Aava Mobile to unveil 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablet for businesses

Finnish startup Aava Mobile is believed to be showing off a Windows 8.1 tablet, sporting an 8.3-inch HD display and powered by the Intel Atom tablet processor code-named Bay Trail, at the IDF (Intel Developer Forum) next week. So what will we be looking to see in this latest product powering Microsoft's OS?

The HD screen will feature 1920x1200 pixels and will join a growing group tablets with screens under 10 inches. The real kicker with Aava Mobile's tablet is that it won't be sold to consumers, but will instead be built to order for vertical markets, including health care, education and public services. That's not to say the average consumer won't be able to purchase one as it's reported Aava will make the tablet available through other device makers.

No price has been revealed, but Intel has Bay Trail CPU tablets priced at between $350 and $400. The startup estimates battery life to be around 10 hours and will include features that will make the product more appealing to enterprises, which is something that will surely please Microsoft with its Windows 8 OS being packed for business to take full advantage of. As well as the 10 hours of juice, the battery is also swappable.

Aava Windows 8 tablet Back

Find yourself low on charge? Simply get the spare out your bag. The image above shows the removable rear cover. 

Docking capabilities will be supported and the device itself has been tested to withstand drops of up to 1 meter, as well as performing well in both high and low temperatures. Piotr Frasunkiewicz, co-founder of Aava Mobile, notes that while Windows 8 adoption has been poor so far in tablets and the PC world, demand will pick up.

He states that "in vertical markets, the legacy of Windows is a benefit," explaining companies will look to upgrade to tablets that support exiting applications and deployments.

Source: PC World; thanks, Tavia, for the heads up!

Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.