Toshiba may not be a name synonymous with tablets, but they’re not yet giving up, with the launch of three 10.1-inch Android tablets at Computex.
The Excite Pure is the first of the three tabs, and Toshiba hopes it will capture the imagination of bargain hunters. With a price tag of £249, it’s competitively priced.
Toshiba hasn’t skimped on specs either, offering a 1280×800 resolution display, stock Android 4.2.2 and 16GB of internal storage — while packing in an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor and 1GB of RAM.
If 16GB of storage doesn’t sound enough to you, then not to worry as you will find a MicroSD and MicroUSB slot on the side of the device. The Excite Pure will also come with two cameras, with a 3MP rear-facing camera, whilst a 1.2MP front-facing. Toshiba also recognises that 10.1″ may not be big enough for some people, so have included a MicroHDMI port for you to hook it up to an external display.
Connectivity buffs will also be pleased that Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi and 3G support will be included out of the box.
Whilst Toshiba has managed to fit quite a lot of impressive specs into a budget device, that has all come at the cost of the thickness — with the device being almost 2mm thicker than its nearest competitor, the Nexus 10.
If you’re looking for a thin and feature packed Android tab, then Toshiba’s lineup is probably not for you.
The Excite Pro and Excite Write can surely deliver on being feature-rich, but they are even thicker than the Pure, coming in at 10.5mm. Both devices are incredibly similar, with the main difference being that the Write comes with Wacom pen digitizer — much like the Galaxy Note 10.1.
Specs aren’t too much different from the Excite Pure, still including those same MicroSD, MicroUSB and MicroHDMI ports, as well as a 1.2MP front-facing camera. It will also have the same Bluetooth 4.0, although the 3G has gotten a boost to 4G LTE. The processor has also been improved, including an Nvidia Tegra 4 processor accompanied by 2GB of RAM. The 3MP rear-facing camera on the Excite Pure has been replaced with an 8MP camera with LED flash on the Pro and Write, which is a stark improvement — although we’re not sure whether it’s so important on a tablet.
Toshiba is hoping to take on Samsung with the Excite Write, but with the company’s TruCapture being the only app to take full advantage of that digitizer — as well as the lack of a slot for the stylus anywhere on the device, we’re not quite sure if it’s worth the extra cash over the Excite Pro.
Speaking of cash, the Excite Pro and Write will launch in Q3 2013 with a UK price tag starting at £349 and £499 respectively, and will be available in a 16 and 32GB model exclusively at Currys and PC World.