Dockable Toshiba Android tablet leaks with Tegra 4 chip

Toshiba may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of Android tablets, but maybe that’s due to change. The company’s unannounced  Tegra 4 powered AT10LE-A might change that.
It’s a 10.1-inch slate with Nvidia’s latest and greatest under the hood clocked at 1.8GHz. Like the Asus Transformer series, the AT10LE-A can be docked into a keyboard accessory. There’s no pointing device on Toshiba’s keyboard, but that’s not a complete surprise. While a keyboard definitely enhances productivity in certain situations on Android, a mouse doesn’t. Pointer duties are still best left to a finger.

The lack of a trackpad isn’t necessarily a big deal, but it’s also not known whether this keyboard includes a secondary battery. Many Android tablet makers have gone that route so they can offer all-day unplugged use. It would be surprising to see the AT10LE — which looks like a premium device — launch without one. Like the Tegra 3, the quad-core Tegra 4 does include a fifth low-power core that helps boost endurance, but a second battery would still be a nice touch.
Toshiba isn’t skimping on ports, at least. The AT10LE includes HDMI and USB ports as well as a micro SD expansion slot — something you don’t always find in a high-end Android device.

As for the OS, the leaked Toshiba unit is running Android 4.2.1. That could always change before the AT10LE launches, of course, particularly if it’s not going to hit store shelves until after Google I/O.
There could very well be a new version announced in San Fran, and a tablet PC with a cutting-edge Tegra 4 chip shouldn’t ship with anything but the latest and greatest software, right? Then again, that hasn’t stopped manufacturers from shipping outdated Android versions on tablets before.