14 DAY TRIAL // Laptops running Android aren't exactly a common occurrence on the market and it doesn't seem like there’s a big demand for such devices either.
Nevertheless, HP is willing to try and give this sort of gadgets a shot. We already talked about the HP SlateBook a while back, when the notebook’s specifications were leaked online.
Well, as of this week, the device is official, so we can tell you HP is planning to start selling the Android lappy starting this July.
As we already knew thanks to the official tutorial on how to remove and replace the top cover of the SlateBook, posted a while back by the company itself, the new device will come equipped with an NVIDIA Tegra 4 quad-core SoC with four ARM Cortex-15 cores working at 1.8GHz. On top of that, the device is fitted with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of flash memory.
A negative point to consider, when thinking of acquiring this model, is that the device runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean out of the box.
On the positive side of things, the SlateBook does provide a spacious 14-inch screen with full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) which is pretty amazing.
The laptop also houses N-WLAN, Bluetooth 4.0, HD webcam, dual microphones, HDMI port, 1 USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports Beats Audio support, Miracast and a 32Whr battery, said to be capable of delivering up to 9-10 hours of battery life.
As you might be aware, despite Apple’s acquisition of Beats Audio, HP will continue selling products bundling the technology throughout the year.
In terms of portability, the SlateBook can make a pretty decent mobile companion, being 0.63 inches / 16mm thick and weighing 3.7 lbs / 1.6 kg.
HP’s new device is Google certified, which translates into guaranteed Google Play Store access, on top of others apps like Gmail, YouTube and Google Maps.
Regarding price, we have conflicting information to share. The HP website claims the device will be marketed for $399 / €293, while the press release raises the bar by stating the model is going to be available for pick up for $430 / €316.
Some of you might feel this is a little too much for an Android laptop and actually for the same price you could be picking up a decent Windows 8 laptop, anyway.
However, if Android notebooks are something you’d like to dive into, at least once, Archos just launched its ArcBook laptop running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean for just $170 / €124. But at this price, expect specs to be much lower.
