Toshiba America today confirmed details around the upcoming launch of the Thrive Tablet, its first Android-powered tablet for the U.S. market. Previously introduced as the “Toshiba Tablet,” the Thrive Tablet is set to deliver a more complete tablet experience by offering to consumers a tablet designed to deliver more performance, features and connectivity options than other tablets.
“The Thrive Tablet is a reflection of what consumers have come to expect from Toshiba products – finished innovation,” said Jeff Barney, vice president and general manager, Toshiba America Information Systems, Digital Products Division. “Designed to be complete, customizable, connected and convenient, the Thrive Tablet stands out from other tablets as it gives users features that are already familiar to them, as well as the freedom to integrate the device into their digital lifestyles.”
Powered by the NVIDIA® Tegra 21 and Android 3.1, Honeycomb, the Thrive Tablet offers a convenient new way to connect, browse and enjoy videos, movies, games, photos, books and more. From its 10.1-inch diagonal high-resolution (1280×800) multi-touch LED backlit widescreen display2, consumers can enjoy a more complete web experience with fast browsing.
The display is enhanced by Toshiba’s exclusive Adaptive Display and Resolution+® video enhancement technologies3 to deliver great clarity and sharpness. A comfortable virtual keyboard with Swype technology makes typing easy, while a full suite of sensors, including a Gyroscope and Accelerometer, enable fast and smooth 360-degree screen rotation and control.
“The Android tablet market has been in its infancy for some time, but with new products coming to market we believe there is ample room for this category to grow,” said Bob O’Donnell, vice president, Clients and Displays research at IDC. “The time is right for well-established PC manufacturers to deliver devices that are competitively priced, but aren’t burdened with the often unnecessary and unwanted expense of a 3G data plan. In a world of multiple devices per person, these tablets serve as a great complement to a consumer’s computing and other mobile connected devices.”
“The Thrive Tablet is the perfect sum of all its parts,” said Barney. “We applied our technical and design expertise with mobile computing products and focused on a form factor that not only leverages the capabilities the Android platform has to offer, but reflects the way consumers are accustomed to using their PCs.”
Designed for easy connectivity and continuity with other digital devices, the Thrive Tablet features a robust collection of familiar, full-size ports, including USB 2.0, HDMI® and an SD Card slot, giving consumers the ability to easily sync and share their content with other devices. Pre-loaded applications, including Toshiba File Manager and PrinterShare make it easy to manage files and connect to a printer over a wireless network.
The Thrive Tablet is equipped with a pair of high-resolution cameras, including a 2MP front-facing webcam and 5MP rear-facing camera. Stereo speakers tuned with sound enhancement technologies from Toshiba and SRS® Labs deliver more natural sound and enhanced clarity for entertainment and video chatting.
Dressed in a unique Easy Grip finish, the Thrive Tablet features a unique slip-resistant surface that is soft to the touch and comfortable to hold. The only tablet to offer a removable back cover, consumers can easily personalize their tablet with color – a selection of interchangeable back covers in five vibrant colors – Blue Moon, Raspberry Fusion, Lavender Bliss, Silvery Sky and Green Apple – will be available for $19.99 MSRP4 from participating retailers. A removable battery pack offers further flexibility, giving consumers the ability to swap out the battery as needed.
The Thrive Tablet delivers a full Android experience with robust multi-tasking and customization capabilities of Android 3.1, Honeycomb. Optimized for tablets, Honeycomb delivers a simple holographic UI, five customizable Home screens, plus a full suite of popular Google Mobile Service applications, including YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, Music, Videos and more, in addition to Android Market.
Docking and Accessories
Toshiba will also offer a complete suite of accessories for the Thrive Tablet, including two docking stations, multiple cases and more.
The Toshiba Multi-Dock with HDMI is perfect for movie watching, web surfing or enjoying HD content. The dock includes a full-size HDMI port for connecting an HDTV or LCD monitor, two USB 2.0 ports for connecting a keyboard or external hard drive and a 3.5mm stereo audio port to take advantage of external speakers or headphones. The dock makes it easy to securely store and charge the Thrive Tablet using the AC Adapter included with the tablet. The Multi-Dock is priced at $59.99 MSRP4.
The Toshiba Standard Dock with Audio Out features built-in 3.5mm stereo audio port that connects to external speakers or headphones and has a small footprint – so it fits virtually anywhere. When docked, users can still easily access all the tablet’s built-in ports. The dock provides an ideal viewing angle to write emails and more using a Bluetooth® wireless keyboard (sold separately) and also charges the tablet. The Standard Dock is priced at $39.99 MSRP4.
The Portfolio 360 Case features a patent-pending rotating design that enables users to position the tablet at multiple viewing angles in both landscape and portrait modes without removing the tablet from the case. It’s perfect for movie watching, viewing photos and emailing while in landscape mode and then easily rotates into portrait mode for e-book reading, web surfing and video chats. The case helps keep the Thrive Tablet safe and secure with a synthetic black leather hard-shell cover and retractable magnetic snap closure. The Portfolio 360 Case is priced at $59.99 MSRP4.
Pricing and Availability
The Thrive Tablet and corresponding accessories will be available for pre-order on June 13 from participating retailers and ToshibaDirect.com at a starting MSRP of $429.994. Available memory configurations include 8GB5 ($429.99 MSRP4), 16GB ($479.99 MSRP4) and 32GB ($579.99 MSRP4) models. Full retail availability at major retailers and e-tailers, including Amazon.com, Best Buy, Office Depot, OfficeMax, Radio Shack and hhgregg, will begin in mid-July.
