Chinese tablet maker SmartQ is set to officially announce a series of new tablets with specifications and pricing aimed at challenging the Amazon Kindle Fire HD and Google Nexus 7. SmartQ, which has a range of 7, 8, 9 and 10 inch tablets, is planning to release a new 7-inch tablet using the OMAP 4470 processor with an astonishing 2GB of RAM.

The new Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7 uses the 1.2 Ghz dual-core OMAP 4460 processor, while the 8.9 inch version uses the faster 1.5Ghz OMAP 4470. Aside from the higher clock speed, the 4470 has better 3D graphics and a dedicated 2D graphics core. SmartQ’s, X7 will feature the same OMAP 4470 as the bigger Kindle Fire HD but this time in a 7-inch tablet.

According to details released at a Chinese SmartQ event, the X7 will be thinner and lighter than the Kindle Fire HD. The tablet, which has an aluminum body, will be just 9.5mm thick, which is almost 10% thinner than the Kindle Fire HD 7, and it will weigh just 335g.

Other features of the X7 are:

• 1280 x 800 IPS screen
• 2 GB RAM
• 16 GB flash internal storage
• microSD slot, supporting upto 64GB cards
• 2MP front facing camera
• 2MP rear facing camera
• GPS
• Bluetooth
• Wi-Fi
• 4200mAH battery
• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Another interesting possibility is that the device will use the UI from Cyanogenmod 10.

Tablet with built-in DLP projector

The next tablet that SmartQ plans to releaseis the U7, which will include a built-in DLP projector. The projector mirrors what is displayed on the tablet’s screen and is controlled with a small switch. The 40 lumen projector has a resolution of 854 x 480 and can project an image up to 70 inches away. The projector’s lifetime is 20,000 hours, which means that if it is used 16 hours per day every single day of the year, it will last 3.5 years!

Other than the built-in projector, the U7 is a fairly standard 7 inch tablet. It will come in two versions, one powered by the dual-core OMAP 4430 (1Ghz) and with 8G of flash, the other has 16GB of storage and uses the dual-core 1.2Ghz OMAP 4460. Common features are:

• 7-inch 1024 x 600 IPS screen
• 1GB RAM
• HDMI
• Bluetooth
• 4800mAH battery

 7mm Ten4

SmartQ is also planning to update its 9.7 inch Ten3 tablet. The new Ten4 will add GPS, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean (which is already available for the Ten3) and a better CPU (either the OMAP 4460 or 4470). However most startling will be the thinness of the Ten4. SmartQ is aiming to make the new tablet just 7mm thick.

All three devices will have their formal international announcements at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair which starts October 12th.

Related Posts

Three million Nexus tablets set to hit market this year, new Kindle Fire shipping in August, A week after launch, Kindle Fire HD accounts for 11% of all Kindle Fire web traffic, Kindle Fire HD now runs Ice Cream Sandwich, unlike some ‘traditional’ Android tablets