We have already had official confirmation from Sony about their tablet ambitions. Also, from the few bits and pieces of information that have filtered into the open, it seems Sony will not follow convention as far as the tablets’ form or functionality is concerned.
The company today unveiled the two tablets in front of journalists at a press event held in Tokyo. Named S1 and S2, the two tablets share quite a few similarities in that both run the Google Honeycomb OS and are built around a dual core Tegra 2 processor. Also, both the tablets are compatible with Sony’s Qriocity Music and Video Services as well as the Sony Reader Store. As for connectivity options, both S1 and S2 include Wi-Fi and WAN (3G/4G). Sony has also stated both S1 and S2 are PlayStation Certified, which means the two tablets will be able to access PlayStation content via the PlayStation Suite. However, it’s here that the commonality between the two tablets quickly starts to fade. They are as different from each other as chalk is from cheese when its about the external form of the tablets.
Of the two, the S1 is unique in that it incorporates an ‘off-center of gravity form factor,’ something that Sony claims will aid in negating the weight of the tablet by creating a ‘sense of lightness’ about the device. This will allow for easy and comfortable handling for long hours, which is perhaps indicative of them having a really long battery life. The S1 comes with a 9.4 inch display, packs in front and rear cameras, and can also be used as a remote controller of other Sony products.
As for the other tablet codenamed S2, its unique in that it sports a clam shell form which includes a twin screen setup. Each of the screens measure 5.5 inches and have a resolution of 1024 x 480 pixels. Clearly, the S2 is more pocket friendly of the two tablets, (Kunimasa Suzuki in fact pulled out the S2 from his jacket pocket during the press event) while both its screens can work in tandem or independent of each other. Both the screens can together make up a single big screen to browse website or for e-mail application, one of the display can be used to read message while the other can act as a keyboard. Similarly, while a video is being played on one display, the other can be used to house the control buttons and so on.
Sony has stated both the tablets would be ready for release towards fall 2011, though they are holding on to the pricing information as yet.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.