Sony Tablet S Review – The Playstation Tablet PC

Sony Tablet S Review

As lightweight as the iPad but with a unique design that makes it easier to hold, the Sony Tablet S is the latest innovation from the well-known manufacturer of laptops. For tablet PC users that love the Android operating system, the Sony Tablet S is a great device. However, some will find its construction lacking, with the plastic slightly less durable and sleek than that of other comparable devices.

The key selling feature is the Sony Tablet S integration with other Sony devices, allowing you to share content between your tablet, TV, Hi-Fi and PC. Certain Playstation controllers can even interact with the games on the Tablet S. There’s also a set of Sony applications which give you access to Sony content such as exclusive original Playstation games, video rental/purchase and music streaming applications.

Sony Tablet S Strengths

• As with any Sony laptop, the Sony Tablet S has power and durability. Sony products are known for quality, so just having that name on it is a boost of confidence for many users.
• One of the biggest benefits of the Sony Tablet S owners is its ability to work as a remote. You won’t need a separate infrared device to control your TV, Blu-Ray disc player, or home entertainment system.
• Its curved design lays more comfortably on a desk or table, allowing the user more ease in typing. It has been compared to a magazine with the cover flipped back, since one side of the tablet is thicker than the other. This provides a curved surface for users to grip, allowing for easier reading of books and magazines loaded on it. It also allows users to prop the device up while watching TV shows or movies—a big bonus for today’s world of instant streamers.
• The unit has a dual core processor and 1 GB of memory with an SD slot. The processor is fairly standard fare on tablets but it’s enough to deliver a decent performance on this one.
• Available in two varieties—16 GB or 32 GB of internal storage, plus it also has an SD card slot. The internal storage it’s used for storing files such as music, apps and video. The SD card slot is very useful for offloading photos quickly from your digital camera on to the tablet.
• The Sony Tablet S has a five megapixel camera and 1080p video recording and playback, allowing you to capture all of your memories and show them off to friends and family. 1080p means the video quality is full high-definition, so comparable to the best quality TV available.
• The front and rear cameras make it ideal both for snapping pictures and video and Skyping with friends. The front-facing camera is 0.3 megapixels so isn’t a particularly high specification but good enough for video chat. The rear camera is 5 megapixels so again is ok for taking stills and home videos but fairly mediocre in quality.
• With its lightweight design, the Sony Tablet S will feel like the iPad, but with a more comfortable grip. For Android fans, this tablet offers a similar functionality to the iPad but with the Android operating system. The Sony tablet ships with Android 3.1 (but with an instant upgrade available to Android 3.2.1). This is the latest version of Android available for tablets, although Android 4.0 is due for tablets fairly soon. It’s unclear when the Sony Tablet S will get the Android 4.0 upgrade.
• Because it’s a Sony, it has PlayStation certification, naturally, allowing you access to a large variety of PlayStation titles in the PlayStation Suite. Specially geared to Android products, the PlayStation Suite allows users to download PlayStation games directly to their devices, playing them on an open operating system rather than on a gaming device.
• Video Unlimited – Sony have also included an application that allows you direct access to thousands of films and TV shows.
• Music Unlimited – a Sony application along the same lines as Spotify that lets you steam or download music from a huge library, and create your own playlists.
• A USB port is included—something that is almost a necessity in any computer, laptop, or tablet in this day and age. You can use this to attach peripheral devices (printer/USB mouse etc.) or for using a USB stick to get files on/off the tablet.
• DNLA (Digital Living Network Alliance) certified, allowing it to play on multiple devices on your Wi-Fi network. The impact is that you’re able to push your videos, music and pictures between your Sony DNLA devices such as watching video or looking at pictures on your tablet, even though they’re actually stored on your Sony laptop. This may make up for the fact that no HDMI output is available (see cons).
• With a 1280 X 800 display, the resolution of the Sony Tablet S is sharp, with brightness and contrast at peak levels for a tablet. This is becoming more important as consumers are watching movies and TV on tablet PCs at increasing levels. The screen is responsive to taps and swipes as you would expect from a Sony product.

Sony Tablet S Weaknesses

• The tablet is made of plastic, giving it a much cheaper feel than comparable tablets. Slot coverings are flimsy and may not hold up over time.
• No HDMI output. While you may not see the need to connect your device to a television today, this functionality is becoming more popular among users who like to stream content directly from their devices. In a couple of years, the lack of an HDMI output may make your device seem outdated. Please can you reference that HDMI output if for high-definition
• Some may find the unique design too bulky, especially when compared to its much thinner competitors.
• The SD slot does not allow for expansion, so users will not be able to upgrade the tablet’s storage capacity over time.
• The only controls for the PlayStation are on the touchscreen, which could be disconcerting to avid gamers.
• While the battery life clocks in at 10 hours, this falls slightly short of the iPad 2’s 12 hours. Not a big deal, but something to consider when weighing the two tablets against each other.
• The plastic screen has no included protection, allowing the device to become smudged or scratched. Screen protectors are available through third-party retailers, however.
• There isn’t a 3G version of the Sony Tablet S which means that you’re going to need to find a Wi-Fi connection if you want to get online. Several reviewers reported repeated Wi-Fi connection drops. This seems to coincide with the screen going to sleep. Sony is working on a fix for the issue.
• Android still lags behind Apple when it comes to apps, both free and paid. With hundreds of thousands of apps available for download through the Apple Store in iTunes, it’s hard for any tablet operating system to compete with Apple in this area. Still, being able to directly access files and update your tablet without going through iTunes may count as a plus for some people.
• Thanks to a recent price cut, the Sony Tablet S is now widely available at £349, £50 cheaper than the 16 GB iPad. Still, with you can now get a Blackberry Playbook at just £170, although it’s a much smaller tablet too. Potential users have to ask themselves just how much power they need in a tablet. The Blackberry Playbook doesn’t have all the features or the power of the Sony Tablet S, but for users seeking to access the Internet and download apps, £180 cheaper is a dramatic difference.

Sony Tablet S Review – Sony Brings Exclusive Content In A Comfortable Package

For media enthusiasts, the Sony Tablet S provides the ability to control your home media devices, as well as stream to them. The exclusive Sony content (Playstation gaming, plus the Sony music and films eco-system) available for this tablet will entice users, particularly where there are gaps in the Android eco-system for other tablets.

With a magazine-like design, this tablet is ideal for users who will spend quite a bit of time reading. Its slight slant will prop it up just enough for those users who plan to spend time typing or watching movies.

However, if you’re looking to save money on a tablet, the Sony Tablet S is priced above many of its competitors. While its multimedia capabilities may put it in the same league as the iPad in some areas, is it enough to justify the price? For a user that prefers the Android to iOS, the price may be worth it but for other users, the price may be too high.

Click here to see the full Sony Tablet S specification and user reviews

Images: Sony.co.uk