After about four months of waiting, the Sony S1 Android tablet finally has a solid release window of September, which lines up with preview rumours. Sony didn’t mention anything about the S2 device, but it’s safe to assume it’ll be coming out at around the same time.
The Sony Tablet S has a lot of interesting things going for it, like a curvy form factor, Sony network services built in for movies, music, and video games, as well as a Bravia-quality 9.4-inch 1280×800 touch display. It’ll also be the first tablet to launch with the official Foursquare app for Android tablets. The Tegra2 processor promises to keep things moving smoothly, and DLNA support means you’ll be able to control your TV over the local Wi-Fi network.
If you’re already well-invested in Sony products, be it with a PlayStation, TV, stereo, e-reader, or otherwise, It seems like the Tablet S will have hooks in just about everything Sony, and the company’s licensing of countless movies and music tracks means their online entertainment services will likely be pretty slick as well. Still, I’m dubious about the necessity of tablets in general. They’re nice toys to have kicking around if you have the disposable income, but for most folks, smartphones are good enough for computing while on the go, and laptops fill the need for serious productivity. In the end, it’s pretty clear everyone just wants a slice of the pie Apple baked. Even the tablet’s name, “S”, is just another in a long line of devices following the monicker of the iPhone 3GS.
16 GB and 32 GB models will be available for $500 and $600, respectively – you can find them both in the official Sony store.
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