A spokesperson for Marvell Technologies has confirmed that the OLPC tablet, which is known as the XO-3, will be available in the first half of 2012. Speaking to ITProPortal.com, Reuben Caron said that the device would move away from the current VIA Nano processor architecture to adopt a Marvell system-on-chip, the Armada 610. Swapping the x86-based Nano to the Marvell ARM-based architecture, will cut power consumption to around 1W during use.
The move to the tablet format is motivated by the fact that significant savings will be made by cutting the amount of raw material used. Pixel Qi will provide with what has been described as a "plastic screen" for the tablet.
Earlier reports mentioned multi touch and haptic feedback but we were not able to confirm that. More than two million XO laptops have been sold worldwide since the project was launched three years ago but you still cannot buy one of them in the UK.