Sony has decided to enter the Android market at a time when there are already several brands for the consumer to choose from. The company’s efforts bear fruit in the form of the Tablet S and the Tablet P. The former only sports Wi-Fi, while the latter is both 3G and Wi-Fi compliant. Here, we reviewed the Tablet S.
The most striking thing about this tablet is its unique, wedge-shaped design. Approximately 2cm thick at the rear, the device tapers down to 1cm at the front. Its angular shape makes it much easier to type on its 9.4-inch screen, even when it’s placed on your lap. The 1280x800-resolution screen, with roughly the same proportions as the iPad, is amongst the best in its class in terms of accuracy and clarity.
In fact, face up you might even mistake the Tablet S for an iPad, but the sides are a giveaway. Where Apple’s device touts glass and metal, the Tablet S sports plastic. Badly placed buttons on the side for functions like volume and power are difficult to access. Also, Sony uses a proprietary charger and its packaging doesn’t include a micro USB cable.
In terms of specifications, this tablet can hold its own. It sports a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 1GHz processor with 1GB memory, Android v3.2 Honeycomb, a five-megapixel rear camera and a VGA-grade front camera for video-chats. Though with Android’s latest v4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) operating system right around the corner, it would have made a lot more sense for Sony to wait for the new OS before releasing this product.
In terms of specifications, this tablet can hold its own. It sports a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 1GHz processor with 1GB memory, Android v3.2 Honeycomb, a five-megapixel rear camera and a VGA-grade front camera for video-chats. Though with Android’s latest v4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) operating system right around the corner, it would have made a lot more sense for Sony to wait for the new OS before releasing this product.
Remote control app is nice
While Honeycomb is confusing to navigate, Sony’s useful additions alleviate the situation (if only a little) in the form of exclusive apps. For instance, Tablet S is PlayStation certified. The media and remote control apps too are very impressive. In the latter, you can use the Tablet S as a universal remote with other consumer appliances like televisions, Blu-ray players and home theatre equipment. Based on infrared, the tablet can even learn signals from other remote controls. Don’t expect the cameras to carry on in Sony’s Cybershot tradition though. Videos too, though 720p in resolution are just passable. Battery life at about 1.5 to two days under regular usage is quite good.