Details on Sony’s S1 PlayStation tablet revealed

Ever since the release of the Apple iPad, tech companies have been working like clockwork to try and release a slew of competitors that could box-out the Apple tablet. Well, one company, Sony, isn’t buying into the rush; they’ve been taking their time. In fact, news of a Sony tablet really hasn’t been heard of at all… until today, that is.

The upcoming tablet, going by the internal codename “S1,” is confirmed to be a full blown gaming tablet. the 9.4″ tablet will have the latest in Sony innovation and will be focused around Sony’s newly launched PlayStation Suite and Qriocity media center. The tablet will be, of course, running Android with a custom user interface currently being worked out by the Sony team. Currently, it features only two physical buttons — the volume button and the power button. A third “Q” button for Qriocity is still a possibility, though. Engadget reports that, “The front face is finished in a high-gloss black that sits flush with the display and continues in one unobstructed sweep to the back of the tablet where a subtle dot matrix texture is applied to enhance the grip. The underside is a matte-silver color creating a nice contrast. All materials, we’re told, feel very premium though it’s unclear if we’re talking plastic, aluminum, or something else.”

The tablet will also be featuring a very unique design. Engadget explains again:

The tablet’s “wrap” design is meant to remind the owner of something personal in the way that it mimics an open paperback stuffed into the back pocket, or a magazine folded backward upon itself such that only a single page is visible to read. A design that also gives the tablet’s display enough angle to comfortably touch-type when placed on a table. It also makes one-handed operation a bit less taxing on the wrist by shifting the center of gravity to the bulbous edge of the device as in our mock-up above. A trick meant to reduce the torque that makes 10-inch tablets uncomfortable to hold one-handed for an extended length of time (when reading an ebook, for example). So even though the S1 is about the same size and weight as Apple’s iPad, we’re told that it feels lighter since most of the weight is shifted directly into the user’s hand and over the wrist. Naturally, the screen UI rotates allowing for right- or left-handed use and we’re told that it’s still comfortable to hold in landscape mode where the bulging edge is typically held at the top.

Other details about the tablet include a 1,280 x 800 pixel screen, a Tegra 2 processor and an IR port for controlling devices like TVs. The tablet will reportedly sell for around $599 and will ship sometime in September. For more nitty gritty details, visit the source article below.

Source: Engadget