Leaked Images Show HP’s Upcoming webOS Tablets

Submitted by lalit on February 18, 2011 - 1:16pm.

Engadget has posted images of upcoming HP tablets based on webOS. According to a trusted Engadget tipster HP will have two webOS based tablets codenamed Topaz and Opal. Topaz will have 9-inch screen, whereas Opal will have 7-inch screen and focus on e-reading. Engadget posted:

Looking at the render, we're seeing the no-button design we'd previously heard about (we're assuming the gesture area rotates with the display), a front-facing camera, a micro USB port on the bottom, and what appears to be a Vizio Tablet-style three speaker arrangement for stereo audio in both landscape and portrait modes -- that's two speakers along the left side and a third on the right. (That's just a guess, though.)
We're told that units will start to arrive at Palm HQ in June as production ramps up for launch later this year -- a timeline backed up by an internal marketing slide we received that lists WiFi-only, AT&T 3G, and Verizon LTE versions of the Opal arriving in September 2011, and on AT&T LTE in July 2012.

If HP is planning a September ship date it will be too late as the tablet market will become very crowded, unless all the tablets announced at CES turn out to be vaporware like they did last year. However, media event invitation sent by HP indicates they have more up their sleeve. The invitation stated:

Think you saw the latest on Engadget? Think again.
Please join HP on February 9 for an exciting webOS announcement.

It is very likely that HP will announce a webOS tablet that will be shipping sooner than September along with webOS update bring tablet features and new features for smartphones.
[Via Engadget]