Sony, one of the biggest names in the world of electronics, was branded as a laggard in the portable media player market that is now dominated by Apple's iPods. So when all companies, big and small, rushed in with their tablets and Sony was nowhere to be seen in the crowd, some of us wondered, did Sony miss the bus again?
Sony may have missed the early bus but it has caught another and arrived, albeit a little late. As if to make up for its late arrival, the company has tried to do something different in its tablet offering and the result is the Tablet S. The Sony tablet is a healthy baby with potential to emulate its rivals including the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the Apple iPad 2.
The Tablet S was announced to be released in two models - 16 GB Wi-Fi only model and 16 GB 3G + Wi-Fi model – in India. While the former is available in the market, the latter is expected to be available soon. Sony also unveiled the Tablet P about a month back, which is also expected to hit the Indian markets sometime in January.
I got my hands on the Tablet S 16GB Wi-Fi only model and took a close look at it. The tablet is priced at Rs 26,990.
Hardware and styling
The tablet comes packaged in a big box that includes a tablet unit, AC adapter, AC power cord, strap and manuals. I was expecting a pair of earphones in the box; I got disappointed on not finding the same.
In the first look, you might find the Sony Tablet S a bit weird as it looks somewhat different from other tablet PCs. The back panel has been designed in a way that is looks like a folded page of a magazine, thereby making one side thicker than the other. And, undoubtedly, this is the USP of the tablet. The wedge shape makes it comfortable for a user to hold the device. But this also means that you won't get the slimness of the Apple iPad 2 or Samsung's Galaxy tablets. But, practically, this design outstrips the traditional flat (closed-magazine) designs.
The thickness on the top gives the tablet a tad inclination, which makes viewing angles better. Also, it becomes easier for the user to type on an inclined surface than on a flat one.
Though the tablet is thicker at the one end, but still it weighs 3g lesser than the Apple iPad 2. Though it weighs almost equal to the Apple iPad 2, but it feels lighter in hands because of the way it has been designed, and its weight distributed. This innovative design helps Sony stand out in the crowd.
On the left side of the device are a 3.5mm headphone jack and a fragile pull-out flap that hides a micro USB port and an SD card slot. Let me tell you that this is, technically, not an expansion slot that you might have expected. The slot is there to store and view data on the card and exchange media between the card and the tablet, but cannot be used to install and run apps.
On the right side are a power/sleep button and volume controls. On the bottom is a charging port. There is also a set of stereo speakers. The device also sports a 5 megapixel rear camera and a 0.3 megapixel front camera.
The back panel of the device is made of dotted texture black plastic. Also, the sides are made of plastic, with fine matte silver paint. Though the use of plastic marginally cheapens the cost of the tablet, but it also makes the device feel flimsy and makes it prone to damages. In other words, the company has not made use of any aluminum that we love on the Apple iPad 2.
Display
The tablet features a 9.4-inch display with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels. The tablet's display is sharp and produces excellent colours, but it does not match the Apple iPad 2's Retina display.
Sony claims that it has made use of its trademark TruBlack display technology, which is used in its various products like digital photo frames, Cyber-shot cameras and Handycam camcorders. The use of its TruBlack display technology increases colour intensity and minimises reflection, thereby producing vibrant colours, noticeably higher contrast and deeper, richer blacks. It's similar to Nokia's ClearBlack technology, which also reduces reflections on the screen and improves visual image quality.
Watching movies on its big, detailed display is a treat. I actually enjoyed watching a few movies on the device. It was quite a good experience with the tablet.
The thing that turned me off was the absence of a strong protection layer on the tablet. The tablet does not seem to be covered with a strong protection layer - like the Gorilla glass that Samsung uses on its Galaxy Tab 10.1 - to protect it from scratches and fingerprints. After using it for a week or so, it came out with a few lines, or say scratches, on the screen of the review unit.
Also there is a downside of this wedge shape design. When you hold the device for a long time, the skinny side starts cutting into your palms.
Operating System and UI
The tablet runs on Android 3.2.1 operating system and Sony has not made many customisations, but its Apps layout looks quite simple and attractive. Apps are placed cleanly on a white background, which makes it easy to find out any app. Also, apps can be arranged either alphabetically or in the order of date. The touch is also quite responsive.
Also, there are a few noticeable features, which stand out the tablet. It's the first PlayStation certified device. Yes, you read it right! Users can now play PlayStation games on it. However, games like Crash Bandicoot and Pinball Heroes come preinstalled, the company says to roll out more services soon. But the flaw here is that it has only touch screen controls – and hence, playing PlayStation games on it is a bit irksome.
Its universal remote control app is really unique and easy to set up. It allows users to control other electronic devices including TV, cable box, satellite box, VCR, DVR, DVD player, CD player, projector and many other devices, through the integrated infrared emitter (located on the round edge of the device) and remote control software.
There is also a DLNA app that lets is touted to share content with other DLNA compatible devices including TVs, mobile phones, PCs, laptops and others.
Camera
The tablet features a 5 megapixel rear camera and a 0.3 megapixel front camera. The use of rear camera on the tablet does not really matter as such as we have hardly seen people putting it to use in public. But in order to emulate competitors, companies have been equipping devices with the rear camera.
Anyway, the 5 megapixel rear shooter captures decent images in bright light, but in low light conditions, it fails to snap good pictures. Given that the tablet has a VGA camera on the front, you shouldn't expect too much from it.
In addition, the camera offers additional controls like scene modes (portrait, beach/snow, landscape and document) to customise images, exposure and white balance.
In video mode, the camera works more than adequate in bright light conditions, while in low light conditions, it again fails to impress.
Miscellaneous
Powered by a NVIDIA Tegra 2 mobile processor with dual Core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU clocked at 1 GHz, the device is quite fast. But the device is often slow in detection when it is rotated.
The battery life is solid, but not the best. It would easily last for more than half a day when put to normal use, but with heavy usage it can survive for 8-9 hours. It does not come close to the greater performance of the Apple iPad 2. Even, battery-wise, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 also scores above it.
Its stereo speakers produce clear and fair audio, but is not loud enough. While watching movies on the tablet, I had to connect an external speaker to the device to get better audio results.
The absence of a pair of earphones is a disappointment. It means a person needs to shell out some more money to buy on his own.
When charging devices using a USB cable has become a standard, Sony has bundled a bulky charger – like the one comes with laptops - to charge the device, which is troublesome to carry along.
Also, its accessories are pricy. A screen protector is available for Rs 1,890, while the leather carrying case costs Rs 6,490. All this, in a way, makes it an expensive deal.
Verdict
At a price of Rs 26,990, it's a good deal to buy this ergonomically designed, feature-rich tablet. But if budget is not a constraint and you can shell out more money then you can also take into account the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the Apple iPad 2. But there are three features which can only be found in this tablet – Wedge shape ergonomic design, PlayStation games and a universal remote control.
Pros
Wedge shape design looks different
Comfortable to hold
Compatible with PlayStation games
Universal remote control app
Cons
Plastic body
Bulky, proprietary charger
Unimpressive speakers
Expensive accessories
Rating: 3/5
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