Texas Instruments and Archos are teaming up to make a portable device whose exact classification is a bit ambiguous.
The "Internet Media Tablet" is similar to Archos' existing portable media players, but with voice delivered through Google's Android platform. In a joint press release, the companies avoid calling the tablet a smartphone flat out, but it's no netbook either.
"Android provides the IMT with all the functionalities of a premium smartphone and access to its fast-developing applications environment with ARCHOS' rich and proven multimedia framework will deliver the best entertainment and web-browsing experience," the PR speak reads.
Voice support aside, the Internet Media Tablet will resemble the Archos 5 (pictured). "Laptop-like performance" comes at the hands of an OMAP3440 processor. A 5-inch screen with full-width page viewing and flash support provides a "PC-like internet experience." The device uses a 3.5G, 7.2 Mbps HSPUA communications standard, holds up to 500 GB and will run for 7 hours on a battery. All told, the tablet will measure 10 mm thin.
The Internet Media Tablet is scheduled for a Q3 release, with no price announced yet.
As Jeff Bertolucci at PC World points out, the intriguing thing about this news is the apparent expansion of Android beyond smartphones. Granted, one could very well call the IMT a mobile phone, but it is, as Bertolucci says, inching "closer to netbook territory."
That would fit with Google's tendancy to slowly creep further into every aspect of our lives. Maybe a full-blown Google OS isn't far behind.
