The runaway success of the Apple iPad has now drawn the attention of other manufacturers to the potential of the computer tablet market. Beating Apple in this field is of course no easy matter, but that hasn’t stopped a number of big names launching some hot new devices. For example, last week Sony announced the upcoming release of its S and P tablet models.
Although sporting similar names, each new Sony tablet is rather different in approach and design. The S is a conventional tablet modelled on the iPad style. On the other hand, the P is a smaller machine that folds out to reveal two screens. It seems that the S and P tablets are aimed at different markets, despite the fact that both of them run on the popular Android operating system.
Given Sony’s past as a cutting edge consumer hardware manufacturer, it has been rather slow to respond to Apple’s iPad surge. Although the Japanese company has made statements to the effect that prototypes were in development, this recent announcement is the first one giving firm details of actual products.
So far, all we have to go on concerning the Sony tablet are an official video and the general details given by Sony about the Sony S and Sony P, but first look indicates these two very different models may have quite a bit going for them.
Starting with the S, this is a single screen tablet of similar size to an iPad. The S’s touchscreen display is 9.4 inches in size, which is slightly smaller than that on the iPad, although it should be noted that the Sony screen resolution is a little higher, at 1280 x 800 pixels, versus the iPad 2’s 1024 x 768. The Sony tablet also sports front and rear cameras, Wi-Fi, and compatibility with both 3G and 4G. As regards the design of the case of the S, when placed on a flat surface the screen features a slight tilt towards the viewer.
The P is the second of the new Sony tablets and is a much smaller unit that appears designed very much for mobile use. Unlike the Tablet S, the Tablet P features two screens that are revealed only when the unit is folded out. Each screen is 5.5 inches in size with a resolution of 1024 x 480 pixels. Interestingly, the two screens can be configured as separate screens or as one large screen. In other respects the Tablet P has a similar specification to that of the S. Of great interest to gamers is the fact that both units are ‘Playstation Certified’, meaning that Android versions of popular Sony games are likely to be available for play on both the S and P tablets.