 | |
| Developer | Sony |
|---|---|
| Type | Tablet computer |
| Release date | September 16, 2011; 14 years ago (September 16, 2011) (Tablet S Wi-Fi) October 28, 2011; 14 years ago (October 28, 2011) (Tablet S Wi-Fi+3G) October 28, 2011; 14 years ago (October 28, 2011) (Tablet P Wi-Fi) April 21, 2012; 13 years ago (April 21, 2012) (Tablet P Wi-Fi+3G) |
| Discontinued | 2012 |
| Operating system | Android |
| Online services | Sony Entertainment Network,PlayStation Suite,Sony Reader Store,Android Market |
| Related | Sony Reader |
Sony Tablet (ソニー・タブレット) is a discontinued series ofAndroid basedtablet computers, produced from 2011 to 2012 bySony Corporation.[1] Two models were released:Sony Tablet S andSony Tablet P.
It was succeeded by theSony Xperia Tablet S which is part of the mobile unit under theXperia brand name.
Sony'sVaio division had released tablet-like products before, such as theSony Vaio U series in 2004.[2] Its first tablet computer however was the Airboard, which was released in Japan in 2000 and the brainchild of Satoru Maeda.[3][4]
On April 26, 2011, Sony announced that it would be developing two Android tablets, codenamed S1 and S2. The S1 (which became the Tablet S) was said to be "optimized forrich media entertainment" while the S2 (later Tablet P) would be "ideal for mobile communication and entertainment".[5]
On 15 June 2011, Sony released the first in a series of five videos titled "Two Will", promoting and featuring the Tablets in an elaborately designedRube Goldberg Machine.[6] The episodes are entitled:
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The models originally ranGoogle's operating systemAndroid 3.1 Honeycomb.[7] The first models were informally announced on 26 April 2011, using the code names, by Sony in the Sony IT Mobile Meeting.[8][9] They featuredtouchscreens, twocameras (a rear-facing 5MP, a front-facing 0.3 MP),infrared sensor,Wi-Fi. Also, they supportPlayStation Suite,DLNA, and are3G/4G compatible. The retail price in the U.S at the time of release was US$499–599.[10][11] In Europe, prices were at €499. To increase the number of apps available and provide marketing support for both tablets, Sony andAdobe Systems will hold a $200,000 competition targeting app developers.[12] The series was formally launched in Berlin and Tokyo on 31 August 2011.[13]
TheSony Tablet S (former code nameSony S1) has one 9.4-inch (240 mm) touchscreen display in aslate layout, and a uniquewrap design inspired by the way some persons fold magazines while reading them. Inlandscape orientation, the unit along the top is about three times thicker than along the bottom, forming a mild slant.[14][15] It was released on 11 September 2011, as the first available member of the Sony Tablet series.[16] Thesuggested retail prices are $499 for the 16 GB model and $599 for the 32 GB model.[10] In early reviews in late 2011, the units compared favorably to similar high-end tablets.[17]
