The ever-increasing trend of tablets, notebooks and netbooks has drastically shaken the market. Companies ranging from Apple, Samsung, Asus, Motorola, RIM to the gigantic computing rulers Dell, all have joined the protracted race. Surprisingly Sony has not released any tablet yet but they are at the verge of introducing one that might rattle companies like Apple and Samsung. After a series of teaser videos, images of the upcoming S1 and S2 tablets by Sony have finally been leaked. S1 and S2 which were revealed back in April 2011 are about to invade the market and have been spotted running Android 3.2 Honeycomb with an aura of ecstatic apps and features.
The device will be shipped with Honeycomb 3.2, a great news as some of the users are still waiting for 3.1 update!
Sony will also be including a ‘Wi-Fi Checker’ app which will presumably help people connect properly to the web, perhaps with more complicated enterprise connections in mind.
Screenshots of the app launcher also indicate that Sony will be including a Chumby app. Chumby is a sort of internet companion that’s designed for a bedside table. Sony’s Dash ‘Internet Viewer’ is powered by the Chumby OS, so it makes sense that the S1 and S2 will be able to use the Chumby app to fill a Dash-like role, though the redundancy between Chumby and the ‘Dash Dock’ is perplexing.
The virtual keyboard comes with a number pad. The music player is equipped with a unique design and user interface.
This screenshot seems to be for the Sony Tablet S1. The power charger isn’t micro-USB. We don’t know why Sony sticks to a proprietary charger when most other manufacturers have pledged to fully comply–by 2012–with the Universal Charger Solution (UCS) initiative’s standards specifying the use of micro-USB as the common charging port for handheld and portable devices. Regardless, you’ll need to always bring the proprietary adapter so you can power up your tablet when battery power runs low.
The S1 and S2 are due out this fall, though Sony keeps reminding us that the names are unofficial and may be changed! The devices seem to be interesting with a unique design and auspicious applications but can it beat iPad 2 and Galaxy?
