Dell’s Looking Glass tablet revealed by FCC

The FCC has revealed some details of Dell's forthcoming "Looking Glass" 7-inch Android tablet.

The Federal Communications Commission has posted public documents covering the testing of Dell’s forthcoming “Looking Glass” Android tablet, conducted to make sure the device complies with regulations regarding accepting (and not generating) radio and other interference. Although the documents don’t include every detail, they do offer some insights about what potential customers can expect from Dell when it decided to go up against the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

The “Looking Glass” tablet will feature a 7-inch widescreen display and support 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 wireless networking in addition to GSM 3G mobile data services, meaning the device is ripe for deployment on the likes at AT&T and T-Mobile as well as in international markets. (Dell partnered with AT&T for its Android-based 5-inch Streak tablet/smartphone.) The tablet will also sport an Nvidia Tegra processor—which ought to make it a media powerhouse—and previous leaked details have indicated the device will feature 4 GB of RAM, SDHC removable media, and a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera. The device was originally slated to run Android 2.1; if it ships with Android 2.1, it’s a safe bet that upgrades to Android 2.2 and beyond are in the works.

The “Looking Glass” tablet was first leaked in sprint 2011 as one of a selection of Android-based phones and devices Dell had up its sleeve. In September, the tablet appeared with CEO Michael Dell at the Oracle OpenWorld conference in San Francisco, although Dell did not release any other details about the device.

Given that Dell has submitted the “Looking Glass” tablet to the FCC for approval, the device looks to be Dell’s first serious attempt to take on the iPad…and compete against other Android tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab.