14 DAY TRIAL // Some of the big shows have come and gone, but a gathering, though admittedly smaller, is currently being held, one where Medion saw fit to make an appearance and demo a certain device that would soon be up for sale.
The event we are talking about is an IFA Preview and is taking place in Hamburg, Germany. The folks at TabletBlog.de got a chance to take a closer look at a certain LifeTab S9512. As the name implies, it is a tablet.
This wasn't precisely a launch event, since sales won't begin until the middle of this month (July, 2012).
Curiously though, a brief, early sale has already been held, through Aldi, and the company also proved quite eager to impart all relevant hardware and software details.
The display is an IPS panel with a diagonal length of 8.9 inches and a native resolution of 1,024 x 768 pixels. It will have wider viewing angles than standard, TN LCDs.
A dual-core processor from Texas Instruments does most of the legwork, with a clock speed of 1 GHz.
The spec sheet also included mention of 16 GB NAND Flash storage (optional 32 GB), SRS sound, Wi-Fi and the Android operating system. To be more specific, Medion chose the Android 4.03 OS, otherwise known as Ice Cream Sandwich.
Unfortunately, the price isn't quite flattering. A few months ago, a tag of 329 Euro ($414) would have been small, but that no longer applies now that even $179 (€142) Skypads can't claim to be the cheapest.
Granted, the Medion S9512 LifeTab is larger, but the performance drawbacks inherent in the processor, compared to Tegra 3, counterbalance that advantage. Nevertheless, we suppose we'll only be able to draw a clear conclusion after shipments begin anew and prospective buyers make their stance known, through orders.