SonyTablet
Latest
Sony Xperia Tablet S hands-on (video)
Sony officially launched its new tablet here at IFA -- and it's keeping that folded-over profile. Happily, it's running Android ICS. We've just spent some time with the Xperia Tablet S here in Berlin and it's looking like Sony wants this to be the center of your media-consuming world. The new tablet pals up with the company's range of phones, bearing that familiar Xperia branding on a freshly hewn metal slab. Yes, the new tablet sidesteps the plastic build of Sony's last two tablets going for a solid metal build. Fortunately, it feels just as light in the hand, while that folded design also remains well-balanced. We're particularly pleased with the tactile finish on the folded-over surface of the tablet -- it's very grippable. Internally, we're dealing with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, while a 10-inch 1,280 x 800 IPS display will be showing off all that media and gaming content. Browse our gallery of images below and check out our hands-on video and first impressions after the break. %Gallery-163657%
Sony Xperia Tablet S official: slimmed-down design, Tegra 3, IR remote and Android 4.0, starts at $400
Looks like those leaked slides showing Sony's Xperia-branded tablet were right about pretty much everything. (Well, everything except the price, anyway). The company just formally announced the Xperia Tablet S and, as rumored, it features a Tegra 3 chip, Android 4.0 and up to 64GB of built-in storage. Like last year's Tablet S, it has that distinctive folded-over magazine shape, except this go-round it's made of metal, and measures between .35 and .47 inches thick (the weight, too, has dropped to 1.26 pounds, down from 1.31). Sony also kept the Tablet S' IR emitter, which allows the tablet to double as a universal remote, and this time you can program shortcuts to do things like watch sports. Rounding out the spec sheet, there's a full-size SD slot, a 9.4-inch (1,280 x 800) IPS screen and a 6,000mAh battery promising 10 hours of runtime. As we mentioned, the tablet will ship with Ice Cream Sandwich, but Sony is promising an upgrade to Jelly Bean as soon as it can optimize all its custom apps. And indeed, there are quite a few specialized applications here. For starters, there's a new Watch Now app that allows for live TV-viewing (cable subscription required), with the option to "check into" shows and share comments on Facebook and Twitter. Meanwhile, Sony added a Guest Mode that lets you create custom user profiles, forbidding the use of certain apps -- a handy parental control tool, we say. Naturally, Sony also threw in Music and Video Unlimited, where you can buy content from Sony's vast movie and song catalogs. Finally, the tablet comes with 5GB of space in PlayMemories, Sony's new cloud storage service. The tablet will be available September 7th, though Sony is accepting pre-orders starting today. It will start at $400 for the 16GB model, with the 32GB going for $500 and the 64GB for $600. And yes, as those leaked slides indicated, there will most certainly be accessories. For starters, there's that optional Surface-like keyboard we heard about, priced at $100. There's also a three-position stand, with HDMI output and a USB adapter for a charging. That, too, costs $100. Sony is also selling a charging cradle ($40), a plain-Jane stand ($25), a dock speaker ($130) and a carrying case, priced at either $51 or $80, depending on whether or not you get it in leather. We very much expect to get some hands-on time at IFA, so stay tuned for first-hand impressions.
Sony Xperia Tablet leaked from internal slides: Surface-style keyboard and tentative $450 price tag
Sony's next-generation tablet appears to have leaked on internal slides spotted by German news site, Mobiflip. In short, it's thinner and lighter than the Tablet S, while internal specifications also trump it, including a Tegra 3 quad-core processor, Android 4.0 ("or later"), 3G connectivity and three storage options: 16, 32 and 64GB. The whole tablet follows the same folded magazine design of Sony's existing tablet, is splashproof and houses a 6,000mAh battery that the slides suggest will manage 10 hours of WiFi-based web browsing. There's even some tentative pricing, with the different-sized models marked up at $450, $550 and $650, respectively. The pictures also cover Sony's plans to add a lightweight keyboard to its next tablet, similar to Microsoft's Surface plans, but with some Smart Cover-esque kickstand skills thrown in for good measure. We've added a shot of the keyboard cover after the break, but you can take a tour of the rest of the slides -- which include a raft of accessories and docks -- at the source link below. Update: We've been in touch with a Sony spokesperson, who had "no comment at this stage." We may have to wait until next month, when European trade show IFA kicks off -- with Sony in attendance -- until we hear anything more concrete.
Refresh Roundup: week of January 23, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!
Sony Tablet P review (UK edition)
Sony Tablet S Preview PlayStation Store hits the Tablet S today, lets gamers relive the glory of the mid-'90s Exclusive: Sony 'S2' dual-screen Android clamshell and 9.4-inch Windows 7 VAIO slider due this year Sony's second Android tablet intrigued us. We're always willing to give another form factor a try and in the Tablet P (£500), we certainly had that. While the Tablet S's wedge profile stood it out a little from the rest of the prone slabs, the P piqued our interest with an unusual clamshell form factor. Once the two 5.5-inch screens are folded together, the tablet has a pretty tiny footprint and just about fits into a jacket pocket. It's the third PlayStation-certified device, arriving proudly emblazoned with the four symbol trademark, and a second screen capable of doubling-up as both a controller for games or as a laptop-style keyboard. However, those twin screens require some not-so cosmetic adjustments to the Honeycomb experience we're used to and this is where we're most interested in seeing how Sony fared. Is the unique design implemented well enough? How does it fare as a games machine? Can a clamshell pull potential tablet buyers away from the iPad and a legion of sameish Android tablets? Crack open our review to find the answer to those questions and much more.%Gallery-142423%
Sony Tablet S update lets you play with PS3 controllers, cable adapter required
We've got some good news for gamers that were willing to plunge into the PlayStation-certified world of Sony's tablets. The latest update to the company's divisive Tablet S will let you connect your DualShock 3 PS3 controllers with those 32-bit games of yesteryear. The update is available now in Sony's homeland of Japan and the company is also rewarding its tablet faithful with a free download; an Ape Escape-themed mini-game collection. It's not all good news, however. The clamshelled Tablet P doesn't get the controller hook-up and you'll need to buy an additional USB adapter cable to connect a controller to the monoscreened Tablet S. A briefly worded, vaguely translated release awaits after the break. Update: We've heard from Japanese users that you'll only need to the cable to initially pair the controller with the tablet. After that, you're free to wirelessly play away.
Sony Android tablet details and specs continue to leak, 'S2' is the Sony Tablet P
We've got more info for you on the pair of Android tablets Sony plans to launch next year month, as our source indicates the dual 5.5-inch screened clamshell, thus far codenamed the S2, will launch as the Sony Tablet P. Hardware specs include a weight of 370 grams -- less than the iPad 2's 601 grams, but more than say, a Kyocera Echo at 193g -- 512Mb of RAM, 4GB of storage and a 2GB SD card, with connectivity over 4G or WiFi. Both the Tablet P and the Tablet S will share NVIDIA Tegra 2 processors and 0.3MP (not 3.0MP as we'd previously reported) front cameras, but the more conventional, WiFi-only Tablet S weighs in at 600g, has 1GB of RAM and will be available in 16GB or 32GB versions. There's still no word on price or exact shipping dates but retailers have reportedly been told to expect more information soon, so stay tuned for further updates. Update: This post previously stated the tablets would launch next year, that was a mistype. We're still expecting to see them launch in September.
Sony's latest tablet teaser plunges deeper into the rabbit hole, still tells us nothing
Ready for yet another S1 / S2 teaser video that tells you more about the marketing team's potential extra-curricular indulgences and absolutely nothing new about the tablets? Well, drop those tabs and strap in for some doll-voiced la la la's as Sony leads us even deeper into the late-night realm of desktop toys and the tablets they love. Shots of the stylish slates displaying video and gaming functionality are all but hidden in a "filled with fun" maze of booby-trap triggered contraptions. It's a romp through the sort of endearing Tim Burton-esque, high-art nightmare Sony's dabbled in for past Playstation campaigns -- so we're not too surprised. Hit the break to hitch a ride on this video wonderland.
Sony's S2 tablet coming to AT&T, price and availability remain a mystery
It's been a few months since Sony made its (tardy) entrance into the tablet market, and since then it hasn't been sharing details so much as teasing them in whimsical, perplexing ads. Finally, the outfit's ready to take specifics. We're sitting at a roundtable with Sony executives, and just learned that its clamshell S2 tablet is headed to AT&T's "4G" (read: HSPA+) network, confirming what we already suspected after peeping a tell-tale FCC report. Sony's is quick to remind us that "S2" is just a codename, so don't be surprised if it surfaces with a completely different moniker. Otherwise, the company didn't get too chatty: we still don't know how or when AT&T will begin selling it nor how much it will cost on contract. Also still MIA: details on when, where, and for how much you'll be able to nab that folded magazine-inspired S1. Check out the press release below.
Sony's S1 and S2 tablets pose for the cameras again, show off more angles (video)
Sony's S1 and S2 Honeycomb tablets have been very coy in front of the cameras since their initial unveiling. Aside from two visually pleasing short films and a tease of a hands-on, we haven't seen much of them since -- or any specific release details, for that matter. The former's changed at least, however, thanks to Notebook Italia. The site managed to handle the duo long enough in front of a lens to capture a bevy of snapshots, along with a short video of the S1 running PlayStation Suite. If you've been anxious to get a better look you'll find the S1 clip past the break, and all of the photos by hitting the source link below. Update: Niccolo from HDblog.it wrote in just as this post was going live, offering up another batch of screenshots and another hands-on video. That's down below, enabling double your viewing pleasure, and double your fun. [Thanks, Lau]
Sony's new tablet teaser is just as hypnotic as the first (video)
Before stumbling back to work this morning, you might wanna take a minute to give your neurons a well-deserved massage with this new teaser for Sony's S1 and S2 tablets. Much like last month's spellbinding ad, this sequel features plenty of balls, levers and bizarre figurines moving together in serpentine synergy. If you look closely, you might even spot one of Sony's Honeycomb slates. This is only the second installation in what could very well be a never-ending series -- but we'd be OK with that, because these clips make our brains happy. Click play to get the ball rolling and let the symphony begin.
Mysterious Sony VAIO tablet PC drops by the FCC
Well, would you look at what we found lounging around the FCC -- it's a Sony tablet PC, alright, but the problem is we just don't know much more than that. Filed just today and submitted by a VAIO Business Group representative, the elusive tablet seems to be WiFi-only with 802.11b/g plus single band n, and it's likely to come in a few different flavors as there are a few confusing model numbers listed. Do PCG-31211L, PCG-31311L, PCG-312xxL (where 'x' can be any given number or letter) mean anything to you? Unfortunately, that's really all we can glean from the documents -- beyond the label you're peering at above, Sony has managed to keep the external photos, user manual, and test setup pics confidential until January 20th. Of course, that has us thinking that it might show its touchscreen self at CES, which means until then, we'll be dreaming up magical specs and features for this thing. Care to partake in that wonderful pastime? Dream big in the comments. Update: We just heard from a proven Sony source of ours who claims that this is actually a mismarked Sony VAIO Y series laptop and that there won't be a VAIO tablet unveil at CES. Doesn't sound too promising, but there's no telling what will actually go down in Vegas...
Sony staying conservative with Reader device, aware of current tablet mania
Sony's Sir Howard Stringer played the tease at today's Reader content partnership presser, stating that while Sony could make the device into a multimedia tablet, it would rather wait and see if consumers warm up to current devices. Stringer's watching if people find the form factor "comfortable and helpful" before Sony starts "plowing on a thousand apps" or building a "Vaio Reader." We don't really know how much e-reader acceptance points to the demand for color multimedia tablets, but in regards to the (non-existant, ever-present) Apple Tablet, Stringer says "we're all working on variations of the same thing." Hopefully we'll figure out what exactly he means by that before we grow old and start reading books or something horrible like that.
