Craving for Android on a 7-inch tablet? That’s exactly what the folks from Kinpo are busy with these days–they are working on a 7-inch Freescale-powered Android tablet that’s tentatively called the Kinpo Thin Client, as demoed in the Freescale booth during Computex 2009. The 7-inch screen of the Kinpo Thin Client sports a WVGA 800×480 resolution and as you might have guessed, it is a touchscreen. It appears to run pretty smoothly in the video but it is obvious that Android hasn’t been optimized for the device itself yet. Perhaps, as Kinpo completes the work needed for the Thin Client, we’ll see it even more as a finished product than as a prototype. Watch the video of the Android-based Kinpo Thin Client after the break.
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Freescale Semiconductor has announced plans to launch its very own Android-powered netbooks in the second quarter of 2009. These netbooks, projected to cost only about $100 (as opposed to the usual $200 cost of other netbooks), will be shipped primarily with Wi-Fi and without wireless 3G connectivity, according to a report on Reuters. I know, Android still has a long way off becoming the best known mobile OS for smartphones, so it would be interesting to see how well it performs on netbooks. Aside from Android, Freescale’s upcoming netbooks will also support third-generation operating systems from Phoenix Technologies and Xandros.

Reuters via Electronic Pulp

Freescale officially entered the netbook market sometime last month via its own processor made specifically for netbooks – the i.MX515 processor. To follow up this endeavor, Freescale was reported to have launched a new connectivity and OS option for netbooks.

Interestingly, this new OS encourages the use of Ubuntu Linux as an OS of choice. In addition, Freescale also promise to deliver up to eight  hours battery life. Freescale is also mulling on the idea of 3G connectivity and other option for OS including Xandros.

The reference design for the new OS is now available with full production to happen sometime in Q2 2009.

If what it promises to finally bring down the price of netbooks to the sub-$200 point, then Intel may have something to worry about with Freescale’s alternative  – i.MX515 processor featuring ARM Cortex-A8 technology that can be used by netbook manufacturers.

Offering to deliver eight hours of battery life for 8.9-inch netbooks, Freescale’s solution would also include software, components and resources to help OEM’s in developing and deploying highly affordable netbooks.

According to Freescale, a netbook reference design featuring its i.MX515 processor and a new power management IC is already available.  The said netbook reference runs on Canonical’s Ubuntu OS, has the SGTL5000 ultra low-power audio codec and Adobe Flash Lite.

And of course, if OEM’s would take on Freescale’s processor in their next netbook offerings, price point will be at $200 max.

Via Business Wire