The first PlayStation tablet computer is scheduled to launch in the Japanese market on September 17th as the company prepares to take on Apple’s famed iPad. The tablet will be powered by Android software, letting users to download Sony’s online content such as movies, PlayStation games, music, books and other entertainment.
The Tablet S looks a lot like an Apple iPad, and will be available in both 16 and 32GB versions, along with the option of adding 3G or Wi-Fi. It will be released by the end of this month. The Tablet S has a bit of curve at the back of the long edge which raises the device a little from the surface it’s placed on. The touchscreen measures 9.4 inches and the device weighs in at 1.3 pounds.
However, most significantly, it will be a “PlayStation Certified” which means that the user can buy and download PlayStation games on the go. The device will also be available in European and US markets sometime later this month, which will be priced at 479 euros and $499 for the 16GB model respectively, and for 45,000 yen for the 16GB and 53,000 yen for the 32GB version in Japan.
The dual-screened ‘P’ tablet series styling a folding design will incorporate two 5.5-inch screens in Japan sometime around October or November, though only one model will be available in the UK- a typical 4GB, Wi-Fi with 3G setup. The tablet will be launched along with free editions of PlayStation Portable pinball game Pinball Heroes and Crash Bandicoot: PlayStation platformer. Similar to the handheld DS of Nintendo, the P Tablet is the only tablet designed with two screens.
The features of both the tablets include web browsing, TruBlack display, built-in IR Universal Remote, default DLNA media applications, Android games and apps, Music Unlimited, Video Unlimited, the Reader Store and a complete on-screen keyboard. The S Tablet uses 3.1 Android Honeycomb, features an Nvidia Tegra 2 1Giga Hertz processor, includes a 5 MP camera and has a battery life of eight-hours. Both the tablets can use the PlayStation Suite, and can also access Android apps and games.
Wired.com’s Gadget Lab had hands-on experience of the Tablet S, and called it very capable and immensely unexciting. To render marketing support for both the tablets and raise the quantity of apps available, Adobe systems and Sony will be holding a $200,000 competition aiming at app developers. It seems like Sony has concentrated more on shoving down its content such as music and games through hardware platforms that include smart-phones, tablet computers and game consoles.
