HTC unveils Flyer tablet with digital pen, 4G compatibility
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HTC unveiled the Flyer, its first tablet, on Tuesday in Barcelona, Spain, during the Mobile World Congress event.
With the Flyer, HTC seems to be aiming for a higher-end feel with an aluminum body, a 7-inch touchscreen and a quick 1.5 gigahertz Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm.
The device, which is set to hit retail stores in the second quarter of the year, will come with 32 gigabytes of storage and connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi, as well as 3G and 4G HSPA+ networks.
Android Honeycomb will not be pre-installed on the Flyer, but users will be able to upgrade to the tablet-optimized version of Android from Android Gingerbread, a build of Google’s operating system designed for smart phones.
HTC’s Sense interface for Android makes its way from the company’s phones over to the Flyer with the recognizable time and weather widget on the home screen.
Apps can also be run in a split-screen view, allowing a user to use two apps at the same time -- say the Website for a record store where a user can get an address, split with Google maps to locate it and find directions.
A digital pen will be packed with the Flyer for drawing and writing in certain apps on the tablet in what the company is calling HTC Scribe technology.
A 5-megapixel camera is on the back of the tablets, while a 1.3-megapixel camera can be found on the front for use with video chat software such as Skype.
The tablet will also be the first device offered with the company’s HTC Watch video download service.
HTC described the service as ‘low-cost, on-demand progressive downloading of hundreds of High-Definition movies from major studios.’
Another interesting addition is video games through OnLive, the cloud-based gaming service for laptops and TVs. HTC said users will be able to connect the Flyer to television sets to play games via OnLive, or games can be played directly on the tablet.
HTC didn’t mention how games that have previously required the use of a video game controller on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 would be played on the tablet, but promised titles such as Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, NBA 2K11 and Lego Harry Potter.
Below is a marketing video HTC posted on YouTube for the Flyer.
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Top photo: An HTC employee demos the new Flyer tablet computer at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Tuesday. Credit: Denis Doyle/Bloomberg
Bottom: HTC Flyer. Credit: HTC