Earlier today, the German device maker Sunflex announced the Unu tablet, a tablet with a surprising variety of features that comes in at a surprising price for a device that can do so much. This entertainment Swiss army knife offers not only an Android tablet, but also a tiny console and a smart TV system all in one package, and poses an interesting question about the “battle for the living room.”
The Sunflex tablet is said to be just $20 more than Google's powerful new small tablet the Nexus 7. The tablet itself runs Android 4.2, and runs it on a quad-core processor running at 1.6 GHz. It includes a docking station, and throws in a proprietary remote and a gamepad for a total of $250 all told. The tablet version works much in the same fashion as most any other tablet, though it's where the system switches to console mode and smart TV mode that things get interesting. The console mode allows for Android games to be played with the support of a dual-analog controller, and the smart TV mode allows for the remote to search for programming. The connection between the dock and a larger television seems to be not only possible, but also wireless, which makes this an interesting all in one package as the Unu can act as, essentially, a set-top box that finds television, plays games, and then can detach for on the road use.
Microsoft has long had aspirations of taking over the living room with the Xbox line, making the powerful console into a complete multimedia solution that offers gaming and home entertainment options all in one package. But the Unu seems to have done just that, and all in a portable format for about half the money. Granted, an Android-based gaming system will never be a true competitor for a full gaming system—I figure the Unu would burst into flames and die screaming should it even be suggested that it should run “Dead Rising 3”--but for $250, users looking for a complete all-in-one home entertainment experience may well prove pretty satisfied with the Unu's blend of features and overall ease of use.
While it remains to be seen just how well the Unu can do—it's going to need a few users taking this on and finding it worthwhile to really start building an audience—if it does, it's going to pose a bit of a problem for Microsoft's living room dominance plans. With the Unu doing as much as it purports to do, and the Xbox set to do the same for more money, it may well be that Microsoft's living room plans will end up scuttled before they can truly launch.
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