HP unveils two new Phablet Slate-6 and Slate-7 in Indian Market

HP Slate-6

Hewlett-Packard is all set to re-enter the smartphone market after it had exited the market in 2011 with a pair of phablets to be released in the Indian market sometime this year.

HP on Wednesday launched two new mobile devices, the 6-inch diagonal HP Slate6 VoiceTab and the 7-inch diagonal HP Slate7 VoiceTab for Indian market. The company has not revealed the price of the devices. The HP Slate6 VoiceTab and HP Slate7 VoiceTab are expected to hit the Indian in February.

Both tablets feature voice calling, so can essentially be used as a primary smartphone and do qualify for the phablet tag. Both are powered by a quad-core processor (chipset not mentioned). The press statement from HP doesn’t mention the RAM included either. However, the company promises great multitasking capability.

HP already is selling new tablets, but the VoiceTabs are the company's return to smartphones. The devices also are the latest example of the trend that shows tablets and smartphones slowly inching toward each other as users look to get one system that can do the work of both. It will create what Ron Coughlin, senior vice president of HP's Consumer Personal Systems Group, called "voice tablets."

"Consumers are looking to consolidate their phones and tablets, which is propelling the voice tablet market," Coughlin said in a statement. "This is an exciting new category that represents a meaningful growth opportunity for HP. Our HP Slate VoiceTab provides consumers with a high-quality product at a great value."

This HP Slate 6 bears, as the name indicates, a 6-inch display with 1280×720 screen resolution, definitely a gigantic phablet. The processor, based on the tip source, is a 1 GHz quad-core Marvell processor. It is said to also have dual SIM support, which goes well with the target markets intended for this Slate 6 Voice Tab. This device is primarily targeted at emerging markets like China and India, though it probably wouldn’t hurt to see it in other countries as well. The HP Slate 6 Voice Tab is said to be priced at $200 without a contract.

HP Slate-7

HP’s second device is the Slate 7 VoiceTab, which is technically a tablet, but still has phone capabilities. It comes with a larger 7-inch, 1280 x 800 pixel screen. Both run Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, so they’re far behind the curve even before going on sale, and have dual-SIM slots with 3G connectivity. Both the devices will have an IPS display.

The phablets will be available from next month.