Toshiba Tablet Concepts Hands-on: From iPhone-Like to Absolutely Huge

January 11th, 2012 by Mark Spoonauer, LAPTOP Editor in Chief

LAS VEGAS — How big is too big when it comes to tablets? While the iPad is 9.7 inches, Toshiba is showing off a monster-size 13.3-inch prototype here at CES 2012. The company also let us get our hands on a 7.7-inch model with a Super AMOLED display (like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7) and a very unique 5.1-inch tablet that will likely only be sold overseas.

All three tablets had a textured back that gave them a good grip, and they were all quite thin. If you’re thinking the 13.3 incher could be overkill, Toshiba says that there could be a market for a device this size (running Android or Windows 8). A screen that big would allow more than one person to view videos at a time. Or it could be used as a second TV/tablet for the kitchen. Still, there are no definitive plans to bring this slate to market.

The AMOLED screen on the 7.7-inch tablet concept was indeed impressive, but we’re not sure how much Toshiba would charge for this technology. As for the 5.1-inch “tablet,” which sports a very tall design with a 21:9 screen, we don’t think it would work in the U.S. unless it could make phone calls. While the design is supertall, at least it’s narrower than competing superphones like the Galaxy Nexus.

Check out some hands-on photos of all three tablets below.