The Sony Tablet S is a unique-looking offering floating in a sea of Android tablet knockoffs. Where you would normally expect to see a 10.1-inch screen, there is a 9.4-inch panel. Instead of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, it runs Android 3.0 Honeycomb. And rather than the plain old rectangular tablet design that’s all but been ridiculously overused by now, Sony employs a quirky-looking—but not necessarily worse—setup. In other words, in a world where copying with a few minor modifications seems to be the norm, Sony took the road less traveled and gave the Tablet S as many distinguishing features as possible.
For instance, consider the fact that it bears the distinction of being PlayStation certified. If there was ever a tablet that was worthy of being considered by hardcore gamers, this is it. It also works with a proprietary charging port, and accepts full size SD cards instead of microSD ones.
Speaking of Android, this Sony tablet comes with Android 3.0 Honeycomb pre-installed and supports Adobe Flash. The latter will definitely be useful for those who enjoy streaming online videos, while the former shouldn’t be cause for concern because a free upgrade to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is readily available.
The market is littered with all kinds of Android tablets that are all-too similar. If you’re willing to pay the premium price commonly associated with the Sony brand name, then perhaps the Tablet S is just what you’ve been looking for.
Need To Know: Sony Tablet S
1. The 9.4-inch 1280x800 pixel resolution touchscreen LCD on the Sony Tablet S offers rich colors and the ability to display HD content. (The Good)
2. Although Android 3.0 Honeycomb is the pre-installed operating system, the Sony Tablet S can be easily upgraded to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. (The Good)
3. Content in the Sony PlayStation network for Android is very limited, moreso in terms of included games and software. (The Bad)
4. Battery life falls short of a full day’s worth moderate use per charge, and proprietary charger makes recharging difficult especially for those who are on the go. (The Bad)
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Jennifer Ng, Mobile88Why would you pick up Sony's Tablet S instead of the iPad 2 or Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1? On the whole, the Tablet is a very consumer-friendly device. You'd get it because you like how different it looks and how comfortable it feels in your hands. Plus, it also comes with a full-size SD card slot buil...
- Jamison Cush, TabletPCReviewWith the Tablet S, Sony provides a fine example for other Android tablet makers to follow. The Tablet S has a very different, but still innovative design from the iPad and other thin, large-screen tablets, and it has some great proprietary features and services not available for other tablets, like...
- Kamakshi S, TechTreeThe retail box packs in a tablet, charger, a wrist strap, and a warranty card. The device measures 9.5" (l) x 6.7" (w) x 0.8" (d) and weighs around 600 grammes. The tab features a unique magazine fold-out design that props the screen at an angle when placed on a table. At the front is a 9.4" screen...
- Matt Booth, AusdroidInitially I dismissed the Sony Tablet S as too expensive, and there’s no question it would be much more attractive if Sony Australia had passed on the price cut it gave its US customers, but at $599 from Mobicity compared to (for example) $549 for the Galaxy Tab 10.1 I’d say it is worth the $50 prem...
- Paul Lilly, HotHardwareWith so many Android tablets staring you in the face, it's easy to go cross-eyed trying to discern between product A and products B, C, and D. But once you get to S -- Sony's Tablet S, that is -- you're in a for a new experience, both visually and ergonomically. Sony rolled the dice on a unique desi...
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Resources
Manuals / User Guides
- Sony Tablet S Manual (PDF)
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