Alex
unicronic
anonymousUserBig-name manufacturers will unveil their answers to the iPad this week as Apple is due to launch a raft of new products.
Samsung and Toshiba are expected to lead a tablet charge at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin on Thursday, hours after a San Francisco media event where an annual update of Apple’s iPod range is expected.
There is speculation Apple could also announce a new version of its AppleTV set-top box and a version of the iPad with a smaller 7-inch screen.
With demand outstripping supply, Apple sold 3.27m iPads when they were introduced in its last quarter.
Analysts do not expect rivals to make inroads on its tablet supremacy until next year at the earliest.
The iPad will account for 74.1 per cent of global tablet shipments in 2010, according to forecasts last week from the iSuppli research firm. It is still predicted to have a 70.4 per cent share in 2011, falling to 61.7 per cent in 2012.
“It will take some time for [rivals] to get their products to market, longer for them to offer necessary software support and infrastructure, and an even lengthier period to begin to rival the overall user experience Apple is able to deliver,” said Rhoda Alexander, an iSuppli research director.
Samsung will unveil its Galaxy Tab. It has a 7-inch screen, runs the latest version of Google’s Android operating system and features video calling.
Reviewers are comparing the Galaxy Tab favourably with the iPad, based on leaked videos of its capabilities.
Toshiba’s SmartPad tablet is expected to also run Android but have a larger 10-inch screen.
Viewsonic is due to introduce a 10-inch tablet that can run both Android and Windows operating systems on the same device, while a small Chinese maker, Rockchip, is expected to show the Supernova X1, featuring a 3D screen.
Android appears to be the fastest and easiest route for manufacturers to try to match the iPad’s touch features and library of apps. But Android developers face the challenge of redesigning apps made for Android smartphones to fit tablets of varying screen sizes.
Of the three leading PC makers, Dell’s 5-inch screen, Android-based Streak tablet is now on sale.
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