With dozens of new tablets shown at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month, the next big event in tablet land is Hewlett-Packard’s Feb. 9 unveiling of its webOS tablets. According to new reports, those anticipated devices will feature cloud-based storage and high-end audio, among other innovations.
Web reports indicate that two tablets will be announced at the event, a nine-inch Topaz and a seven-inch Opal. The Opal will reportedly have a 1024×768 TFT LCD display, with a similar screen on the Topaz. Both tablets are expected to offer HP’s high-end Beats audio processing as well as cloud-based storage that could be as large as tens of gigabytes.
Alarm Clock, Digital Frame?
If HP does offer substantial cloud-based storage, some observers are speculating that there may also be a raft of cloud-based applications that could make it much easier for users to access and manage the apps as well as a library of documents or music. No synchronization between devices would be required, because little or none of the content would live on a particular device.
According to these reports, the tablets will also feature a front-facing camera, a micro-USB port, and three speakers. There are indications that Opal models will offer Wi-Fi connectivity, 3G over AT&T’s network, and LTE over the Verizon Wireless network.
The reports also point to a programmable wireless charging dock that enables either tablet to be used as an alarm clock, a digital photo frame, or a GPS unit — not unlike some features shown by Palm when it initially released webOS, before the company was purchased by HP. Speculation also includes the possibility that a call to a webOS smartphone could be answered on the tablet.
‘The Future of webOS’
On Jan. 7, HP Executive Vice President Todd Bradley told CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo that the Feb. 9 event will show…