Telstra to release two Android tablets in November

Telco giant Telstra will launch two tablet devices later this year in an attempt to capitalise on the growing market for the touch-screen gadgets taking over the tech industry.

The announcement comes amid a slew of tablet releases, with Samsung, Research In Motion, Dell and other minor manufacturers releasing gadgets of their own to compete with the Apple iPad. That market is expected to grow, with HP saying recently it expects the tablet market to grow to $US40 billion in the next few years.

Telstra has confirmed it will launch two gadgets later this year. One will be geared towards the “premium” market, with another affordable tablet to be released for “families and young adults”. Pricing is yet to be unveiled.

The company also confirmed this morning the T-Touch Tab will feature a seven-inch screen and will be able to play Flash. Like many other tablets hitting the market, it will run on the Google Android operating system.

Customers keen to get their hands on the gadget can register their interest on the company’s website and more details will be made available later this year.

The release comes after the relative success of the T-Hub, which the company says has sold 10,000 units. The gadget is a smaller version of a tablet device and is designed to be coupled with a home phone, but the new devices will be stand-alone products, the company says.

The release comes as Telstra is spending millions on restructuring and simplifying the business in order to save costs. Telsyte research director Foad Fadaghi says the move is a good one, given the tablet market is heating up, and using the “T” brand is helping it develop some recognition.

“I can’t see it hurting. I think there is going to be a huge range of tablets that come out in the next 12 months, and given there has been some initial take-up of the T-Box and the T-Hub, I don’t see any harm at all.”

“It’s going to be a challenge with all those devices out there, but it’s definitely not going to be a zero-sum game where one tablet will rule them all. Some segments of the market will like it, and they’ll purchase it because it suits them.”