Slate and dual screen tablets announced.
JAPANESE ELECTRONICS GIANT Sony has announced it will market two Android tablets that it will release this Autumn.
Less than a month after The INQUIRER reported that Sony will build an Android tablet, the company has announced it will release not one but two tablets featuring Google's Android 3.0 Honeycomb operating system. The tablets are currently codenamed the S1 and S2.
The S1 will feature a 9.4-inch screen that is a touch smaller than Apple's Ipad, which presently dominates the market. It will also have a tapered, off centre gravity design to make the device more comfortable to use.
The S2 will be a dual screen device with two 5.5-inch displays that folds shut. The screens will be able to be used at once to make one larger screen or separately for different functions.
Hardware specifications are limited so far but Sony has said both tablets will have WiFi and be 3G and 4G compatible. Both tablets will use Nvidia's Tegra 2 processor, which other Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablets such as the Motorola Xoom are using.
The S1 will also have infrared technology, meaning it will be useable as a remote control for other devices such as TVs. The inclusion of DNLA technology will mean users will be able to stream content such as video and music between devices.
Sony has made it clear that the tablets won't be laptop replacements and that it will "remain committed to strengthening its VAIO brand".
The tablets might feature some of Sony's services such as Qriocity, with Sony saying the tablets will integrate "hardware with network services that deliver rich content".
We think that the S2 will be focused towards gaming with its Nindendo 3DS like dual screen design. Sony could well brand the tablet with Playstation and use its Playstation Network to tempt gamers, if it gets that back up by then.
Via http://m.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2045834/sony-confirm-android-tablets