Sony Tablet S
SONY TABLET S REVIEW
We
first saw it at the IFA trade show back in September and you can read our
immediate impressions in this Hands on: Sony Tablet S. It impressed us then. The
unusual wedge-like shape is reminiscent of a magazine that has had the front
cover folded back on itself. Holding it upright, the thicker edge sits in the
palm of your hand far more comfortably than the razor-like edges of most modern
tablets. It also has a textured back to give your fingertips extra grip. Turn
it horizontally and the rear is tapered inwards slightly, with recesses down
either edge for the buttons and ports. Place it on a desktop and the screen
sits up at a slight angle, making it easier to type on. The screen itself
measures 9.4in across, slightly smaller than most Android tablets, but has the
same 1,280x800 resolution. Despite a slightly higher pixel count per inch, we
couldn't say it looks any more detailed than the iPad 2's 1,024x768 screen; and
Apple's tablet is certainly a little brighter, with more vibrant colours. Its
unique shape makes it a little chunkier than its competitors, ranging from 10mm
to 20mm in depth. We can't say that we found it any harder to carry around
day-to-day than the Apple iPad 2, though it may upset the aesthetic
sensibilities of some. It weighs 598g, around the same as the iPad 2, which is
a little disappointing given it has a smaller battery. Battery life is
respectable with just under 10 hours of continuous H264 video playback from its
4,400mAh battery. The iPad 2 managed a stunning 17 hours, though, thanks both
to better power efficiency and a larger 6,930mAh battery. For use around the
home, the shorter battery life isn't a huge deal, though less charging is
always good. If your heart's set on an Android device, the Tablet S compares
well to our current favourite the Asus Transformer, which lasted for 8h 37min
in the same test. There are two cameras, and while the front-mounted VGA camera
was up to the job of video chat, the main 5-megapixel camera was a little
disappointing. Images indoors exhibited all the usual noise and colour cast
problems we're used to seeing from tablet and phone cameras. The key exception
being Sony's own back-lit EXMOR R sensors, so it's a shame that one isn't used
here. Things were better outdoors, but shots still weren't crisp enough to live
up to the 5-megapixel rating. Inside is the same Nvidia Tegra 2 chipset used in
the majority of premium Android tablets. Running at 1GHz it completed the
SunSpider JavaScript benchmark in 2,160ms - a typical score given the
specification. There's a lot to like about the Tablet S. The shape is great,
making the tablet more comfortable to hold and use than the usual super-slim
examples. If you are buying it for living room use, then the built-in IR
control is a truly useful addition, and the main reason to buy a Tablet S over
its competitors. Battery life, the display and the camera are all fairly
typical for an Android tablet, though, which is disappointing given the
expectation that comes with a Sony logo.
SPECIFICATION & FEATURES
SONY TABLET S PRICE
Price in USA $466
Price in UK £264
Price in EURO €350
Price in PAK Rs.52,500
Price in INDIA Rs.29,900
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