LG said to be working on tablet with detachable keyboard

Tablets are great for media consumption, but manufacturers have been trying to solve the productivity problem since the first iPad arrived on the scene almost five years ago. To wit, people just prefer typing on keyboards. To that end there are tablets with keyboard cases, docks, sliding keyboards, rotating keyboards, and keyboards that detach, like the Surface Pro 3.

According to the latest rumours, detachable is the direction in which LG is heading with an upcoming tablet that is currently in development. CNET cites sources that say the keyboard will detach from the display to create a 2-in-1 experience that covers both tablet and laptop categories.

In order to keep up with competitors’ laptop offerings, this device will apparently pack a CPU from Intel’s 4th generation Core i-series of processors as well as an SSD. Presumably this means we can also expect a full version of Windows on this device (selling the average consumer on tablet productivity is hard enough without breaking the news that the device in question won’t run Windows).

Though a tablet with a detachable keyboard would be a first for LG, it’s not the only manufacturer to attempt this breed of 2-in-1. Asus’s Transformer line has rocked detachable keyboards since its launch in 2011 (with both Windows and Android versions available). The aforementioned Surface Pro is Microsoft’s third generation of tablet/laptop hybrid.

Ultimately, the price is going to play a huge part in the success of any of these devices. Microsoft’s Surface Pro line is beautiful but expensive (especially considering the fact that you have to buy the keyboard separately), but Asus’s Transformer Book and Transformer Pad aren’t exactly the sleek, stylish designs that you’d expect from a device that that is tablet and laptop in the same package.

No word on price or release date, but given the timing of this rumour, we’re guessing this device is going to show up at CES.

[source]CNET[/source]