 4.4.2 Kit Kat.
The strange aspect is that HP has virtually not done any upgrade to the hardware segment of the device and only updated the software. If this is HP’s strategy going forward – new devices with new Android versions, instead of upgrading their older devices – it is a strange strategy indeed. And one that is bound to find disfavor with consumers.