Nvidia Shield Tablet

The Shield Tablet, later relaunched as the Shield Tablet K1, is a gaming tablet, developed by Nvidia and released on July 29, 2014.^[1] It was Nvidia's second portable gaming device that uses Android. Compared to the Shield Portable, the controller is not permanently connected to the screen, rather it can be purchased separately. Up to four controllers can be wirelessly connected at the same time. While the Shield tablet features an 8-inch 1920×1200 pixel display, it can output 4K resolution signal to a television via HDMI.^[2]

Nvidia Shield Tablet

Shield Tablet with the Shield Controller and DirectStylus
Also known as	Shield Tablet K1 (relaunch)
Manufacturer	Nvidia
Product family	Shield
Type	Gaming tablet
Release date	July 29, 2014 (USA/CAN) August 14, 2014(EU)
Lifespan	2014-2018
Introductory price	US$299 (16 GB WiFi Only)/US$399 (32 GB + 4G LTE)/US$199 Shield K1 (16 GB WiFi Only)
Discontinued	2018
Operating system	Android 4.4.2 "KitKat" Upgradable to Android 7.0 "Nougat"
System on a chip	Tegra K1
CPU	4 × Cortex-A15 R3 2.2 GHz
Memory	2 GB DDR3L
Storage	16–32 GB flash memory, Up to 200 GB microSDXC card reader
Display	8 inches (20 cm) 1920 × 1200 px(283 ppi) IPS Retinal LCD
Graphics	GK20A (Kepler) (192:8:4)
Input	Multi-touch capacitive screen, microphone, 3-axis accelerometer, gyroscope, GPS
Controller input	Optional Shield Controllers, up to 4
Camera	Front: 5 MP HDR Back: 5 MP auto-focus HDR
Connectivity	2×2 MIMO 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0, micro USB 2.0, mini HDMI, 3.5mm audio jack
Power	5197 mAh (19.75 W·h)
Online services	Nvidia TegraZone Google Play GeForce Now
Dimensions	5.0 inches (13 cm) (w) 8.8 inches (22 cm) (h) 0.36 inches (9.1 mm) (d)
Mass	390 g (13.76 oz), 356 g (12.56 oz) (Shield K1)
Related	Shield Portable, Tegra Note 7
Website	shield.nvidia.com/gaming-tablet/

In November 2015, the tablet was refreshed and renamed as the Shield Tablet K1 and the price was reduced to $200.^[3]

In August 2016, Nvidia announced it had cancelled plans to release a hardware upgrade to its Shield Tablet products - a speculated reason for the cancellation was product conflict with the Nintendo Switch, which uses similar technology.^[4] In mid-2017 the tablet was no longer for retail on Nvidia's website or any of the other websites in which the tablet was being sold. Nvidia officially announced in mid-2018 that the tablet has been discontinued on the Shield website.

Features

The Shield Tablet is powered by an Nvidia Tegra K1 SoC and has stereo front facing speakers. There's a 16 GB WiFi-only model and a 32 GB LTE model. It has front and back facing 5 megapixel HDR cameras. It weighs 390 grams and is 221 x 126 x 9.2 mm in size.^[5][6] The 2015 Shield K1 refresh weighs 356 grams while preserving the other dimensions of the tablet.

Software updates

Shield Tablet

Nvidia released Shield Tablet OTA 2.0 update with Android 5.0 Lollipop on November 18, 2014.^[7][8] The Shield Tablet OTA 2.1 update with Android 5.0.1 Lollipop & OpenGL 4.5 support was released on December 23, 2014.^[9][10] Shield Tablet OTA 3.1 update with Android 5.1.1 was released on July 30, 2015.^[11] Shield Tablet OTA update with Android 6.0 Marshmallow was released on February 1, 2016.^[12]

Shield Tablet OTA 4.1 update with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow was released on May 12, 2016,^[13] OTA 4.2 update on July 12, 2016,^[14] OTA 4.3 update on October 10, 2016,^[15] & OTA update on November 3, 2016.^[16]

Nvidia released Shield Tablet OTA 5.0 update with Android 7.0 Nougat on February 9, 2017.^[17]

Shield Tablet K1

Nvidia released Shield Tablet K1 OTA 1.0 update with Android 6.0 Marshmallow on December 21, 2015^[18] and the Shield Tablet K1 OTA 1.1 on February 1, 2016.^[19]

Nvidia released Shield Tablet K1 OTA 1.2 update with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow & Vulkan support on April 13, 2016,^[20] OTA 1.3 update on June 15, 2016,^[21] OTA 1.4 update on September 13, 2016^[22] & OTA 1.5 update on November 3, 2016.^[23]

Nvidia released Shield Tablet K1 OTA 5.0 update with Android 7.0 Nougat on February 9, 2017.^[24]

Connectivity

• Headphone Jack
• Micro USB
• Mini HDMI 1.4a
• Slot for the stylus that makes use of Nvidia's GPU DirectStylus 2 (on original model)
• Micro-SD card slot

Wireless

• 802.11n 2x2 MIMO 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 4.0 LE
• GPS / GLONASS
• SIM card slot in the 32GB LTE model with LTE, HSPA+, 3G, 2G, GSM and EDGE connection.

Issues

On July 31, 2015, Nvidia issued a recall to replace Shield Tablet devices, sold between July 2014 and July 2015, since the battery had overheating issues that posed a fire hazard.^[25]

The Shield Tablet K1 supports DirectStylus 2 (sold separately). However, this requires the user to upgrade to system update 1.2. This update provides integration of its unique software features (e.g. palm-rejection, NVIDIA-lasso) into Android.^[26]

Reception

Android Central's Andrew Martonik likes the Shield Tablet, praising its speakers and the Twitch streaming ability. The downsides are that the tablet is heavier than its competitor (390g to the Nexus 7's 290g) and it may be too expensive for some (the tablet is $299 to $399, the controller is $59, and the cover is $39).^[27] The Shield Tablet K1 released in late 2015 comes without a charger or stylus.

See also

• Nvidia Shield
• Shield Portable
• GeForce NOW
• History of video game consoles (eighth generation)

References

1. "Supreme gaming experience with NVIDIA Tegra powered Sheild Tablet". StockNewsDesk. 2014-09-19. from the original on 2014-09-22.
2. "Nvidia Shield Tablet Preview". CNET. from the original on 22 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
3. NVIDIA Shield Tablet back in stock, renamed Tablet K1 and priced at $200 2015-11-18 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 17 November 2015
4. Cowan, Danny (12 Aug 2016), "Nvidia has canceled plans to upgrade its Shield Tablet", www.digitaltrends.com, from the original on 2016-08-13
5. "Nvidia's Shield Tablet Makes a Good First Impression". Gamespot. from the original on 24 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
6. "Nvidia shield microsite". Nvidia shield microsite. Nvidia. from the original on 25 July 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
7. Shield Tablet OTA 2.0.2 Official feedback thread Released 11-18-14 2014-11-29 at the Wayback Machine Nvidia
8. "SHIELD Tablet Software Upgrade 2.0". NVIDIA SHIELD. from the original on 2014-12-28.
9. Shield Tablet OTA 2.1 Official feedback thread Released 12-23-14 2014-12-27 at the Wayback Machine Nvidia
10. . NVIDIA SHIELD. Archived from the original on 2015-02-27.
11. "Official SHIELD Tablet OTA 3.1 Update Feedback Thread (Released 7/30/15) - GeForce Forums". from the original on 2015-09-09. Retrieved 2015-07-31.
12. "Official SHIELD Tablet OTA 4.0 Feedback Thread (Released 02/01/16) - GeForce Forums". from the original on 2016-08-03. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
13. "Official SHIELD Tablet OTA 4.1 Feedback Thread (Updated 05/23/16) - GeForce Forums". from the original on 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
14. "Official SHIELD Tablet OTA 4.2 Feedback Thread (Released 07/12/16) - GeForce Forums". from the original on 2016-11-04. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
15. "Official NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet OTA 4.3 Feedback Thread (Updated 10/18/16) - GeForce Forums". from the original on 2016-11-04. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
16. "Official NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet OTA 4.4 Feedback Thread (Released 11/3/16) - GeForce Forums". from the original on 2016-11-04. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
17. "Official SHIELD Tablet Software Upgrade 5.0 Feedback Thread (Released 02/09/17) - GeForce Forums". from the original on 2017-02-11. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
18. "Official SHIELD Tablet K1 OTA 1.0 Feedback Thread (Released 12/21/15) - GeForce Forums". from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-21.
19. "Official SHIELD Tablet K1 OTA 1.1 Feedback Thread (Released 02/01/16) - GeForce Forums". from the original on 2016-03-22. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
20. "Official SHIELD Tablet K1 OTA 1.2 Feedback Thread (Released 04/13/16) - GeForce Forums". from the original on 2016-04-27. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
21. "Official SHIELD Tablet K1 OTA 1.3 Feedback Thread (Released 06/15/16) - GeForce Forums". from the original on 2016-09-18. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
22. "Official NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet K1 OTA 1.4 Feedback Thread (Released 09/13/16) - GeForce Forums". from the original on 2016-11-04. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
23. "Official NVIDIA SHIELD Tablet K1 OTA 1.5 Feedback Thread (Released 11/3/16) - GeForce Forums". from the original on 2016-11-04. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
24. "Official SHIELD Tablet K1 Software Upgrade 5.0 Feedback Thread (Released 02/09/17) - GeForce Forums". from the original on 2017-02-11. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
25. Nvidia recalls Shield tablets due to battery concerns 2015-11-15 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 31 July 2015.
26. "Tablet k1...no direct stylus option at all...bug? - GeForce Forums". from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-16.
27. NVIDIA Shield Tablet Review Roundup 2014-08-12 at the Wayback Machine. Tom's Hardware. Retrieved 11 August 2014.

External links

• Official website