On the heels of its very first Android tablet after a long affair with webOS, HP’s just announced its second device running the Google operating system, and it’s ushering in that Android notebook fad we’ve all heard whispers about. Enter the SlateBook x2, the first Tegra 4-powered, 10-inch Android convertible.
We only got to spend a little time with the SlateBook x2, but enough to see that everything ran plenty smooth on top of that supercharged quadcore Tegra 4 and the HD, IPS display was crisp and clear. Though having a keyboard sitting in front of your Android tablet is admittedly a little weird, but we could get used to it. Maybe.
Just like the Slate 7 tablet, HP’s SlateBook x2 will be rocking an almost pure version of Android. Its Jelly Bean 4.2.2 base will be augmented with just a few extra apps, but some pretty useful ones like a file explorer, a text editor, and some stuff that HP hopes will help bridge the gap between tablet and notebook mode.
Squirreled away inside the keyboard base, there’s a second battery to both help extend the battery life and weight down the otherwise top-heavy little rig. You’ll also find a touchpad on there, so you aren’t stuck with just touch in notepad mode.
Alongside the SlateBook x2, HP is also rolling out the Split x2, a Windows 8 convertible. With its 13.3-inch IPS display, it’s a bit bigger than its Android twin, and takes after last year’s slightly smaller Envy x2. Like the Envy x2, it’s got Intel guts to let you get your fill in both tablet and desktop modes and will doubtlessly get a battery life boost from Intel’s newest chipset, if not right at launch then shortly after.
Both the convertibles are due out sometime in the next few months, with pricing information closer to the release date. HP’s already jumped into the cheaper end of the Android pool with its budget Slate 7, but the SlateBook x2 looks like that high-end HP tablet we heard rumours about. So who knows, maybe that phone is real too.