Acer to Introduce New Intel-Powered Android Honeycomb Tablet at Computex?

While Asus is teasing its own phone-pad hybrid, rival Acer may be releasing an Intel Atom-based tablet running the Android Honeycomb platform at Computex next week. The tablet would bear a 10-inch form factor and would utilize Intel’s Oak Trail chips, which is based on the Atom processor line. Acer would be among the first companies to release an Android tablet, which so far has been built on top of ARM-based processors, with an Intel Atom chip.

Intel had previously hinted that we’ll see 10 tablets with Oak Trail at Computex and a number more to launch during this year.

According to DigiTimes, other companies may follow Acer’s lead and would release an Intel-based Android tablet in the near future, including Lenovo and Asus. The report also says that Acer is taking advantage of the Atom chip because Intel is providing subsidies and support to its partners and the Oak Trail platform may be able to deliver increased performance at the same price as ARM chips. Intel has been aggressively trying to break into the smartphone and tablet market, which is heavily dominated by ARM reference designs.

The company is also evaluating the prospect of releasing a MeeGo tablet with an Atom processor as well.