World’s first Android Ice Cream Sandwich tablet launched

Retailing at less than $100, the tablet is powered by Ingenic's JZ4770 mobile applications processor, which powers a MIPS based XBurst cpu running at 1GHz. The new Android 4.0 tablet is available with a 7in capacitive multitouch screen, although 8 and 9in form factors are planned. All versions include support for WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, USB 2.0, HDMI 1.3 and microSD, as well as graphics with the Vivante GC860 gpu, 1080p video decoding and dual front/rear cameras. Andy Rubin, senior vice president of mobile at Google, said he was 'thrilled' to see the entrance of MIPS based Android 4.0 tablets into the market. "Low cost, high performance tablets are a big win for mobile consumers and a strong illustration of how Android's openness drives innovation and competition for the benefit of consumers around the world," he said. According to MIPS, the XBurst processor's power efficient architecture provides extended battery life, with the 7in drawing less than 400mA during active web browsing. The Ingenic JZ4770 SoC inside the new tablet is one of the first MIPS based SoCs targeted for mobile devices to deliver 1GHz+ frequency. The SoC is powered by a MIPS32 compatible XBurst cpu designed by Ingenic and the core adopts a low power pipelining architecture which consumes less than 90mW in 1GHz (with L1 cache). The entire SoC consumes ~250mW with the cpu and video engine operating under full load. The JZ4770 SoC also integrates an optimised 1080p video processing engine, OpenGL ES 2.0 3D graphics processing unit from Vivante and numerous on chip analogue and application blocks such as audio codecs and GPS. Sandeep Vij, president and ceo, MIPS Technologies, said: "The openness of Android is enabling a new level of connectedness and interaction between devices and between people across the globe. We are excited to be a part of the Android ecosystem delivering on that vision. We applaud Ingenic's accomplishment in developing this new high performance, feature rich Android 4.0 tablet and offering it at a price point that makes it widely accessible. We look forward to teaming with Ingenic as it continues to develop MIPS based mobile innovations." Qiang Liu, chairman and ceo, Ingenic Semiconductor, added: "As we continue to collaborate with MIPS to broaden the mobile ecosystem around the legendary MIPS architecture, we anticipate even broader proliferation of our devices worldwide. We believe the mobile world will be more versatile and colourful with another processor joining in." The new tablet is available in China and online through Ainol Electronics, but will be available in other countries, such as the US, within the next few months.