Sony’s entry into the tablet computer world happens tomorrow with the release of the Sony S Tablet. Powered by Android 3.2, this 9.4 inch screen tablet is available with either 16GB or 32GB of storage.
Being a Sony product, it will be hooked into Sony’s Entertainment Network arms of music and video, and it’s PlayStation-certified so it’ will be well served by games content.
The Sony S Tablet has been designed with a tapering thickness, moving from almost 21 mm thick to a little over 10 mm. This would sound about right for watching video, and using as a computer, though I wonder how the variable mass top to bottom affects playing games.
To its credit, Sony are being, ahhh, realistic in expectations of sales for the S Tablet.
Incorporating the most innovative and leading technologies from across the Sony group of companies, Sony aims to be the number two tablet manufacturer in the Australian market by 2012.
That’s realistic enough to know that the iPad 2’s lead is, this year at least, unassailable due to both the quality of the iPad and the lead in time on sale that it has had. At the sale time, Sony is also confident enough to know that the iPad competitor market is fragmented and open to being overtaken, and Sony’s content offering is a huge plus.
Let’s hope Sony give the tablet more of a go than was given the 6 weeks or so that HP gave the TouchPad.
Sony S Tablet price and release date
The Sony S Tablet goes on sale tomorrow, October 25, from Sony Centre stores and selected retailers. The 16GB version of the Sony S Tablet will have an RRP of $579, while the 32GB will be $689 RRP.
Sony S Tablet specifications
- Operating system: Android 3.2
- Display: 9.4 inches WXGA?1280×800 pixels) TFT color LCD
- CPU: NVIDIA Tegra 2 Mobile Processor 1GHz
- Network: WiFi: IEEE802.11b/g/n
- Storage: 16GB or 32GB
- External ports: USB 2.0 Micro-AB connector (host/client) x1, Headphone (Stereo, mini jack) x1 (also serves as mono mic jack)
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR standard
- Infra-red technology: Infra-red remote control
- Card slot: SD memory slot x 1
- Camera: Front – Effective pixel 0.3 million mega pixels; Rear – Effective pixel 5.11 million mega pixels (HD camera powered by “Exmor for mobile“)
- Sensors: 3 Axis Accelerometer, Gyrosensor , Digital Compass, Ambient Sensor
- Battery life: Browsing web with Wi-Fi, watching video, listening to music – up to 8 hours. Approx. 430 hours (Standby), Approx. 31 hours (playing music), Approx. 6 hours (playing video), approx. 6.2 hours (web browsing via WiFi)
- Dimensions: Approx. 241.2 x 10.1 mm (thickest point: 20.6?x 174. 3 mm (W x H x D)
- Weight: Approx. 598 grams