Sharp announces 5.5" and 10.8" Android tablets for Japan

Source: Sharp Sharp has announced that it is to release two Android-based tablets under the name "GALAPAGOS" and open an e-bookstore service to provide content to the devices. The service and tablets are designed specifically for Japanese language content and will therefore be, at least initially, released in Japan.

Details of the tablets are at present limited; there are two models, a 5.5 inch "mobile" tablet with a 1024 by 600 resolution display and a 10.8 inch "home" tablet with a 1366 by 800 display. Both models will have 802.11b/g wireless support. The "mobile" version incorporates a trackball for page flipping while the "home" version uses touch gestures to move from page to page. Content on the devices will be formatted in its own "Next-generation XMDF" e-book format to support Japanese characters and reading styles. Sharp launched the revamped XMDF in July, having marketed its predecessor since 2001.

Other details, such as release date, pricing, Android version or detailed hardware specifications are currently unavailable. The e-bookstore service is planned to open in December and will carry 30,000 newspapers, magazines and books for the Japanese market. Sharp did not announce plans to release the devices or the service outside Japan.

(djwm)