Verizon to offer Cisco Cius tablet later this summer
The Cisco Cius is a 7 inch Android tablet aimed at enterprise users. AT&T has already announced plans to offer a version with an HSPA+ module for connecting to the carrier’s mobile broadband network. Now Verizon has announced that it will also offer the tablet to enterprise and government customers, and the company says in the US you’ll be able to use it on Verizon’s 4G LTE network which offers even faster speeds than HSPA+.
There’s a catch though. While the Verizon press release makes liberal use of the phrase “4G LTE,” it looks like the tablet won’t actually have an LTE modem baked in. Instead customers will be able to bundle it with a 4G LTE mobile hotspot. In other words you’ll have to pay extra for a hotspot such as a MiFi or Samsung SCH-LC11 and carry around an extra device to connect to Verizon’s network.
Verizon says it will begin offering the Cisco Cius tablet later this summer. The company hasn’t announced pricing, since institutions will likely work out their own deals with Verizon. But Cisco has said that the Cius will sell for under $750 when it launches on July 31st.
The tablet has a 1024 x 600 pixel display, a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor, and 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, and runs Google Android 2.2. It also includes custom apps that allow you to use the tablet for video conferencing, connect it to a dock to power your office phone, or login to remote servers to access your company’s files.
The tablet has a removable 5200mAh battery which is good for up to 8 hours of run time. The Cius weighs 1.15 pounds.
