Huawei announces first Android 3.2 tablet, will debut in the fall

Chinese manufacturer Huawei on Monday announced its new 7-inch Android tablet, the MediaPad, which has a dual-core processor and dual-cameras. The device will see a North American release some time this fall.

The most interesting aspect of the device is that Huawei claims it runs Android 3.2, which Google hasn’t even announced yet. Huawei says 3.2 is essentially Android 3.1 but made with 7-inch tablets in mind rather than 10-inch ones.

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The device is 10.5mm thin, which is slightly larger than the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 at 8.6mm. Thankfully, it is fairly light at 0.86 pounds.

The other specs of the device are standard for modern Android tablets. It includes a 1.2-GHz Qualcomm dual-core processor, 7-inch capacitive touch screen, 1080p playback, HDMI output, 5-megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front camera, 802.11n Wi-Fi, 3G connectivity, a microSD slot, and a battery that supposedly lasts six hours.

In terms of software, the device will have Flash 10.3 Player for displaying Flash objects on websites, along with pre-loaded apps for Facebook, Twitter, and Documents to Go.

It’s hard to imagine this 7-inch tablet establishing itself well against strong competitors like the Apple iPad 2, Galaxy Tab 10.1, or the Motorola Xoom. But if the price is right (read: cheap), I could see any high-quality Android tablet finding a place in the marketplace.

Watch the video below for Huawei’s official demonstration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp71nELkXHA