Different Tack: Sony launches its iPad Rival... a twin-screen tablet that opens like a book

by **ஜனனி** Sun Sep 04, 2011 7:17 am

Sony
Tablet P has two 5.5in touchscreens, 16GB of memory, wi-fi and 3G
Sony
also unveiled the more traditional Tablet S, which has one screen

By SEAN POULTER

Last updated
at 2:35 AM on 1st September 2011

Sony
yesterday unveiled the world’s first folding tablet computer, which it hopes
will challenge Apple’s iPad.
The £479
Sony Tablet P has two 5.5in touchscreens and can be folded in half, making it
more portable than the iPad and other similar devices.
Sony says it
will easily fit inside a handbag or jacket pocket. It is £20 cheaper than an
iPad 2 with the same wi-fi and 3G internet access.

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Looking to
steal some of the iPad's thunder: Sony Tablet P was one of two new products
unveiled by the global tech giant in Berlin today ahead of a Christmas sales
war
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Sleek: Sony
also unveiled a more conventional tablet, the Tablet S

The two
sides of the tablet can be combined and used as one large screen – albeit with a
potentially irritating hinge running through the middle.
They can
also operate independently, with one running a game and one running emails, for
example.

Like other
tablet computers it can download music and videos and has cameras on the front
and back, allowing for video calls.
SONY
TABLET S SPECS

Android
3.1 Honeycomb9.4-inch
screen1280
x 800 resolution512MB
RAM16GB
memoryNVIDIA
Tegra 2 processorFront
and rear camerasWiFi
and 3G compatibleWork
as remote control on Sony productsPrice
- £399Set
for release in September

SONY
TABLET P SPECS

Android
3.2 HoneycombTwo
5.5-inch screensTwo
1024 x 480 pixel displaysRAM
unknown16GB
memoryNVIDIA
Tegra 2 processorBook-style
layoutWiFi
and 3G compatiblePrice
- £479Set
for release in November

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Portable: The
Tablet P has two 5.5-inch screens, each with a 1024 x 480 display. It will cost
£479
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Closed Tablet
P: The device has 16GB of memory, wi-fi and 3G and can be folded in
half
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Tablet
computers are predicted to be the hottest Christmas must-haves this year, along
with smartphones such as Apple’s iPhone 5, due to be unveiled this month.
Details of the device were revealed at the IFA consumer electronics show in
Berlin, where a host of manufacturers were revealing new or upgraded
tablets.

Sony also
unveiled a more conventional tablet, the Sony S.
It has a
9.4in touchscreen, and it comes with infrared technology, which means it can be
used as a remote control for a TV or Blu-ray disc player. At the touch of a
button, video and photos can be transferred – or ‘thrown’ – from the tablets to
compatible TV sets, such as Sony’s Bravia range.

The version
with wi-fi access will cost £399, the same as a similar 16GB iPad 2. An iPad 2
with wi-fi and 3G access costs £499. The wi-fi version will be available in the
UK from the middle of September, while the enhanced 3G version and the folding
Sony Tablet P will go into stores in November.

The Mobile
Gazette website praised the ‘innovative design’ of the products and said:
‘These two Sony tablets could finally provide some serious competition to the
Apple iPad 2.’
But Jeff
Loff, an electronics analyst at Macquarie Securities, was not impressed with the
new offerings, giving the blunt assessment: ‘We think the design will
fail.’

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Comfortable:
The Tablet S was designed with a tapered width for carrying around 'like a
magazine'
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Back side:
The Tablet S has 1280 x 800 screen resolution, 512MB RAM and 32GB
memory