Dell's been talking openly about its upcoming 5-inch Android tablet since the start of the year, but now there's word of 7-inch and 10-inch models to follow.
Engadget reports that the smaller of the two tablets will launch in late 2010, and the larger will arrive in early 2011. No specifics were given on the devices' features or specs, but a 5-inch model that Dell plans to launch this summer will have a front-facing camera and is supposed to be suitable for entertainment and productivity. All three tablets are codenamed "Streak." It's not clear whether the name will stick.
A week ago, Dell's tablet division manager Neeraj Choubey said the company wants to avoid comparison with Apple's iPad. For that reason, Dell decided not to launch the 5-inch streak anywhere near the same time as the iPad. "We would be in the market at the same time, but we didn’t want the comparison,” he told Reuters.
Now it seems that Choubey was only referring to launch timeframe, not device size, as a 10-inch Streak will be an obvious rival to the 9.7-inch iPad. When the larger devices arrive, I think Dell will want the comparison, if it really believes the Streak is a capable competitor. For what it's worth, Choubey told Reuters that the iPad "underwhelmed" him for basically being "the iPod Touch scaled up." I think that's kind of the point, but whatever.
Officially, Dell won't confirm that it's working on larger tablets. The company says it "continually develops and tests new products that extend the mobile experience," and doesn't comment on rumors, speculation or unannounced products.
I suppose Dell could hold off on the idea. It may be worth watching the HP slate to see how it performs, but Dell shouldn't fall too far behind, as it has with smartphones. Dell's first phone for the United States, the Aero, was also rumored to launch on AT&T in June, according to the leak.
