Sony Xperia tablets specifications. The best Sony tablets. Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.
Sony, of all the major manufacturers, was perhaps one of the last to release its own version of the tablet. A very interesting one came out already in March (albeit on a completely crude third version of Android, so initial sales were actually a failure), (an option for Android and Windows) came out a little later, in August Samsung presented, which I this moment I actually consider it the best tablet for Android (at the same time emphasizing that it is most similar to Apple iPad), and more recently, even “bookstores” like Amazon and Barnes&Noble, which produce e-readers, presented their tablets and - however, they are not on pure Android, but are specialized devices. Well, finally we have waited for a tablet from Sony - Sony Tablet S. (There is also another, very exotic model - Sony Tablet P, but we will talk about it in another review.) The tablet is unusual in shape, with interesting content. But now we’ll see how it all works.
First, as usual, technical specifications. Specifications
CPU- Nvidia Tegra 2 1000 MHz, dual core
operating system- Android 3.2.1 (Honeycomb)
Display- 9.4 inches, 1280x800 (WXGA), capacitive, multi-touch, IPS matrix, LED backlight
RAM- 1 GB DDR2
Built-in storage- 16 (options - 32) GB
Ports- 3.5 mm headphones, USB 2.0 micro A/B (host/client support)
Networks- Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n)
3G- (in this model)
Card reader- SDHC cards (up to 32 GB)
GPS- There is
Webcam- above the screen 0.3 megapixels, on back cover 5 megapixels
Sensors- gyro sensor, light sensor, compass, 3-axis rotation sensor
Battery- 5000 mAh, non-removable
Size- 174 x 10 x 24.1 mm
Weight- 598 g Well, what do we have here? In general, the equipment is, let's say, almost standard, there are no surprises here. Compared to its closest competitor, the screen is slightly smaller (9.4" versus 10.1"), there are slightly fewer options for the size of the built-in storage (16 and 32 versus 16, 32 and 64 GB), this model does not have Mobile Internet, but Sony has a model with 3G support, a smaller battery capacity, but there is support for an SD card (this is already very good) and USB drives (though through a special adapter, which is not included in the package). Sony Tablet S is available in several modifications. There are simply models with Wi-Fi without 3G, differing in the size of the internal memory (16 or 32 GB). There are models with 3G, which also differ in the size of the internal memory (16 or 32 GB). Well, there is a specialized model - for example, SGPT112YOTA, designed for mobile Internet access via Yota 4G. Equipment
It comes in a box like this.
Package
Delivery set: device, special power adapter, some books, loop-holder.
Equipment
End view
By the way, this is not to say that the solution is unsuccessful - on the contrary, the tablet fits very comfortably in the hand. From the top cover it looks like a regular tablet, except with a thicker top bar.
Front part
Back cover
The entire tablet is made of plastic, and I got the impression that the top cover is also plastic, not glass. On the left side there is a 3.5 mm audio output, a slot with USB 2.0 micro A/B closed with a special plug, and a slot for an SD(HC) card. Below is the left speaker and the squiggle for the loop.
Left end
Port USB micro A/B can be used to connect USB drives, but this requires a special, not commonly found adapter, which is not included here. However, if there is a slot for an SD card, it is no longer very relevant to connect something via USB. On the right side: power button, volume control, Reset and right speaker.
Right end
At the bottom left there is a special power adapter port, specific to Sony, like in phones.
Power adapter port
A very strange and extremely inconvenient solution, especially since the adapter itself is hefty, and it looks like it was left over from unsold Sony Vaio stocks.
Adapter on a perfectly shading wooden surface
I don’t understand what prevented me from charging via microUSB using a regular small adapter, as is done in all other tablets. There is only one plus in this solution - the tablet conveniently fits into a special docking station, which can be purchased separately, and is charged through this port. But to create such an inconvenience for the sake of this is not a very good solution, in my opinion. Let's compare the tablet with its colleagues. First - with Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. (During filming, they almost came to blows.)
Sony Tablet S and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
Then - with the iPad 2. (Everything went quietly here - after all, different operating systems.)
Sony Tablet S and Apple iPad 2
By the way, at first I thought that since the tablet has such a thick top end, it could simultaneously serve as a stand so as not to use any docking stations or special folders, but the devil is in two - the end is rounded, so you can’t put the tablet on it. In the same way, it is not placed on the left-right ends - they are also designed in such a way that they cannot serve as a stand. It's a pity. Display The display is a very important part of any tablet, so let's talk about it separately. In principle, everything is fine with the display here: an IPS matrix with LED backlighting, a capacitive sensor - this is practically the best that is available at the moment. Excellent viewing angles (when rotated vertically or horizontally, the brightness and contrast drop very slightly), good brightness (Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 at full brightness is still noticeably brighter). In direct sunlight, the display is strongly “overexposed”, but this is a feature of absolutely all luminous displays: only electronic paper does not “overexpose” - due to the peculiarities of the technology. Compared to the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and iPad 2, it seemed to me that the Sony Tablet S has slightly less deep black tones (they are still closer to dark brown) and there is a slight bias towards the yellow part of the spectrum, although this at the same time makes the shade warmer ". (The blue bias makes the image more “cold.”) The sensitivity of the display is very good, I didn’t notice any discomfort - it responds to single touches and to multi-touch - as expected. Device operation I have already talked about the new, purely tablet version of Android 3.0, so I will not repeat myself, describing the principles of constructing the interface and so on. Let's talk about the features and specific applications of this particular tablet model on which it is installed. Android system 3.2.1. The main desktop looks like this.
Main desktop
The style of the icons is close to the Sony Playstation 3. At the bottom there are icons of special applications from Sony, in the upper left corner there are also icons of special applications from Sony. (However, it later turned out that not all of them are special applications.) The remaining two desktops on the left and right already contain standard applications.
Desktop on the left
Desktop on the right
Here full list installed applications.
Installed applications
They scroll not across desktops, but from top to bottom. Moreover, this is done in a funny way - you can pull the list of applications down with your finger, as if on an elastic band, and then, when released, they smoothly return to the default position. If you press and hold the application icon, you will be prompted to add it to the home screen, delete it, or get all the information about it. Comfortable. The "Favorites" item is specific, not the usual android one. He also appears with a joyful Sonia-like scream.
Favorites
Otherwise, there are no special differences in the interface, everything is native, android. Next, in order not to violate my general approach to studying tablets, let's first look at how the solution to standard user tasks is implemented here, and then we will get acquainted with specific applications from Sony. Keyboard The keyboard is improved and comfortable. In the Russian language they have retained the period and comma (thank you very much!), the layout has left-right cursor keys - this is a very correct idea!
English layout
Russian layout
Wherever there is a gray arrow, a long press will open a window with additional symbols.
Additional symbols by point
It is also very convenient that when you enter the password entry field, an additional numeric dial appears on the right side of the keyboard. In general, I liked it. There is absolutely no desire to change it to something else. Internet The browser here is standard Android, nothing new.
Browser window
Browser menu
Browser Favorites
It scales well - smoothly and quickly. Work comfortably. Mail There is standard GMail mail, and there is also special application, in which you can configure any mail - including GMail. List of letters.
List of letters
Creating a new message - you can attach some files.
Creating a new letter
So, as you can see, everything is very, very simple. And in fact, it is no different at all from the standard Android application - that is, the GMail application is absolutely the same. Audio It has its own player - convenient and advanced, and the interface is well thought out. The player itself is at the top with all the possibilities - any time point, random playback, looping, control - on the left - selection by album covers, favorites, library, SenseMe function.
Browse by album
Browse by songs with sorting
There are settings that include all sorts of special functions and an equalizer.
Settings
The equalizer does not play a noticeable role when playing through the tablet's speakers, but when playing through headphones, the difference is already visible.
Equalizer
SenseMe is a special technology from Sony that allows, after analyzing compositions, to classify them in 13 directions: Morning, Day, Evening, Night, Midnight, Energetic, Calming, Calm, Joyful, Emotional, Lounge, Dance and Extreme. By the way, the analysis takes quite a long time - it took her 11 minutes to analyze 5 songs. And this is the result.
SenseMe analysis result
By the way, in my opinion, it analyzes very, very well - the hit is almost one hundred percent. Many music formats are supported, including even the exotic FLAC, which is lossless. Here's the full list: AAC, mp3, WAV, WMA, WMA Pro, FLAC, MIDI, Ogg Vorbis. Photo It seems like a standard Android application. Gallery.
Gallery
View an enlarged image with scrolling preview icons.
Scrolling view
There is also a mode that allows you to increase the number of preview icons at the bottom.
Increased number of icons
Gallery menu items.
Gallery menu
Well, there is also an icon at the top - “Search for players”. It allows you to send media content from your tablet to external players. Video Videos can be played from the standard gallery, but this makes little sense - only the MP4 format is really understood. There is also a separate video player - as a player it is more advanced: it works only with videos (in the gallery they are mixed with images), during playback it rotates by chapter, by any time interval (seconds, minutes, and so on), and can transfer data to external players.
List of films
However, with formats, everything is very, very rotten. Apart from MP4, it only understands WMV, but you can say goodbye to all sorts of nesting dolls (H.264 in MKV) and even banal AVI (DiVX and XViD inside). However, WMV reproduces even 1080i without tension and brakes. This, of course, is not a problem - there are already many decent players for Android, for example, MX Video Player. I put it on and everything started playing as it should.
List of films
Play MKV 720p
Magazine in PDF and EPUB book
Opened the book in EPUB. There is a two-column mode. It seems to read fine.
Book in EPUB
Adjustable font size and brightness.
Font size
Calls up the table of contents, bookmarks and notes. Accordingly, you can make bookmarks (click on the top corner of the page) and notes. There is a text search.
Marking and searching text
In general, according to EPUB, it’s poor, but clean. I tested the PDF - generally very average. There is a two-column mode, notes in the text and bookmarks. However, what is strange is that when scaling there is a certain, and very small, limit to the increase, and even when increasing the quality for some reason sharply deteriorates, although it should remain normal. Here, for example, is the maximum magnification of a note in A5 format, given as is. It's impossible to read like that.
Enlarging a PDF page
Well, compare the same piece of the same file on the iPad, where you can enlarge it even to infinity.
On iPad
However, of course, this is not a property of the tablet, but of the program. It’s worth taking a normal program - for example, Aldiko Book Reader - and everything will be fine with scaling. Although, by the way, Aldiko is not the best option for reading PDF - it slows down noticeably with complex layout. I usually use ezPDF Reader to read PDF on Android devices.
Enlarged page in Aldiko Book Reader
Crash Bandicoots
Pinball Heroes
And, of course, I couldn’t help but put on the game “The goose is not a friend to a pig, but a fierce enemy.”
Not comrades
Everything is fine: the birds fly high, the pigs grunt provocatively, there are no brakes. Specific Applications Now let's go through the specific applications and see what they are. Remote Control The tablet can be used as Universal remote control a wide variety of home devices. It can be configured both for standard devices, which are stored in the database of categories and manufacturers, and for any non-standard devices that have a remote control: the tablet simply learns commands from this remote control. When entering data for a standard device, you need to select a category and manufacturer. There are quite a lot of categories, there are a lot of manufacturers in some of them, and since there is no search here, but only a choice from a drop-down menu, searching for a specific company can take considerable time.
Device registration
However, according to manufacturers, it is not good in all categories. For example, of the projectors in the standard database, only Sony is generally available. Next, select the type of control panel that is most suitable this device. There are 17 of these types in total.
Remote control type
Some types of commands can be adjusted using gestures (for example, volume and channel switching).
Setting up gestures
Configured devices appear in the list, after which they can be controlled directly from the tablet.
Configured devices
Sociorider
In this case, you can croak (in the sense, make a recording) on Twitter and Facebook at the same time. Using this is quite inconvenient; it is much easier to install two separate specialized clients. DLNA This useful application. DLNA - (Digital Living Network Alliance) is a standard that allows compatible devices to transmit and receive various media content (images, music, videos) over the home network, and display it in real time. You launch the application, find devices on your home network that support this standard (server, NAS, media player), select the desired device and get access to its media data.
DLNA
Media Remote
Sony App
Subscription to Zinio
Reading a magazine
Addresses
Locator
Transfer from memory card to device
In general, the utility is very relevant. The fact is that many standard installed applications do not see the memory card at all. That's why the only way get data from it - copy the files to the main memory of the tablet. However, all sorts of third-party applications, such as readers, players, and so on, can see the memory card. Camera I was moving the camera. The application here is its own, but the most common one.
Camera app
There is autofocus, so shooting any frame takes at least two seconds - you won’t be able to shoot something quickly. However, the tablet is not really intended for this. It often misses focusing on close objects, like all other phone-tablets, but I liked the fact that here the automatic white balance worked well even in difficult shooting conditions. Here are some frames without processing (clickable).
Pictures taken with a tablet
The video is taken lousy - it focuses poorly, there is a lot of “noise” in average lighting, the picture is very blurry when the camera moves. Built-in cameras work with Skype for Android. True, the front VGA camera provides adequate quality, but you can still live. Here is an example: large image - with front camera tablet, reduced - from the camera from almost the same point.
Picture in Skype
The pre-installed applications are nothing special. Only standard Android applications (browser, mail and others) look normal, and audio playback is well done. A utility for turning a tablet into a control panel - well, yes, it’s funny, but for such purposes I still prefer
use a specialized universal remote control (I had one) - it
it seems to be more convenient, although I won’t lie - I haven’t tried using the tablet as a universal remote control: who knows, maybe you’ll like it.
What I especially liked was the keyboard - perhaps, of the pre-installed ones, it is the best I have ever seen.
In general, a tablet has a right to exist as an option, but I still expected Sony to come up with something more powerful. Although the design, and most importantly, the shape of the tablet, is still good.
A new offshoot from VAIO called Tablet could be an interesting project for Sony. The device with the letter S turned out to be unique, not without its shortcomings, but it has its own charm...
Design, construction
Sony compares the device to a rolled-up magazine; in my opinion, it’s hardly worth saying such things. Look at some glossy magazine, would you like to carry such a thing in your bag all the time, and even rolled up? I don't know, I don't. Thinness as a trend has not gone away; since the time of the RAZR, manufacturers have constantly used this technique, especially when introducing a continuation of a device. Suffice it to remember the iPad 2 and a lot of words about reducing the size.
However, Sony always goes its own way, as if not paying attention to the market as a whole. Then, however, it occurs to someone that something is wrong - and a new round begins. For example, I don't have much to say about the folding tablet called P. There's an old marketing rule that's been tried and tested over the years: people don't like pocket TVs. In the sense that the more exotic the device and the more phrases needed to justify the form factor, the less successful it will be. There will be, oh, there will be rabid fans who are ready to tear up anyone on the forums who says a word about two displays at once. As always.
We're dealing with a thick tablet that really looks like a rolled-up magazine. The stated dimensions are 174.3 x 10.1 x 241.2 mm, weight 598 grams. Apparently, the average thickness is indicated, because I myself measured the thickest place with a ruler, it’s about two centimeters. For comparison, the iPad 2 measures 241.2 x 185.7 x 8.8 mm and weighs 601 grams. The entire Tablet S is made of plastic; there are legs and bumps on the back, “rolled” side, making it comfortable to hold the tablet in your hand. Here I want to especially note that, despite the thickness, the Tablet S is really comfortable to hold in your hand. I can repeat it again. Especially by grasping the end where the thickening is with your left hand. Holding with two hands is not so great, typing on virtual keyboard Also, my thumbs can barely reach some keys. While there is only a black version, the display protection is glossy and quickly becomes covered with fingerprints. It is difficult to remove them even with the help of a miracle rag. On the side there are inserts made of silver plastic; on the right side, under a plug, there is a slot for SD cards and a USB micro-AB connector for connecting an adapter.
The story is this: Sony believes that this is a very strong advantage, you connect the adapter to the tablet and then connect the flash drive to the adapter. Or a camera. Or something else. You need to buy the adapter yourself! This is a very sound idea. Of course, they are sold everywhere, in any stall.
Very strange. There is also a 3.5 mm jack at the same end. Camera lenses are on the front and back, there is a groove on the back for attaching a strap and speakers. The sound of the Tablet S is not bad, in principle, it can be used as music box without any problems. On the right side there are volume buttons, a power button, and a hidden reset button. Sony style indicator light, small and dim.
After three days of wearing it in the bag, no scratches or chips appeared. It seems to me that she is most susceptible to this Bottom part On the back there is plastic with a silver coating. Pay attention to the proprietary connector for connecting the power supply; it is not covered by anything. Contacts should be periodically wiped with alcohol or Sasha cologne. Don't forget to do this. Always.
Display
Display diagonal 9.4 inches, resolution 1280 x 800 pixels, LED lights, naturally, the screen is touch-sensitive (capacitive type). It leaves only positive impressions, I really like the brightness and the depiction of various new elements. As you can see, Sony has worked on the icons, reminiscent of PS3, PSP, Sony Ericsson and other products. My sample had only one branded background image; I didn’t find any original “live” wallpapers. Thanks to powerful processor The image on the display quickly turns upside down; when moving between desktops, the brakes are not felt. Viewing angles are good. I recommend using automatic brightness control to make the battery last longer.
All this is true if you don’t compare the screen with what’s on the iPad. Look at the photos. I would like to note that I will not burden you with a hundred screenshots; it will be easier to watch the video in the article, where I show the main programs and capabilities of the gadget. So, if you compare it with the iPad 2 screen, you will immediately notice that the Tablet S screen turns yellow. And the black is not that black, more like a dark dark grey. And the brightness is not that great. All this is a given. At the presentation, many warm words were said about the tablet’s display. Look for yourself at the photos comparing the Tablet S and iPad 2. The brightness is the same. Oh, well, you can also watch the video, let me remind you once again. When using a browser, the difference in displays is especially noticeable; Sony's is a little cloudy.
Performance
It uses an NVIDIA Tegra 2, 1 GHz processor; it seems they have already written about the processor on our website.
Is Tablet S fast? Yes. Moreover, when comparing with the iPad 2, sometimes you don’t know which is faster. “Eska” programs launch quickly, the browser quickly draws pages, games are played, mail arrives. What more could you want?
There is Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, everything is typical here. Sometimes, out of the blue, the connection to the access point drops, we’re talking about Wi-Fi. There is also an infrared port, but more on that in the next part.
We'll talk about Sony's additions to the interface, programs, and OS in the second part.
Modifications
At the moment, two versions of the tablet are available, the names, as always, are exotic - SGPT112RU and SGPT111RU, the differences are in memory, the younger model has 16 GB, the older one 32 GB. On the website Sonystyle.ru it is lovingly written “ HDD" Miracles of translation, as always.
Perhaps it’s worth mentioning the version with 3G; in Europe, sales of this model will begin closer to the New Year. I have nothing to add here, of course, a complete failure. Now many inexpensive tablets equipped with 3G, this is the norm. One cannot help but be guided by the successful experience of selling the iPad and various discoveries by Apple, when they presented both devices with Wi-Fi only and with a Wi-Fi + 3G combination. As practice shows, even the most economical users eventually agree that it would be better to buy a version with both. More than once or twice, while in the city with the Tablet S, I greatly regretted the lack of 3G. Accordingly, it is completely unclear to me why Sony decided to act in such a strange way.
Accessories
While Russian consumers may not particularly scour the stores in search of original supplements, everything will happen, but later. There are three types of cases, among them there is a regular leather folder. There is also a stand, when the Tablet S is installed in the cradle, it becomes even more like a photo frame.
Formats
People at Sony are strange after all. Look, there's a tablet. Usually, people on tablets listen to videos more than they listen to music, right? That is, you can sacrifice support for formats for music, but make watching videos as comfortable as possible so that you can watch everything. Well, at least the usual “avishki”. Now, look at the screenshots, it shows in detail what the Sony Tablet S supports.
A little strange, in my opinion. For example, Samsung is trying to provide support for most formats in its tablets, and especially for video.
Nutrition
Well, is everyone ready to fly to the country of Sony? Then don't forget to take the original one with you. Charger. And if you lose, then that’s it, kaput. Yes, yes, my favorite company is back at it again. It has its own charging connector. A small power supply with a long cable will take up a lot of space in your bag. Please note that Sony VAIO P laptops had the same power supply, well, at least judging by the dimensions. Apparently, there were extra ones left, so Sony decided to add them. It takes about two and a half hours to fully charge; the official website says five hours, but don’t believe that. Or I had such a special, reactive pattern. The stated operating time is about 8 hours, but in reality the tablet works much less. For example, when watching the series “Dexter,” the Tablet S lasted less than four hours. When using a browser, mail client, different programs- the usual daily regimen - enough from the morning (from ten) until the evening (until eight). Then the battery indicator remains almost empty. That is, the Tablet S is far from a champion in terms of operating time. And the powerful power supply sets you up for sad thoughts.
Conclusions on the first part
What's in front of us? Sexy toy from Sony? The tablet is comfortable to hold in your hands, but there is no metal, carbon, carbon fiber or other materials typical of the company. Or rather, typical for a number of devices. You can estimate the dimensions yourself, everything is individual here, but the thing turned out to be massive. Speed of work? Yes, the Tablet S is fast, there are no problems with videos or games, or with loading pages. The display seems nice until you pick up the iPad 2 (and you pick it up and feel the cold metal and all that). Working hours? On iPad 2 you can watch videos almost twice as long. Add to this a massive charger and its own connector. Android version? While I was using the device, version 3.2 arrived by air, was installed, everything is in order. Although there are not so many changes, and all of them cannot be said to significantly increase the functionality of the gadget.
In the next part we’ll talk about the Sony software suite, the camera, changes in the interface, the importance of Playstation certification and other things. While you may be thinking about buying a Sony Tablet S, prices range from 19,000 to 23,000 rubles. In principle, for 23,000 it’s quite possible to buy an iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G. Which would you choose? Although, wait, we’ll talk about this after the release of the second part of the material.
It seems to me that we are seeing an attempt by Sony to get into the market, not noticing that in this china shop there is already a big, big elephant standing and flapping its eyes and ears in surprise, listening to stories about the concept of four screens, rolled up magazines, etc.
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Sergey Kuzmin ()
With a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor. This gadget is no different high resolution, nor the power from similar devices. But given the original shape of the device in the form of a magazine folded in half and its membership in the Sony ecosystem, the tablet will be an ideal choice for fans of this company.
Technical features
This tablet stands out for its unique design - when you look at it from behind, it resembles a closed book, there is no other device like it. Because of this shape, the sides of the tablet resemble pockets; on one side there is a microphone, indicator lights, power and volume control, and on the other there is a headphone jack and a full-size SD card slot. The top panel of the tablet is made of durable plastic with a 3D pattern, while the back is made of metal.
This is not the first time we have seen this gadget. It was introduced back in 2011, and just a few months later the tablet went into mass sales. The main thing we need to decide is whether Sony has managed to improve the tablet over all this time.
At the bottom of the rear panel there is a power port - Sony's own design, with which the device can easily be connected to the docking station. The tablet also has 2 speakers located at the back. They are powerful enough to please you with good sound, but if you place the gadget, for example, on your lap, then high quality there can be no sound or speech.
The rear panel houses an 8-megapixel camera that works great in ideal lighting conditions. The software for the front and rear cameras of the tablet allows you to take photos suitable for use, for example, on social networks, but if you want to print them, you will not be pleased with the quality.
Due to the fact that the device has an infrared port, you can connect it to your TV. Changing channels and adjusting volume is carried out using the remote control remote control (special program, which is included in the tablet's utility kit). Sony has done everything possible to ensure that this gadget is firmly established in your living room. The tablet can not only be a remote control, but also makes it possible to purchase branded Sony music and videos.
Software
You get Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS along with Sony's user interface, complemented by Google's array of buttons and desktop shortcuts. At the bottom of the screen is a shortcut for the remote control, which opens like a window and sits on top of other applications you're working in. The same applies to the quick access panel to the left of the control panel, the use of which will lead you to a mini-version of the browser, calculator, notes, sound recording, again to the control panel and timer. In addition, the Clip shortcut allows you to take instant screenshots.
Sony has added a number of its own applications. Among them is Sony vision - for viewing photo albums, videos and e-books, Walkman (shows not only your files, but also the music you can buy), Sony Select ( fast access to the website) and Socialife (access to social networks). You can also connect to Sony's Music Unlimited, Video Unlimited and PlayMemories (create digital albums from your photos and share them with friends online).
In addition, you will have the opportunity to connect to PlayStation Mobile and Xperia link. Thus, you are guaranteed to become part of the Sony world, including the PlayStation ecosystem.
If you're a heavy user of Sony technology - paying for Music Unlimited and Movies Unlimited, playing on PlayStation and want to combine it all with a tablet, then you should buy the Sony Tablet S. There are also several Sony TVs that this tablet can connect to, allowing you to you receive detailed media information about what you are watching on the big screen. So, you have all this - then this tablet will take you, as a user, to a whole new level.
Below you can see the results of standard tests, as well as battery checks. Like other devices on the market that come with a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, this tablet has fantastic standby performance thanks to the use of NVIDIA technologies 4-PLUS-1. By this we mean that the tablet has not even four, but five processor cores running on low-power tasks, and the display turns off while the gadget is not in use - as it should be!
Conclusion
If you're looking for an outstanding Android tablet, the Sony XPERIA Tablet S isn't for you. This model cannot be called ideal, and it does not pretend to be this role. Instead, you get the best of what Sony has to offer in a tablet form factor with support for a quad-core processor from NVIDIA. In addition, the gadget is compatible with other devices from this company, which makes its purchase even more profitable.
Sony's first tablet, Tablet S, was released in September. More precisely, at the end of September a version of the Tablet S without 3G appeared on the shelves. The 3G version was released later - in December 2011. And today it remains a very attractive option for those buyers who are not chasing the latest technical innovations, but prefer an interesting design and a sonorous brand.
The designer finds don't end there. It is also worth noting the unusual “bumpy” coating of the rear “wrapping” surface.
Apparently, the designers here were not so much trying to achieve unusual tactile sensations as they were trying to avoid the tablet from slipping if the palm of the presenter, who holds the tablet with one hand during a presentation, becomes foggy.
Let's look at the location of the buttons and connectors. All connectors are located on the left side (although it is not entirely correct to call it a side: this is a rather large non-monolithic area).
In addition to the 3.5 mm headphone jack, there are lidded slots for an SD card and a SIM card (the latter is only available in the 3G version, of course), as well as Micro-USB for connecting to a computer. Please note that the Tablet S uses SD, not microSD (which, it would seem, has already become a de facto standard in tablets).
The buttons are located on the right side of the Tablet S. There are no surprises here: Power, volume up and down. Well, there is a Reset hole for emergencies.
To recharge the device, a very unusual (and, I admit, inconvenient to use) Dock connector is used. It is on the bottom (narrow) edge of the device.
There are no buttons or connectors on top. There is only a rounded surface made of the same material and the same texture as the back side (black pimply plastic).
In general, the design can be called... unusual. It is very difficult to evaluate - both from a visual and functional point of view. Probably, the lack of Mini- or Micro-HDMI can be considered a disadvantage (there would be a place for it here), as well as an inconvenient Dock connector (it takes a very long time to get used to exactly how to connect the charger to it). SD instead of microSD - everyone decides for themselves whether this is a plus or a minus. As for appearance- here, too, it is impossible to make an unambiguous assessment. Therefore, we recommend that before purchasing, be sure to twirl it in your hands and understand whether you personally like it or not. But as an absolute plus, we note that it stands out from the gray mass of iPad analogues. Sony Tablet S has its own face and style, and whether they are cute or not is a matter of personal taste.
Screen
A curious feature of the screen is its size: the diagonal is 9.4 inches. An atypical solution: the standard is 10.1 inches (ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, Acer Iconia Tab A500, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, etc.) or 9.7 inches (Apple iPad, HP TouchPad). At the same time, the resolution of the Sony Tablet S corresponds to 10-inch tablets. Consequently, the Tablet S's DPI density is slightly higher.
A detailed examination of the screen using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his conclusion.
The front surface of the tablet is covered with a transparent plastic plate (scratch-resistant) with a mirror-smooth surface. Judging by the reflection of bright light sources, there is no anti-glare filter. There is no special oleophobic coating on the outer surface of the screen, so fingerprints appear easily and are difficult to remove, but still the first is a little more difficult, and the second is a little easier than in the case of glass surfaces without an oleophobic coating.
With manual brightness control, its maximum value was 328 cd/m², the minimum was 8.2 cd/m². As a result, at maximum brightness in bright daylight You can see something on the screen, and the minimum brightness will allow you to comfortably use the tablet even in complete darkness. Automatic brightness adjustment works in the same strange way as in the case of the Sony Tablet P tablet - in the “Auto” mode, in bright light the brightness increases to the maximum value, and in complete darkness it remains at the minimum level (which is too low). But the brightness can only increase - with a decrease in the level of external illumination, we did not see a corresponding decrease in screen brightness. However, if you put the tablet into sleep mode and turn it on again, the brightness will be set in accordance with the external light level. The light sensor is located to the right of the front camera. Brightness adjustment is carried out using pulse-width modulation with a high frequency of 209 Hz, so the flickering of the backlight at reduced brightness is not visible.
This tablet uses an IPS matrix, so the screen has very good viewing angles without inverting shades and without significant color shifts, even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen. True, as is typical for any IPS matrix, the black field becomes significantly lighter when deviated diagonally (but remains close to neutral gray). When viewed perpendicularly, black field uniformity, with the exception of a couple of local areas at the edge of the screen, is good. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 30 ms (16 ms on + 14 ms off). The transition between halftones of 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) takes a total of 46 ms. For a gamma curve constructed from 32 points, the index of the approximating power function was 2.08, which is slightly lower than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve coincides well with the power dependence.
The contrast is quite high - 820:1. The color gamut is noticeably narrower than sRGB:
The spectra are typical for LED backlighting:
Apparently, the matrix filters slightly mix the components with each other. This technique allows you to increase the brightness of the screen with the same energy consumption for backlighting. The balance in color temperature is good - shades of gray have a color temperature of approximately 6000 K - but the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (delta E) is large (about 12) due to the excess of the green component. This also helps to increase brightness at the expense of some deterioration in color rendering.
However, color temperature and delta E are virtually unchanged throughout the relevant gray scale region, so visually the color balance is very good. Overall the screen is not bad, but nothing special stands out. Screens with similar characteristics can be found in other tablets.
The tablet supports multiple touches (multitouch), 10 touches are recognized simultaneously.
The exact dimensions of the usable screen area (according to our measurements): diagonal 23.9 cm (9.4 inches), wide side - 20.2 cm, narrow side - 12.6 cm.
Platform
The tablet runs NVIDIA Tegra 2 - a standard solution for 2011, but today it is no longer so relevant. Volume random access memory- 1 GB. It is clear that the performance of the Sony Tablet S does not promise us any big surprises (neither bad nor good), but nevertheless we carried out a basic set of tests.
In Quadrant Standard, the tablet still showed an insufficiently high result: 1785 points.
The Sony Tablet S ran the SunSpider 0.9.1 browser benchmark in 2227.1 ms, which is quite normal.
Note: the table shows the best results demonstrated by the tablets
The Sony Tablet S performed well in the Vellamo benchmark, which also focused on web content. Having scored 1021 points, the tablet overtook the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the first ASUS Eee Pad Transformer.
In the Nenamark2 test, which measures the performance of the graphics subsystem, the tablet demonstrated results at the level of other tablets with Tegra 2 - 22.1 fps.
Now let's see how things are going with video playback. For some unknown reason, Dice Player - a player recommended by NVIDIA that uses hardware acceleration - worked completely incorrectly during testing on the Sony Tablet S (even though the paid version was used). Trying to launch any video file in most cases resulted in the application crashing. Therefore, we had to use MX Video Player, which can not use hardware acceleration very often. The results turned out to be identical to what we observed on another tablet with Tegra 2 - ASUS Eee Pad Slider (you can read a comparison of Slider with ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime in the field of video playback). So we state that a miracle did not happen. In this regard, the Sony tablet is no better or worse than competitors on the same platform.
Operating system and applications
We have already said that Sony has developed its own shell for Android Honeycomb. This manifested itself in the icons of the main applications that changed their appearance, the appearance of additional mini-icons (in the upper left part of the screen, near the line Google search) and cute effects.
The icons, redrawn by Sony, now look more uniform: they are all dark purple and strictly square. But for some reason, not all applications (even pre-installed ones) received updated icons. Therefore, there is still no general uniformity observed.
Among the applications, it is worth noting the interface design Music player. Here we see chaotically scattered albums, each of which can be moved away, turned over at any angle and, of course, started listening. Besides Music player There is also a standard Android application Music.
Application Sociorider is a content aggregator social networks. Unfortunately, only Facebook and Twitter are supported. Wi-Fi wire- a utility for checking a Wi-Fi connection and obtaining information about it.
A very interesting utility - Remote control. Let's talk about it in more detail. The app turns your tablet into a universal remote control. This is possible due to the fact that Sony Tablet S has an infrared port.
The setup is simple: select the device type (TV, BD and DVD players, network media players, receivers, speakers, etc.), then select the device manufacturer.
In our case, we wanted to configure an LG TV and an Apple TV 2 network media player. Both were found among the proposed options. True, the application does not offer specific models to choose from (even when this model is obvious - as in the case of Apple TV 2).
And here the main difficulty awaits us. Once the device type and manufacturer are selected, you are prompted to select a remote control type. There are nine types in total, and you just need to search through them to find the one on which the buttons displayed on the tablet will work.
In our case, the TV “responded” when choosing the fifth type. Once this is done, all that remains is to configure the gesture controls (for example, by default, a swipe up increases the volume, and a swipe down lowers the volume). That's it, now the TV control is configured. It’s the same with Apple TV, only there we didn’t have to select the types of remote control - apparently, there were no options there. And indeed, everything worked fine. But in the case of Apple TV, one cannot help but find fault with the lack of an alphabetic keyboard. Users of this device (and others like it) know how tedious it can be to use the joystick to enter a search query into YouTube (typing one letter at a time). It would be very convenient if it were possible to do this using a tablet by simply typing on a virtual QWERTY keyboard.
Also from the applications we note DLNA(the ability to stream content from the tablet to DLNA-compatible devices) and Reader- analogue of iBooks. True, it seemed to me not very convenient and functional - free e-readers from Google Play Store (as Android Market is now called) and the aforementioned iBooks on iOS are more convenient.
Among the pleasant little things - the application Watch. This is if you want to use the tablet as a photo frame.
More - Transfer files: A file manager that allows you to conveniently transfer data from an SD card to internal memory devices and vice versa.
As for games, here we are offered Pinball Heroes and the old Crash Bandicoot, developed for the first PlayStation and now available on the Sony Tablet S. The idea itself is curious (a nostalgic dream!), but in fairness, we note that playing PSone games on touch screen- very unusual, and not the same pleasure, of course.
In general, Sony did a very good job on the software. Yes, there are no serious software packages like Polaris Office (by the way, it’s a shame). But those applications that the developers have equipped the tablet with are really useful and pleasant; they expand the functionality of the device in unexpected ways (for example, in the case of Remote control). As the main disadvantage, we note the difficulty of obtaining root access (although, of course, you can find various instructions on the Internet) and problems with adb drivers (in order to connect the tablet to a PC). Accordingly, it will not be easy to get the opportunity to take screenshots, for example. But, we repeat, this problem can be solved. The proof of this is the screenshots in this article.
Connection
As already mentioned, starting from December 2011, Sony Tablet S is available in a version with a 3G module. 3G works correctly, we have no complaints. It is difficult to adequately test 3G speed, because, firstly, the operator and tariff can act as a limiter, and secondly, reception will not be equally reliable everywhere (in other words, on the ground floor and on the 15th floor of the same building, the speed may be different). But still, “to ease our conscience,” we launched the Speedtest.net utility (in the form of an application from Google Play Store).
In the screenshot above, you should pay attention only to the speed of receiving files, since when transferring files, the operator artificially reduced the speed due to excess traffic.
Another scenario for using the 3G module is sending SMS/MMS messages. Everything is standard here: Android Honeycomb has an application SMS/MMS, this tablet is no exception. Moreover, Sony did not change the design of the application.
Camera
The situation with cameras on the Sony Tablet S is the same as on the Sony Tablet P. There are two cameras: the front one (0.3 megapixels) allows for video communication, including via Skype. Rear (5 MP) - for taking photos and videos.
The shooting quality is acceptable, although the colors lack saturation and the image as a whole lacks detail. As advantages, we note a small amount of noise and artifacts (see fragment of the above frame below).
The tablet takes good photos of text, so you can take pictures of documents before leaving and then calmly study them on the road.
Video shooting is done in 720p resolution. The quality is not bad, the main complaint is the same as with the Tablet P: the bitrate could be higher. The 31-second video, shot with the rear camera of the Sony Tablet S, can be downloaded (MP4 format, size 24.9 MB).
Autonomous operation
We were not pleased with the battery life. True, we cannot say that it completely disappointed us, but... If you play an SD-resolution movie (685 Kbps, 608×256, Xvid Advanced Simple@L5, Dice Player was used, hardware acceleration was used), set the brightness to the maximum, and make the volume so that it is comfortable to watch with headphones, then the battery will run out in about four and a half hours. It won't be enough. Of course, you can say that the brightness does not need to be turned up to maximum, but alas, with automatic brightness the image seems dark. Therefore, maximum brightness in this case is not a whim. Angry Birds Seasons can be played on a tablet for approximately five and a half hours. Also an average result.
conclusions
Sony Tablet S is an interesting tablet. Perhaps this is a reasonable compromise between originality and generally accepted standards. Everything seems to be “like people’s”, but not boring, but with a twist. The screen has a standard resolution for 10-inch tablets, but not 10 inches, but 9.4. The case seems to have standard dimensions and weight, but with an unusual asymmetry (thickening at the top, shifting the center of gravity). Same with the OS and applications. We especially note the presence of an infrared port and the ability to transfer media data to DLNA-compatible devices.
Yes, at the moment the Sony Tablet S (even with a 3G module) does not look so attractive against the backdrop of high-profile announcements from Apple, ASUS, Samsung and other competitors. But if you are not chasing the latest technical innovations and at the same time are partial to the Sony brand, then the Tablet S is an obvious and not bad choice at all. Sony Tablet P is still too extravagant, but Tablet S is quite mainstream. However, not banal, like most “iPad-like” products, but with its own face. And, by the way, at a quite reasonable price.
To say that the Sony Tablet S is fundamentally different from other tablets is to lie. It is, of course, rectangular, with a glossy frame around a 9.4-inch screen, the familiar Tegra 2 nests inside, and it all works under Android control Honeycomb 3.2. Painfully familiar. However, the devil is in the details.
Magazine cover
There are still clear differences. For example, Sony did not strive for miniaturization, as a result of which the tablet looks plump - 20.6 mm at the thickest part. But you won’t confuse it with another Android tablet: from the side and back it looks a little like a folded magazine, except that you can’t unfold it back. This clever shape allows you to comfortably hold the Sony Tablet S in your hands: in horizontal orientation it does not slip out of your hands, and in portrait orientation it fits perfectly into the palm of the “fold line”. It’s funny, though, that Sony in its specifications lists separately the “thickness” of the tablet and separately the dimensions of its “soft spot.” In parentheses, unobtrusively so.
The dimensions theoretically allow more good and different connectors to be built into the tablet. But in practice, Sony limited itself to one MicroUSB Host, one 3.5 mm mini-jack (which, by the way, is designed to connect a headset with a microphone) and, for which special thanks to the Japanese, a full-size device for reading SD memory cards. That is, the card from the camera can now be inserted directly into the tablet without hesitation. If only they released normal photo editing software for Android... It's surprising that there is no support for Memory Stick cards. It seems that in this regard Sony has decided to change its standards.
All connectors are located on the left side, and the right side is given over to thin and not very convenient buttons - two for adjusting the volume and one for turning it on/off. There is also a tiny hole with the inscription “Reset” - apparently, Honeycomb, even in version 3.2, is not yet stable enough. The tablet never froze before our eyes, so for now we can only guess about the usefulness of the button.
There is also a speaker on each side, and the last remaining connector is hidden on the bottom edge - this is a four-pin proprietary port for a docking station, charging and other accessories. For an unknown purpose, a lanyard attachment is provided on the case. We sympathize in advance with those who decide to hang this tablet around their neck... It is, of course, relatively light - about 600 grams, but it’s still not worth experimenting with.
Judging by the amount of empty space on the side edges, the tablet could have been loaded with connectors much denser. Since the designers still had somewhere to roam, it would be logical to place HDMI and a full-fledged USB here - or better yet, two at once. The interior space also seems to be underutilized. Based on Sony's battery life figures, the Tablet S's battery has about the same capacity as its competitors. About 6 hours of watching videos, about the same amount of web surfing - however, it is not specified at what level of display brightness such indicators are achieved.
Speaking of the display. It's about as good as other Android tablets around 10 inches. High brightness, good viewing angles, rich colors. The technology is not specified in the stated specifications, but the image quality looks like it is IPS. The only let down was the proprietary TruBlack technology, which was supposed to make the black color very black - for some reason it turned out just the opposite.
The glass that covers the display is quite durable - we were unable to scratch it with keys. But the same cannot be said about the case; the back wall of the tablet scratches without much effort. This is true for both the glossy black surface and the small silver insert at the bottom of the case. The glossy part, by the way, successfully collects fingerprints. And the display collects them with a vengeance - not a single tablet “gets caught” like the Sony Tablet S.
You can find fault with the sound volume of the built-in speakers - at maximum, the two speakers of the Tablet S sound quieter than the only “beeper” of the not-most-musical smartphone in the world. But the sound quality of the tablet is significantly higher - average and low frequencies noticeably more. You can watch movies at home, but in transport you will have to arm yourself with headphones.
There are, as expected, two cameras in the new product - 5 megapixels on the back and 0.3 on the front. The rear takes average pictures - as in most tablets. But it copes well with shooting in poor lighting, and does not produce much noise - it seems that some kind of software noise reduction is working in the background. Sorry, there is no flash. The front camera... how can I put this censorship... Well, what else can you expect from a tiny matrix with VGA resolution?
| Specifications Sony Tablet S | |
|---|---|
| Screen | 9.4″ 1280x800 IPS LCD |
| CPU | NVIDIA Tegra 2, dual-core, 1 GHz |
| Video subsystem | NVIDIA GeForce ULP |
| Net | 3G (optional, no details) |
| Memory | Operating: 1 GB, Built-in: 16/32 GB NAND + SD slot |
| Camera | Main: 5 MP Front: 0.3 MP |
| Data transfer | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, microUSB 2.0 Host, IR port |
| Navigation | A-GPS |
| Dimensions and weight | 241.2x174.3x10.1-20.6 mm, 598 grams without 3G module (625 g with 3G module) |
| Battery | n.d. (approximately 6 hours of life when playing music or surfing the web via Wi-Fi) |
| operating system | Android 3.2 Honeycomb |
⇡ Clothes for honeycombs
Sony loves to add functionality operating system big amount branded software. The Tablet S was no exception. There are quite a lot of changes and additions: for example, the screen of installed applications is completely different from the standard one. There is also a proprietary on-screen keyboard - it looks more interesting than the usual Android one, and is more pleasant to use.
I really liked it music player: folders with music in it are presented in the form of boxes with CDs that can be dragged around the “table”. The only pity is that there is no zoom function. And there’s not much space on the “table” - if you upload it to a tablet music collection decent sizes, then all this can turn into a chaotic pile of small icons.
Judging by the set of pre-installed programs, the tablet’s purpose is mainly “home”: it has, for example, a (terribly inconvenient) TV remote control. For this reason, by the way, the IR port was hidden somewhere in the Tablet S. The tablet is also capable of playing whatever your heart desires on a moderately distant TV via DLNA. If, of course, the TV or the set-top box connected to it allows this. This, by the way, to some extent compensates for the lack of HDMI.
Unlike other tablet manufacturers, Sony has a “ten trump card” up its sleeve: long and successful work in the market game consoles and related content. For example, the Tablet S is thoughtfully loaded with a childhood game - Crash Bandicoot, and a PlayStation One emulator at the same time. I think it's about the same as on Sony Ericsson Xperia Play.
But if on a phone with a relatively low resolution of a relatively small screen, old games created for warm, tube TVs look fine, then on a tablet with a moderately high resolution, large interpolated pixels are clearly visible. Perhaps this will add a nostalgic feeling to some, but PSX games on the Tablet S still look dubious.
But the on-screen version of the gamepad is not as scary as one might expect. The large size of the buttons allows you not to miss, so the red imp-bandicoot confidently runs forward, jumps at the right moment and sends oncoming turtles and crabs into the unknown distance. Sony, of course, will not limit itself to one game, but the rest - if you please, download for money.
In the current firmware version, localization suffers a little. In addition to all sorts of funny points like “Before. files" and "Reference manual...", there are also untranslated pieces. Let's say, in the list of what can be done with music file, among the translated items there is a certain “Throw”. Did you think it meant "Throw Away"? But no, it turns out, “throw it” to the nearest DLNA device. In general, the firmware is not exactly crude, but certain improvements will not harm it.
⇡ Conclusion
There was a lack of diversity in the tablet market, especially in Russia. We expected something unusual from the Sony Tablet S: firstly, it is still Sony, and secondly, the company did not immediately enter this market, so it could well have taken into account the mistakes of its competitors... But we did not expect anything truly outstanding: a new product too similar to other tablets, it lacks something special - some zest.
On the other hand, if we make allowances for high expectations, then everything turned out not so bad at all - at least no worse than many others. Tablet S turned out to be convenient, fast, with good screen and a good set of additional software. And the appearance is quite interesting - at least it allows you to stand out from the crowd. What more could you want from a tablet?
The only thing that is a little confusing is the price: for the version with 16 GB of memory and without a 3G module in Russia they will ask for 18,990 rubles. The iPad 2 with the same configuration costs the same. Having added another four thousand (which is exactly how much you will have to pay for a model with 32 GB of memory), you can take the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 - thin and light, but, unfortunately, quite thoughtful. Another option is the ASUS Eee Pad Transfromer with a docking station - with a keyboard, a hefty battery and other amenities. A technocrat's dream, but weighs almost as much as a real laptop. In a word, all existing alternatives still have certain shortcomings, so the Tablet S has a very real chance to slightly advance its competitors. At least by the power of the brand.
