Electronics manufacturer LG has scrapped plans for its upcoming Android-based tablet computer, saying that the current version of the Google Android mobile operating system (version 2.2, code-named “Froyo”) isn’t ready for tablets.
According to a Reuters report, an unnamed LG exec said “we plan to introduce a tablet that runs on the most reliable Android version…and that is not Froyo 2.2.”
The report notes that the delay may cause a setback for the company whose mobile handset division is already suffering – its smartphone sales have yet to reach the 1 million unit mark as of yet. LG hopes the introduction of Android smartphones will help it recover in this area.
Meanwhile, competitor Samsung, makers of the popular Galaxy S Android smartphones, plans to launch its own Android 2.2-based tablet called the “Galaxy Tab” next month.
The Galaxy Tab, a 7-inch tablet computer is currently one of the most hyped iPad competitors, offering double the memory, 2 cameras, Flash support and expandable storage. And of course, thanks to its smaller size, it’s lighter in weight than the iPad, too.
However, the Galaxy Tab will run Android 2.2, Froyo, an OS which is not as “tablet-ready” as Android 3.0, also known as “Gingerbread,” due out later this year. According to reports and statements from Google itself, Gingerbread and Honeycomb, the two upcoming versions of the Android OS, will both offer features designed with tablets and other high-end devices in mind.
LG had already said its tablet wouldn’t launch until Q4 2010, but a decision to wait for Android 3.0 pegs its launch now to be Q1 2011 at the earliest. Given the timing, that would mean the first reveal of the LG tablet could be at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
The question now for Android tablet makers to ponder is this: is it better to be first out of the gate with an Android tablet running Froyo with all its kinks, or is it better to wait for the tablet-friendly Gingerbread, even if that means arriving late to the game?
