Android Honeycomb tipped for March in MSI plans

An off-hand remark in a leak today may have given away the launch timing for Google's Honeycomb build of Android. MSI has reportedly stalled its plans to launch its first Android tablet until April or May as the OS wouldn't arrive until March. As such, Digitimes heard from sources, MSI would only have its Windows-based WindPad 100 to show at CES next month.

The timing conflicts with that of recent rumors, which had Honeycomb shipping in February. It might not be called Android 3.0, either, and could just be 2.4 with a focus on the the interface over new features underneath. If accurate, however, the tip would point to few if any Honeycomb-based tablets being ready to ship shortly after CES in early January.

Other plans from MSI's fellow Taiwan competitors are also mentioned and include six- to 9.7-inch e-readers with capacitive touchscreens, the use of Android or regular Linux, and support for 3G as well as Bluetooth. ASUS' plans are better known and include the 12-inch Eee Pad but also two 10-inch models, one using Intel's Oak Trail and Windows as well as another model using NVIDIA's Tegra 2 with Android. The Android version wouldn't ship until March at the soonest, again owing to Google's delay.

A seven-inch Android-based ASUS tablet should be coming, but it may use a Qualcomm chip in place of the Tegra 2. Sources put this smallest model's release in March or April.

MSI WindPad 110 at Computex (likely to change)

By Electronista Staff