HP TouchPad to hit UK shelves on 15 July

Vendor confirms retail launch date for tablet device

HP's hotly anticipated TouchPad tablet will hit UK high-street shelves two weeks from tomorrow, the vendor has announced.

From 15 July, UK consumers can buy the device from HP.com or from an array of retailers, including PC World, Curry's, Argos, Comet, Carphone Warehouse and Amazon. UK pre-orders for the TouchPad began earlier this month, with the price of the Wi-Fi model set at £399 for a 16GB unit and £479 for 32GB.

The TouchPad runs on HP's WebOS mobile operating system and is powered by Intel's Snapdragon CPU. HP revealed today that media partners inlcuding the Guardian, LastFM, Warner Bros and Sky News will be providing exclusive content. The coming weeks will witness the launch of "many more UK-centric" apps, said the vendor.

Paul Hunter, HP's UK&I vice president of HP's Personal Systems Group, said: "[The TouchPad] really is a fantastic device, combining cutting-edge hardware with a world-class leading operating system. HP is taking the user experience to a new level, and the TouchPad is just the start. Expect to see more HP products powered by WebOS in the very near future."

News of the TouchPad's launch date comes the day after Cisco shed light on its pricing and go-to-market strategy for its tablet device, the Cius. Competition is getting increasingly fierce in the market, with Acer also making headlines this week with its bullish plans.

But can any of the contenders challenge Apple's dominance of the market? Have your say by voting in our poll this week.