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Tag: tablet

  • Sony’s Tablet S: A Tale of Multimedia Focus and Gaming Ambitions

    Sony’s Tablet S: A Tale of Multimedia Focus and Gaming Ambitions

    A while back, Sony teamed up with Ericsson to enter the world of mobile phones. They found success with feature phones that focused on things like cameras and music. However, their journey with the Symbian operating system wasn’t as successful. Eventually, they settled on Android for their future devices.

    Sony

    Alongside their phones with Ericsson, Sony released its own devices in 2011, including a pair of tablets. This was just before Sony bought out Ericsson’s share in the joint venture.

    One of these tablets was the Sony Tablet S, which ran on Android Honeycomb, an operating system designed specifically for tablets. Its unique design resembled a folded magazine, with one end being thicker (20.6mm) and tapering towards the other (10.1mm).

    Sony claimed that this design made it more comfortable to hold with one hand. The tablet featured a 9.4” TFT LCD display with a resolution of 1,280 x 800 pixels (16:10 aspect ratio) and weighed 625g.

    The display and stereo speakers highlighted Sony’s focus on multimedia. The tablet came pre-loaded with apps like Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited, along with a Sony Reader app for reading ebooks. It also had an IR blaster for controlling home entertainment setups and DLNA for wireless content streaming.

    Sony’s gaming division left its mark on the Tablet S. The tablet came with pre-loaded games like Crash Bandicoot and Pinball Heroes from the original PlayStation. It was “PlayStation Certified,” which meant it had an official emulator and store for purchasing and playing games from the PSX library.

    The Nvidia Tegra 2 chip was powering the Tablet S, featuring a pair of Cortex-A9 CPU cores clocked at 1.0GHz and a GeForce GPU. It also received an update that allowed it to connect wirelessly to PS3 DualShock controllers, offering a more traditional gaming experience.

    However, Sony decided to change its approach in 2012. It removed classic PSX games from PlayStation Mobile and aimed to offer original content through partnerships with various game developers.

    The Sony Tablet S was part of Sony’s efforts to conquer the mobile market, a rapidly growing industry. Despite these ambitions, the tablet didn’t make a huge impact. It was one of the two tablets introduced in 2011, with the Sony Tablet P being the other. The Tablet P had a unique clamshell design with two 5.5” displays and was also PlayStation Certified.

    Sony’s attempts in the portable gaming market, including the PSP and PS Vita, faced challenges in competing with Nintendo’s portable devices. The Xperia Play, Tablet S, and Tablet P didn’t gain widespread popularity as gaming devices and general tablets. Android tablets in 2011 faced stiff competition from Apple’s iPad, and the Android tablet market has struggled to gain ground ever since.

    As gaming tablets like the Red Magic and Acer Predator 8 emerge, Sony’s early efforts seem ahead of their time. The Android ecosystem and mobile chipsets have evolved, and if Sony’s upcoming Project Q succeeds, we might see the company take another shot at creating unique tablets with PlayStation features.

  • Is the Google Pixel Tablet Worth It? A Comprehensive Review

    Is the Google Pixel Tablet Worth It? A Comprehensive Review

    The Google Pixel Tablet is an Android-based tablet from Google, and it comes with a Charging Speaker Dock that transforms it into a smart display with improved speakers and Nest Hub-like features. The tablet is powered by custom Tensor G2 silicon and features a 10.95-inch LCD display, front and rear 8MP cameras, and a 7,020mAh battery.

    Google Pixel Tablet

    The base model of the Pixel Tablet with 128GB storage is priced at $499 in the US, while the 256GB storage variant costs $599. In the UK, it is priced at £599, and in selected European markets, it is priced at €679. You can purchase the Pixel Tablet from the Google Store, Amazon, Best Buy, and other major retailers.

    The Pixel Tablet was tested for two weeks, with the review unit purchased by Android Authority. The unique feature of the tablet is its dock, which enhances its functionality as a smart display. However, the dock is the main reason to consider buying the tablet, as it offers a better speaker and a pseudo-Google Nest smart display experience.

    When attached to the Charging Speaker Dock, the Pixel Tablet provides a room-filling audio experience. The dock holds the tablet securely with strong magnets, but it loses its functionality when separated from the tablet. The tablet itself has a Google aesthetic with soft-touch aluminum and slim bezels around the screen, making it suitable for both portrait and landscape orientations. The LCD panel is decent for a tablet and provides a good smart display experience.

    In terms of performance, the Tensor G2 chip offers enough power for everyday tasks without any issues. However, the tablet’s screen refresh rate is capped at 60Hz, which can make the overall performance feel sluggish compared to other devices with higher refresh rates.

    The Pixel Tablet provides the full Pixel experience on a larger screen, running on Android 13. It offers Google apps, Pixel-specific features, and a Material You design. However, some apps may not be optimized for the larger screen, and the absence of an official stylus or keyboard attachment limits their productivity potential.

    While the Pixel Tablet aims to excel in smart home integration, its Hub Mode falls short compared to dedicated Nest Hubs. It lacks features like Continued Conversation support and multiple Voice Match users. However, it performs well for basic tasks that require an interface, and the dock-centric setup ensures the tablet is always charged and ready to use.

    The battery life of the Pixel Tablet is standard, lasting around 10 hours with typical use. The cameras on the tablet are average, with both front and rear shooters being 8MP and limited to 1080p/30fps video recording.

    The Google Pixel Tablet caters to a specific niche, offering a hybrid experience as a portable slate and a smart display. While it may not match the performance and features of other Android tablets or provide a complete Nest Hub experience, it is a suitable option for those on a budget seeking a basic smart display and a user-friendly Android tablet.