Toshiba Excite 10 LE coming March 6, starting at $529

Toshiba announced today that their new Excite 10 LE will be available for purchase starting March 6, and a starting price of $529. Billed as the world's thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablet (7.7mm and 535g respectively), the Excite 10 LE will cost $529 for the 16GB version, and $599 for the 32GB version. It's packed full of new features like an AutoBrite display, covered in Gorilla Glass, SRS sound, and an anti-smudge coating to keep it looking good. Here's the specs:

  • Android 3.2, Honeycomb
  • 10.1-inch IPS display
  • Corning Gorilla Glass
  • 10-finger multi-touch support
  • 1280 x 800 resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio
  • Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 dual-core 1.2GHz processor
  • 1GB LPDDR2 RAM
  • 16GB and 32GB configurations
  • 2 megapixel front-facing camera
  • 5 megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash
  • Micro USB, Micro HDMI ports
  • Micro SD card slot
  • Wifi (802.11b/g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
  • Gyroscope, Accelerometer, GPS, eCompass and Ambient Light Sensor
  • Stereo speakers with sound enhancements by Toshiba and SRS Labs
  • Built-in 25 watt-hour rechargeable lithium ion battery
  • 10.1” (W) x 6.9” (D) x 0.3” (H)
  • 1.18 pounds (535g)

The Excite 10 LE ships with Honeycomb, but Toshiba says the Ice Cream Sandwich update is in the works and coming this spring. We're not thrilled when manufacturers say coming soon, but a tablet this thin and light almost makes up for it. The full press release is after the break.

Toshiba brings WORLD’S THINNEST 10-INCH TABLET to U.S. market

World’s Thinnest and Lightest 10-inch Tablet, Excite 10 LE, Available for Purchase on March 6,

Starting at $529.99

IRVINE, Calif. — Feb. 29, 2012 — Toshiba’s Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced that the Excite™ 10 LE tablet will be available for purchase from select U.S. retailers on March 6. Previously introduced as the Excite X10, the Excite 10 LE is the world’s thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablet measuring just 0.3 inches (7.7mm) thin and weighing just 1.18 pounds (535g).

The Excite 10 LE tablet, powered by Android™, carries a starting price of $529.99 MSRP for the 16GB model and $599.99 MSRP for the 32GB model.

“Excite 10 LE embodies what a luxury tablet should be,” said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. “We have engineered this tablet with premium materials and components, given it elegant yet durable styling and more connectivity options than any other tablet in its class, while fitting everything into an astonishingly thin and light design.”

A More Premium Design with All the Essentials

The thin and light Excite 10 LE features a vivid high-resolution 10.1-inch diagonal AutoBrite™ display, delivering optimum browsing, reading and entertainment. Designed for durability and style, the device also features a high-quality magnesium alloy surface and scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass display with an anti-smudge coating for greater resiliency.

The tablet also comes with an array of connectivity interfaces and ports on board, including micro-USB and HDMI® ports, a micro-SD slot to share content and files with other devices, plus Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® connectivity. Stereo speakers with exclusive sound enhancements by Toshiba and SRS® Labs deliver superior audio capabilities. Front and back HD cameras provide convenient photo capture, plus 1080p video recording and video chatting.

Smart Multicore Performance with Long Battery Life 

Powered by the 1.2GHz Texas Instruments OMAP™ 4430 multicore mobile processor and dual-channel memory, the Excite 10 LE offers smooth web browsing and multitasking plus the performance for high definition video and entertainment. Extremely power efficient, the Excite 10 LE delivers up to 8 hours of battery life.

Powered by Android

The Excite 10 LE tablet features Android 3.2, Honeycomb, and will be upgraded to Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich later this Spring. Also included is a full suite of familiar Google™ Mobile Service applications, including the Android Market™, YouTube™, Gmail™, Google Maps™, Music, Videos.  Additionally, the tablet comes pre-loaded with a mix of Toshiba software and third-party applications including TOSHIBA App Place, TOSHIBA Book Place, TOSHIBA Media Player, TOSHIBA File Manager as well Netflix™ and Zinio™.

Docking and Accessories

Toshiba will also offer a suite of tablet accessories for the Excite 10 LE, including a docking station, multiple cases and more.

Specifications

  • Android 3.2, Honeycomb (upgradeable to Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich)
  • 10.1-inch diagonal LED Backlit widescreen Corning Gorilla Glass display with IPS technology and 10-finger multi-touch support
  • 1280 x 800 resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio
  • Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 multicore processor; 1.2GHz with 1GB LPDDR2 RAM
  • 16GB and 32GB configurations
  • 2 megapixel front-facing camera
  • 5 megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash
  • Micro USB, Micro HDMI ports
  • Micro SD card slot
  • Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
  • Gyroscope, Accelerometer, GPS, eCompass and Ambient Light Sensor
  • Stereo speakers with sound enhancements by Toshiba and SRS Labs
  • Built-in 25 watt-hour rechargeable lithium ion battery
  • 10.1” (W) x 6.9” (D) x 0.3” (H)
  • 1.18 pounds (535g)

Image Gallery: http://bit.ly/Excite10LE

Connect with Toshiba on Twitter at twitter.com/ToshibaUSA, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ToshibaUSA and on YouTube atyoutube.com/ToshibaUS.

About Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. (TAIS)

Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., TAIS is comprised of three business units: Digital Products Division, Imaging Systems Division, and Telecommunication Systems Division. Together,  these divisions provide digital products, services and solutions, including industry-leading portable computers; televisions, TV/DVD Combination products, Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD products, and portable devices; imaging products for the security, medical and manufacturing markets; storage products for computers; and IP business telephone systems with unified communications, collaboration and mobility applications. TAIS provides sales, marketing and services for its wide range of products in the United States and Latin America. TAIS is an independent operating company owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation. For more information on TAIS visit us.toshiba.com.

About Toshiba Corporation

Toshiba Corporation is a world leader and innovator in pioneering high technology, a diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products spanning digital consumer products; electronic devices and components; power systems, including nuclear energy; industrial and social infrastructure systems; and home appliances. Toshiba was founded in 1875, and today operates a global network of more than 490 companies, with 203,000 employees worldwide and annual sales surpassing 6.3 trillion yen (US$77 billion). Visit Toshiba's web site at www.toshiba.co.jp/index.htm.

Jerry Hildenbrand
Senior Editor — Google Ecosystem

Jerry is an amateur woodworker and struggling shade tree mechanic. There's nothing he can't take apart, but many things he can't reassemble. You'll find him writing and speaking his loud opinion on Android Central and occasionally on Twitter.