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HTC tablet on its way?
Another day, another tablet PC rumor. This time, an official with smartphone maker HTC let slip that the company is working on a tablet that will run Google’s Android operating system.
HTC knows a thing or two about Android. The company manufactures the Google Nexus One — the first smartphone to officially wear the Google name on its back. But it’s not clear what kind of tablet we’re talking about. Will it be a typical, iPad-shaped touchscreen tablet sans keyboard? Or maybe a dual-screen model that you can fold up and put in your pocket?
The same HTC rep said that the company is working on adding 5.1 channel audio to its smartphones, as well as the ability to record 1080p HD video using a cameraphone. Those features could arrive during the second quarter of 2011.
There’s no word on the launch date for the new Android tablet, but I’d be surprised if HTC’s upcoming phones are more powerful than the tablet — so I’m expecting to see something of a multimedia powerhouse.
Of course, this isn’t the first time we heard about HTC entering the mobile device market. The company released a Windows tablet called the Shift a while back. And there was a rumor that HTC was going to build an Android powered netbook last year… but that never panned out. Or maybe the Android netbook idea evolved into an Android tablet idea.
