The worldwide availability of the world first tablet
based on Android 4.0, known as "Ice Cream Sandwich",
that is retailing for less than $100 (U.S) is a reality.
The tablet has been developed by MIPS Technologies and
Ingenic Semiconductor, a China-based CPU provider for
mobile multimedia applications. The tablet is powered by
Ingenic JZ4770 mobile applications processor, which
leverages a MIPS-Based XBurst CPU running at 1GHz.
According to Andy Rubin, senior vice president of mobile at Google, "Iam thrilled to see the entrance of
MIPS-Based Android 4.0 tablets into the market. Low
cost, high performance tablets are a big win for mobile
consumers and a strong illustration of how Android
openness drives innovation and competition for the
benefit of consumers around the world."
The new Android 4.0 tablet is available in China and
online through Ainol Electronics Co., Ltd. It will be
available in the United States and other geographies
within the next several months under brands from
companies including Leader International Inc. and OMG
Electronics Ltd.
The new tablet is available with a 7" multi-touch
screen, with 8" and 9" form factors to be available
soon. All versions include support for WiFi 802.11
b/g/n, USB 2.0, HDMI 1.3 and microSD, as well as 3D
graphics with the Vivante GC860 GPU, 1080p video
decoding and dual front/rear cameras. The XBurst
processor power-efficient architecture provides extended
battery life-the 7" tablet draws less than 400mA during
active web browsing.
The Ingenic JZ4770 SoC inside of the new tablet is one
of the first MIPS-Based systems-on-chips (SoCs) targeted
for mobile devices that delivers 1GHz+ frequency. The
SoC is powered by a MIPS32 compatible XBurst CPU
designed by Ingenic. The XBurst CPU core adopts an
ultra-low-power pipelining architecture which consumes
less than 90mW in 1GHz (with L1 cache), and the entire
SOC consumes ~250mW with the CPU and video engine
operating under full load. In addition to the XBurst
CPU, the JZ4770 SoC integrates an optimized 1080p video
processing engine, OpenGL ES 2.0 3D graphics processing
unit from Vivante Corp. and numerous on-chip analog and
application blocks such as audio codecs and GPS.
The 7" tablet retails for less than $100 (U.S.)
non-subsidized. The tablet will be available in other
geographies within the next several months.