Telstra goes to war with tablet giants

Australian telcos are falling over each other to launch iPad rivals before Christmas, with Telstra announcing yesterday it would soon release its own tablet called the Telstra T-Touch Tab.
Apple has sold more than 3.3 million iPads worldwide, according to the most recent official numbers, and Bernstein Research recently reported that the iPad was selling at a faster rate than even the iPhone and DVD player.
IDC expects tablet computer sales to explode globally from 7.6 million units this year to more than 46 million units in 2014. IDC Australia analyst Trevor Clarke expects strong tablet sales this Christmas but said some may opt to wait for BlackBerry-maker RIM's PlayBook or another iPad, expected to launch next year.

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Telstra is seeking expressions of interest on its website for its tablet device, which is due out next month. Telstra said the T-Touch Tab would be available exclusively on Telstra's Next G network, feature a 7-inch touchscreen, support Adobe Flash and run the Android operating system.
The pictures, and various online commentary, indicate the T-Touch Tab will be a rebadged version of Huawei's SmaKit S7 (pictured).
Last week, Dell began selling its own 5-inch Android-based tablet, the Streak, in Australia through Optus stores for $649. Next month, Samsung will enter the tablet wars with its 7-inch Galaxy Tab, available from all major carriers for $999.
For the corporate crowd, RIM will begin selling its PlayBook tablet shortly, which its chief executive, Mike Lazaridis, described as the "world's first professional tablet". A date for Australia has yet to be announced but the PlayBook will offer a 7-inch screen, weigh 400 grams and feature dual cameras and support for Flash, HTML5 and 1080p video.
Telstra, Dell and Samsung's models are all based on Google's Android platform. Clarke said Android would provide a strong alternative to those who don't want to go for Apple's proprietary system.
"I think it is pretty clear Apple has a head start on its rivals in the media tablet space with the launch of the iPad in May and it will be the dominant player as we head into the Christmas sales period," said Clarke, adding Apple had successfully leveraged its iPhone App Store model for the iPad.
"However, other players that are utilising the Android operating system such as Dell and Samsung will attract a fair bit of attention. The Android ecosystem is growing all the time and is emerging as the alternative for those that don't want to go through Apple's proprietary system."
Microsoft has been conspicuously absent from the tablet wars to date, given that its founder, Bill Gates, was the first to push the concept about a decade ago.
This week, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said a Microsoft slate to rival Apple's iPad would be seen by Christmas, but he did not say whether it would be on sale in time for Christmas. Ballmer showed off a Windows 7 tablet at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, dubbed the HP Slate, but it has yet to materialise.
Perhaps device makers are avoiding Windows 7 and waiting on the Windows Phone 7 platform, which will be launched in Australia next week.
Toshiba says it will sell tablet computers outside Japan next year, while LG has said it is holding off for now as the current version of the Android platform was designed for smartphones, not tablets.
At a media briefing on Telstra's Christmas range yesterday, its director of mobility products, Richard Fink, said more details on the T-Touch Tab, including pricing, would be revealed in the coming weeks.
"Telstra will have at least two Next G mobile tablets in market by Christmas: a mobile tablet for the premium market and a more affordable tablet for families and young adults," he said.
Telstra is becoming increasingly active in the computing devices space, having already launched a T-Box IPTV device to rival TiVo and a super-charged landline phone, the T-Hub.
Clarke said at first glance it might be surprising for Telstra to take on the iPad and other competitors with its own branded tablet device but on second look it fitted in with the T-Box and T-Hub and Telstra's broader digital home strategy.
"My view is a Telstra-branded device, like any tablet in the market, will only succeed if the price is right, the device itself has an attractive design, it's available in the right places for consumers to get it, and the user experience is top notch," he said.
"With some of the biggest device vendors in the world competing in this space, Telstra will have its work cut out to get consumers to fork out their hard earned cash."