Sharp to join Android Tablet force – part of the Apple attack

As Google's OS platform gathers momentum, Sharp have announced they will be releasing two tablets under the Android banner.

Sharp will be releasing a 5.5 inch and a rather large 10.8 inch tablet at the same time, in December. They will both fall under the horrific ‘Galapagos' name which we would assume is something to do with the islands. It is a name which doesn't exactly roll off the tongue but I guess ‘iPad Killer' might get them into legal trouble.

Sharp are clearly hedging their bets, aiming the 5.5 inch at Apples 7 inch upcoming model and the 10.8 inch at the current market leader. The extra inch should add some noticeable real estate to the screen but it is an unusual move as companies seem to feel the current iPad has proven too big for a large portion of the audience.

Also, it is worth remembering that the Galaxy Tab is an 8 inch design, Samsung claim that extensive market research has confirmed this is the ideal size. We are quite surprised to see Sharp releasing a 5.5 inch version which is only half an inch bigger than the Dell Streak, which we liked, but Dell said wasn't a hot seller.

The Sharp tablets will only have Wi-Fi connectivity with no option for 3G. This should keep down costs, but might alienate a potential audience who want an ‘always on' device.

KitGuru says: This is a rife market for sales and everyone seems to be joining the Android bandwagon. Will they dent iPad sales? some analysts claim that Apple have such a dedicated hardcore audience that sales would not be affected that much. Time will tell.

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