Toshiba AT300 Android Tablet Announced, Priced at £329

Toshiba has announced the AT300, a 10.1in tablet powered by an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor and running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich which will be available in the coming weeks.

Available from the second quarter of 2012, the Toshiba AT300 will come with 16GB and 32GB storage options, and both models have a full-size SD card slot accommodating cards up to an extra 64GB.

Toshiba confirmed to IBTimes UK that the AT300 will cost £329 and £379 for the 16GB and 32GB models respectively when it goes on sale in the second quarter of 2012. At £329, the 16GB version is the same price as Apple's recently discounted iPad 2.

The Gorilla Glass-covered 10.1in screen has a high definition resolution of 1,280 x 800, and above that there is a 2-megapixel camera with LED flash and microphone for video calls. Around the back, there is a 5-megapixel camera, also with an LED flash.

Nvidia's Tegra 3 chip features a quad-core processor, but also includes an additional fifth companion core "specifically designed to handle everyday tasks, helping to extend battery life to up to 10 hours, delivering a full day of power without the need to recharge."

At 8.95mm thick, the Toshiba tablet is almost half a millimetre thinner than the new iPad and at 590g it's some 62g lighter than Apple's latest tablet, making the Toshiba more comfortable to hold for an extended time.

As for connectivity, the AT300 has a full-sized SD card slot, along with micro USB and micro HDMI out ports, Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi b/g/n.

The company has said that a 3G version of the tablet will go on sale in the third quarter of 2012, but a price has not yet been announced.

Regarding battery life, Toshiba quotes 10 hours of video playback or 12 hours of a combination of audio playback, web browsing via Wi-Fi, video playback and standby time.

Toshiba said: "The AT300 features an elegant and sturdy aluminium shell, as well as a highly durable Corning Gorilla Glass display, making it both stylish and scratch-resistant.

The Toshiba AT300 will come with the latest version of Google's Android operating system, codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich, which is a pre-requisite for any tablet looking to make an impact in the market these days.

When it goes on sale later in the summer, the Toshiba AT300 will go up against the Apple iPad and Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, although the Note is yet to get a release date.