NEC rumored to unveil dual-screen LifeTouch Android tablet at CES [Updated]
Having launched its 7-inch LifeTouch Android tablet (left) in Japan earlier this year, the latest rumors from NEC show that the fun won't stop there, with the company allegedly planning to unveil a new member of the LifeTouch series at CES early next year. The most intriguing part of this story is that the new MID is said to be a dual-screen device featuring two 7-inch touch screens, making it sound very similar to the Toshiba Libretto W100 UMPC previously featured on Pocketables. Unlike the Windows 7 running Libretto, NEC's new dual-screen LifeTouch tablet will be an Android tablet like it's predecessor, be able to display different information on each screen separately, and include WiFi, Bluetooth, and 3G connectivity.
Unfortunately any further details are currently unknown, including the type of touch screen technology (the original LifeTouch has a resistive screen), the version of Android out of the box, and the positioning, availability, and price of the rumored device. The current single screen LifeTouch tablet is only available in Japan to businesses and via service providers, rather than direct to consumers via retail. The company has mentioned the possibility of entering the international market, and a launch at CES would definitely be in line with that. In the meantime we will just have to wait and see whether this MID actually makes its debut in early January, but I find the thought of a dual-screen Android tablet pretty exciting. Would you be interested in such a device?
Updated 12-21-2010: Following the initial rumors, NEC has unexpectedly officially confirmed it will indeed be showing off a dual-screen Android tablet at CES as well as a number of other Android products. The company also announced that the dual-screen tablet will be joining the NEC LifeTouch as part of the company's Cloud Communicator series. Other features mentioned include verification that the device will have two 7-inch touch screens, 3G, WiFi, and Bluetooth wireless connectivity, support for stylus input, and most intriguingly the ability to run different apps on each LCD screen while multi-tasking. With these new snippets, I am looking forward to this new dual-screen tablet even more, and a launch at CES may bode well for an international release.
[PC World via SlashGear | Ubergizmo]
