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HP announces Pro Slate 8 and 12 Android tablet with technology Duet Pen

HP announced Wednesday a series of new tablet, designed for productivity and the enterprise world and educational. Among these are two models Android, the new Pro Slate 8 and 12.

Last Tuesday, HP has unveiled eight new devices, including tablets and convertible with Windows and Android. In the latter category are two models in the Pro Slate, very different with regard to structural choices. With display from 7.9 to 12.3, “the two new Android devices are designed for use with professional solutions designed to improve productivity.

The latter is mainly due to the use of HP Duet Pen, which is based in turn on the digital pen technology from Qualcomm. But what is it? Substantially Duet Pen is a pen which writes both on paper that, digitally, on the tablet screen. It is, however, in combination with the cover HP Paper Folio (coming in spring) that “the magic happens”: writing or drawing it on a sheet of paper on the cover, all the information will be transferred also on the tablet.

The technology makes use of four microphones that can record sounds at high frequencies emitted from the pen to be able to capture all the movements, with HP which is the first company to commercially use the digital pen technology from Qualcomm. The choices related to research productivity improvements do not end with the Duet Pen: HP has chosen a form factor of 4: 3 for both models, differentiating with diagonals very different from each other.

We begin with the HP Pro Slate 8, one of the first tablets to use a glass panel Gorilla Glass 4. The display is 7.9 “in 2048×1536 resolutions, whose pixels are animated by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC, quad-core architecture Krait 400 to 2.3GHz. This is not the latest technology available, especially at a time when they are unveiled the first devices with Snapdragon 810 64-bit, but remains able to offer adequate performance considering the intended use of tablet.

Among other specifications we read 2GB of RAM LPDDR3-800, storage capacity ranging from 16 to 32GB of eMMC, support network connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0 LE and NFC. Storage can be increased with a microSD card, while being supported mobile network connectivity through a Nanosim. Completing the list of specific micro USB 2.0 port, a combo port 3.5mm headphone and microphone and stereo speaker’s front.

The features under the body are virtually identical to those of HP Pro Slate 12; however, we are faced with two very different products in terms of size. With a display of 12.3 “, the largest model weighs more than twice (850g compared to 350 in version 8″) although both are not thicker than the 8mm. The display, which should be the strong point of the solution, it really disappoints: HP chose a unit in resolution 1600×1200 pixels which, given the high diagonal, stops only 163 PPI pixel density.

The batteries on the two models are respectively 21 and 37WHr, while 8 and 2MP cameras, both capable of recording video at full HD resolution. HP Pro Slate 8 and 12 are already available on the US market at the respective prices of 449 and $ 569.

Android side, among the eight new HP tablets we find another with Android, the Pro Slate 10 EE G1. It has an IPS LCD 10.1 “1280×800 resolution and is IP-52 certified for resistance to intrusion of liquids and dust. Under the shell we find an Intel Atom Z3735G or Z3735F processors, both quad-core up to 1.83GHz and architecture-based Bay Trail. The only difference lies in the amount of RAM, 1GB version G and 2GB version F.

The tablet was unveiled a version with Windows 8.1 (which we’ll talk with separately with other HP tablet), with which it shares the stylistic choices. Are two tablet designed for the educational sector and built to withstand “hostile environments”. For this reason, the thickness is 14,4mm in both cases, and the weight of 850 and 855g with, strangely, the version with Android that heavier. The two tablets are offered at a price of 279 and $ 299 (for the Pro version) for the education sector, $ 349 for all other consumers.

HP announces Pro Slate 8 and 12 - Android tablet with technology Duet Pen