Humongous Android tablets are not new, given the existence of Samsung’s Galaxy View and Alcatel’s Xess, but the market for them is very niche. With that said, British firm Virgin Media took a crack at it anyway with the TellyTablet, which was announced alongside the company’s first 4K set-top box, CNET reports.
Virgin Media does not want you to think of the TellyTablet as a traditional Android tablet — rather, the company calls it a “personal” smart TV that you can use when the main television is being used. Lending to the lingo is the TellyTablet’s 14-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 resolution IPS panel, its two speakers on the front and two on the back, and its kickstand that lets you prop the tablet up on any flat surface.
Virgin Media did not say what makes the tablet tick, but you do get 32GB of storage, with the MicroSD card slot there if you need more storage for your movies and TV shows. Also unknown is the battery capacity, though the company promises seven to eight hours of battery life.
On the software front, the TellyTablet runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow, though it does not tell the whole story. Since it comes from Virgin Media, the TellyTablet comes preloaded with the company’s TV Anywhere app, which lets you access live TV, “selected” recordings, and on-demand box sets. The app also lets you sync some recordings for offline viewing and turn the TellyTablet into a huge remote.
Finally, you can consume content through the TV Anywhere app on any Wi-Fi connection, functionality exclusive to the TellyTablet.
Overall, the TellyTablet seems set up to act as a complimentary device to Virgin Media’s set-top boxes. As such, the tablet will only be available in the United Kingdom for 300 pounds, or a little over $375. Alternatively, you can buy the TellyTablet with a phone through Virgin Media for an additional 10 pounds ($12) a month over 24 months.
