British Telecom will follow in the tracks of US telco Verizon Wireless by launching a tablet PC, but isn’t gunning for Apple’s iPad, its boss says.
Chief executive Ian Livingstone demonstrated the tablet-style device last week, but was quick to point out the unit is designed to be a hub for home communications, rather than a rival to the iPad that consumers carry in the street, the Daily Telegraph reports.
The device is scheduled to launch in 2011, offering access to voice calls, email, voicemail, and text messages, along with applications including weather forecasts and news items.
“It’s for when you don’t want to go to the computer,” Livingstone told the UK daily. “It’s there, available, easy to use.”
While Livingstone revealed few technical details about the device, bloggers speculate the focus on home use means it will come equipped with WiFi only, and have a touchscreen smaller than the iPad’s 9.7-inch version.
Last week, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam revealed the US telco is working on a tablet PC in conjunction with Google.