Tablets Make a Splash at MWC 2013

Fanatics of mobile technology have been waiting patiently for the industry to reveal its latest innovations at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) event happening in Barcelona, Spain. Now that it’s underway – we have a quick recap of today’s releases from some of our favorites in the industry.

Samsung, the designer behind the infamous Galaxy phenomena, will be launching the Note 8, which will fit right between the Note 2 and larger Note 10.1 editions. As the success of the mini-sized tablets that Google and Apple have created continues to surge, Samsung has jumped right on the bandwagon with its new Galaxy Note collection, the original “phablet,” with a screen larger than a phone but smaller than a tablet. Users can carry the Note around and use its handwriting recognition features to take the simple act of recording notes to a heightened level of advancement. The Note 8 is an eight-inch tablet and its screen will include 1280 x 800 pixels, with a pixel density of 189ppi and built-in phone functions. With the pervious Note styles selling more than 10 million units, we can only predict a bright future for this new edition. 

Image via WebProNews

Keeping with the same style as the new Note 8, ASUS, a Taiwanese vendor of notebook technology, has released the FonePad, a seven-inch tablet with built-in phone functionality. The FonePad will have an Intel processor, 1.2GHZ Atom Z2420m 1GB of RAM, a PowerVR SGX540 GPU, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and an HSPA + radio. Like the orginal PadFone, the FonePad will slot into the back of a tablet-style docking station where users can access the same files and apps on a larger screen. It also has a three-megapixel rear shooter and a 1.2-megapixel front camera, attached to a seven-inch, 1,280 x 800 IPS display. 

Image via Engadget

Another infamous Japanese company, Sony, needed its launch collection at this year’s MWC to help increase its value on the market according to many in the industry, and its new Xperia Tablet Z might be its reclaim of fame. Its new product will compete with the Apple iPad 4 and Samsung Galazy Note 10.1, and as Sony claims, is the world’s thinnest and lightest tablet. Similar to the smartphone it revealed today, the 6.9mm thin and 495g table will also be resilient against water for 30 minutes in up to 1m of water and dust. The Xperia Tablet Z will support 4G wireless Internet connections, as well as NFC technology, and will feature with an 8.1MP camera on the rear with a CMOS sensor for recognizing when the user is in the dark, as well as a 2MP HD camera on the front. The tablet will be equipped with the Sony NFC connect sharing feature, One Touch, will enable easy-to-do wireless streaming of photos and music.

Image via ABC

Finally, with the failure of its HP Touchpad Saga, HP has taken another stab at the tablet revelation with its new Slate 7 tablet, a seven-inch running Android 4.1 (instead of its HP software) with a 1024 x 600 display, 1 GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, a front-facing VGA webcam and a rear. Weighing 13.05 ounces, the Slate 7 tablet does not have the same advancement levels of Sony, but it is trying to make a statement in the industry with its new tablet. It also features access to apps, like ePrint, where users can print direc5tly from their table through Wi-Fi, and digital content through Google Play. Hopefully this new tablet edition will put them back in the playing field with the other companies and will offer users a worthwhile mobile experience. 

Image via TechCrunch