Toshiba Hasn't Finished With Its Tegra 2 Android Tablets (Updated)

The last time Toshiba tried its hand at a Tegra 2 tablet, it stank. Will this mysterious 10.1-inch Android tablet do any better? Probably not. It will run on Android Honeycomb, however.Updated: Hands On

We were able to feel up one of the (non-operational) tablets, and although it couldn't turn on, our hands were able to do a bit of the talking. The rubberized back is a pleasant addition, giving you some satisfying traction when swinging the thing around, and doing away with the typically cheap feel of removable back plates. Grabbing your fingers into something with a bit of grip does have a particular satisfaction to it, and the slight ridges add further tactile character to what would otherwise be a blank black rectangle.

The tablet is, however, on the overall chunkier side, and slightly (though appreciably) heftier to handle than an iPad. The Toshiba tab's face is pretty and clean enough—albeit nothing of a departure from the typical black slate design approach. The device will have a 1280 x 800 res screen, plus two cameras: a 5MP rear-facing, and a 2MP forward-facing. Sadly the most exciting spec of all—the Android Honeycomb version—wasn't tested, as Toshiba isn't ready with it.

Physically, it's got USB and HDMI ports, plus an SD card slot and miniUSB port. The back is made from rubber (and can be taken off, to swap batteries or colored back plates), and it weighs 770 grams, with a thickness of 1.5cm. Expect more information on Toshiba's tablet this week at CES, but if you're looking to buy? You've gotta wait a few more months for that, pal. But by then Motorola, Samsung and LG at the very least will have their Honeycomb tablets ready for your credit card's hospitality.