Sony has unveiled two Google Android tablets. Here we preview the S2 tablet - check back for a full review in the near future. UPDATE: See our full Sony Tablet P review
Android tablets are flying thick and fast as the platform continues to evolve, but most of them look similar. Sony has attempted to distinguish itself with the S2: a clamshell Android tablet with dual-screens.
The Sony S2 Android tablet has two 5.5in capacitive touch screens with a resolution of 1024x480. The S2 tablet utilises a clamshell or flip design, so the screens fold on to each other when the tablet is closed. Sony says the S2 Android tablet is designed for "mobile communication and entertainment".
The Sony S2 Android tablet runs the Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb platform that is specifically designed for tablet devices, but Sony has tweaked the user interface to take advantage of the dual-screen form factor. Amongst the Sony additions are an e-reader app with split-screen UI, and an email app that shows the keyboard on one screen and emails on the other.
The split-screen design also seems ideal for gaming, with the controls displayed on the bottom screen and the game on the top. Like Sony's other Android tablet, the S1, the S2 is PlayStation certified, meaning it will be compatible with PlayStation games available through the Android Market.
The Sony S2 Android tablet has a rear-facing camera, Wi-Fi, DLNA, Bluetooth and GPS connectivity, and will also be offered in a 3G version. The Sony S2 Android tablet is powered by a 1GHz nVidia Tegra 2 processor, but full specifications have yet to be revealed.
Check out PC World Australia's guide to the best upcoming tablets in 2011 and the best Android tablets on the market
The Sony S2 will also be renamed closer to its launch date - the S2 is merely a codename. Pricing and concrete availability details have yet to be revealed, but the Sony S2 Android tablet is likely to hit shops towards the end of the year.
Comments
Acteon said: I picked one up for a review and to compare it to my iPad 2There are some notable pros the build quality Sonys superb implementation of Android the portability and the quality of the screens but they are outweighed by the cons tinny mono speaker occasionally unresponsive touch-screen the lack of dual screen apps on the Android market and thehindranceto browsing caused by the gap between the screens all make the system more finicky than it needed to beIts a lovely gadget but largely impractical and woefully under-specced with only 2Gb of onboard storageOh and it doesnt ship with a cable either which seems miserly when you consider the ultra-premium pricetag Sony have placed on the device
Richard Sebire said: There is so much intrest in this being the next filofaxipod replacement due to the bottom screen being a deadicated keyboard But I can see modded face plates with moused-pads coming for them alreadyIt will have competion from the NGP aswell not just the S1