HP has announced that its webOS TouchPad tablet is set to go on sale next month in Europe, the UK and the US.
The 9.7″ tablet will go on sale in the USA on July 1st, with the UK, Ireland, France and Germany following a few days later.
Canadians will be forced to stroll the open prairies for a while they await a mid-July release, while folks in Australia, Hong Kong, Italy, New Zealand, Singapore and Spain will have to make do with a frustratingly vague “later this year” delivery date.
Specs look good
The tablet runs webOS 3.0 and comes with a 9.7-inch display (1024 x 768 screen resolution), and is powered by a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon CPU.
There’s also an onboard gyroscope, accelerometer, compass and 16GB / 32GB of internal storage space.
For video calling, there’s a front-facing 1.3 megapixel webcam, and other tech specs include 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, 6,200mAh battery and built-in set of stereo speakers
Priced up
Preorders in North America and Europe will start from June 19, and the eagerly anticipated tablet will be priced at £399/£479 for the 16GB/32GB versions accordingly ($499.99/$599.99 in the US),
“What makes HP TouchPad a compelling alternative to competing products is webOS,” insisted Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP.
“The platform’s unmatched features and flexibility will continue to differentiate HP products from the rest of the market for both personal and professional use. This is only the beginning of what HP’s scale can do with webOS.”
It’s great, but….
We’re huge fans of webOS – it’s still the best mobile OS we’ve ever smudged our fingers across – but unless HP can get their App store stuffed full of goodies, we suspect it’s going to be a challenge to draw iPad-bound purchasers in their direction.
We hope to get a review model in our sweaty hands soon and post up our verdict soon.
Here’s the full PR blast:
HP Announces HP TouchPad Availability for United States, Europe and Canada
Wi-Fi version of first HP webOS tablet also coming to Asia Pacific later this year
PALO ALTO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–HP (NYSE:HPQ) today announced that the Wi-Fi version of HP TouchPad will be available in the United States on July 1.
“The platform’s unmatched features and flexibility will continue to differentiate HP products from the rest of the market for both personal and professional use. This is only the beginning of what HP’s scale can do with webOS.”
HP’s first webOS tablet will be available in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and Germany a few days later and in Canada in mid-July, with availability scheduled to follow later this year in Italy and Spain, as well as in Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore.
HP TouchPad will be available from U.S. retailers, commercial resellers and direct from HP with the option of either 16 GB or 32 GB of internal storage(1) for $499.99 and $599.99, respectively.(2) Preorders in North America and Europe will begin June 19.
“What makes HP TouchPad a compelling alternative to competing products is webOS,” said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP. “The platform’s unmatched features and flexibility will continue to differentiate HP products from the rest of the market for both personal and professional use. This is only the beginning of what HP’s scale can do with webOS.”
With webOS, HP TouchPad users have a next-level multitasking experience, access to the web, premium audio playback with stereo speakers and Beats Audio™ technology, the ability to find information on the device or in the cloud using the Just Type feature, integrated access to their information with HP Synergy, and HP’s exclusive Touch to Share capability for sharing web addresses between HP TouchPad and compatible webOS phones
Optional accessories for HP TouchPad include the HP Touchstone Charging Dock, the HP TouchPad Wireless Keyboard and the HP TouchPad Case (sold separately).
HP also announced it will be partnering with AT&T to introduce a connected version of HP TouchPad later this summer. More information will be available closer to availability.
U.S. retailers and commercial resellers for HP TouchPad will include Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot, Walmart, Sam’s Club, OfficeMax, Amazon.com, Fry’s, Microcenter, other leading local and regional retailers, and HP’s online stores. Specific pricing and availability for HP TouchPad in Canada, France, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom will be announced regionally. Details for Australia, Hong Kong, Italy, New Zealand, Singapore and Spain will be announced at a later date.
More information about HP TouchPad, including product features and specs, is available at www.hpwebos.com/us/products/pads/touchpad.
[HP blog]
