There’s a new mobile OS in town.  It’s called GridOS.  And at the unveiling of the OS, creator TabCo also unveiled two devices that run on it – the 10.1-inch Grid10 tablet and the 4-inch Grid4 smartphone.

TabCo was formerly known as Fusion Garage, maker of the overhyped JooJoo tablet that tried to release the product ahead of Apple’s iPad.  The TabCo team regrouped after the failed initial foray and has come back stronger with more financial backing and a somehow solid operating system showcased on two pretty-looking devices.

 

GridOS

The GridOS is a new operating system but it’s based on the Android kernel the same way Apple’s iOS is based on UNIX.  It appears fast and solid, with some tricks that have not been seen in current operating systems.  The interface is based on grids where app icons are grouped depending on the user’s taste and can be hidden on a single tap.  Navigation is also different and done by gestures.   The question now is, how will the GridOS position itself amidst the strength of Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS? If there’s anything we have learned from the success of Android and iOS, a mobile operating system’s success depends on the available apps.  TabCo says there will be many apps available soon which can be downloaded from the Grid Shop.

And because the GridOS is based on the Android kernel, it is compatible with Android apps.

 

Grid10 Tablet

The Grid10 tablet presented to the public is one sexy device.  At 1366 x 768, the Grid10 has the highest resolution on a tablet.  The tablet features a 1.3 megapixel front-facing webcam, 16GB of storage, Bluetooth 2.1, and a microSD slot.  It will run on an Nvidia Tegra 2.   The tablet will be priced at $499 for the WiFi-only version and $599 for the WiFi and 3G version.  Pre-order has in fact already started on Amazon and shipping will be on September 15.

 

Grid4 Smartphone

The Grid4 smartphone shares the design elements of the Grid10.  It is sexy and minimalist, eschewing buttons for a full touch screen experience.   The Grid4 has a 4-inch display and will fature a Qualcomm dual-core processor, 16GB of memory, an 800 x 480 resolution, and a front facing 0.3 megapixel camera.  It will also have a five megapixel rear facing five megapixel camera with autofocus. The Grid4 will sell for $399 and will begin shipping around September or October.

Watch the demo video below if you want to know how GridOS works.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GGd1zLcBRg