Chinese handset giant spins Android tablet
Oct 12, 2010 — by Eric Brown — from the LinuxDevices Archive — viewsChinese handset manufacturer ZTE announced a seven-inch Android 2.1 tablet called the ZTE Light. Meanwhile, Cherrypal has begun selling a seven-inch Android tablet called the CherryPad America for only $188, running on a multimedia-enriched Telechips ARM11 SoC.
Along with a few other companies like Huawei, Zhongxing Telecommunication Equipment (ZTE) is one of China's largest handset and communications infrastructure vendors. ZTE has previously used Linux in its handsets, and earlier this year, the company released five Android phones, mostly low-cost models such as the Racer.
ZTE Light
The tablet offers a SIM slot compatible with WCDMA 3G networks, and also supplies Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS connectivity, says ZTE. The Light is further equipped with a three-megapixel camera, G-sensor, compass, and an FM radio, says the company.
Running Android 2.1, the ZTE Light offers Gmail, Google Talk, Google Maps, and Android Market, says ZTE. Other apps are said to include contacts, SMS, email, clocks, music, and an ebook reader.
The ZTE Light is touted for its low, 14.2-ounce (403-gram) weight compared to the Apple iPad. True, the iPad weighs in at about 1.5 pounds, but it also has a larger 9.7-inch display. By comparison, other seven-inch Android tablets such as Archos' Archos 70 and NEC's LifeTouch each weigh about 14 ounces (400 grams), and the Samsung Galaxy Tab is only 13.4 ounces (380 grams).
The ZTE Light, however, is likely to be more affordable than the Galaxy Tab. The latest rumor has T-Mobile offering the the Galaxy Tab for a hefty $399 with a two-year contract, or $649 without.
CherryPal spins "America" Android tablet
It was only a matter of time before Cherrypal, an established manufacturer of low-cost, Linux-ready netbooks and net-tops, entered the tablet market. After trying on Android with its CherryPad Asia netbooks in May, the company has now launched an Android 2.1 "CherryPad America" tablet selling for only $188.
CherryPad America
Still, the processor may offer reasonably good multimedia performance, as it is also said to include a GPU (graphics processing unit), a DSP (digital signal processor) for video acceleration, and an OpenGL 2.0 3D graphics accelerator. This would appear to be the Telechips TTC8902 processor found in Smartbook AG's Smartbook Surfer Android tablet, as well as a number of Windows CE-based tablets, such as the PandaWill X10 and Airis iTab7. (See TTC890x block diagram below.)
Telechips TTC890x block diagram
(Click to enlarge)
The tablet offers 802.11 b/g, as well as an optional external 3G modem. Standard features are said to include a USB 2.0 port with external adapter, accelerometers, speakers, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microphone port.
CherryPad America, landscape style
(Click to enlarge)
The tablet runs Android 2.1, but an upgrade option to 2.2 is said to be planned for the fourth quarter. The only other software mentioned is a pretty big one for a tablet: the availability of Android Market.
Availability
No details were offered on pricing or availability of the ZTE Light tablet. The ZTE Light announcement may be found here, or in an English-translated version here.
The CherryPad America is now available for ordering on Zecozi for $188, here. It is unclear whether the device is actually shipping now, however. More information on the CherryPad America may be found at Cherrypal, here.
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.