We already knew it was coming, but Sony officially announced the Xperia Tablet S at its IFA 2012 press conference today. The XTS will be Sony’s first tablet under the Xperia sub-brand as it joins an army of Android smartphones with the same naming scheme. The new device will feature a 9.4-inch HD OptiContrast display, Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, full-sized SD card slot, slimmer aluminum body splash-proof design, and Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich. The tablet can also be used as a universal IR remote control and supports a guest mode feature, both of which you can learn more about below.
The Xperia Tablet S is up for pre-order starting today and it’s scheduled to be released on September 7. The 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models will be available for $399, $499 and $599, respectively. Read on for more details on features.
CONTROL THE LIVING ROOM
Building on the popularity of the universal remote control feature in the previous model, the Xperia Tablet S has enhanced this feature by adding macro functionality, allowing the ability to turn on multiple devices of most brands, including TV, Blu-ray Disc™ player and audio system, with the touch of one button. Consumers can easily program sequenced commands such as “Watch TV” or Play Music” and perform the sequences with one tap on the screen.
To further enhance the living room experience, Sony will offer a new app called Watch Now, which enriches the TV watching experience. Watch Now provides an interactive, visual program guide fueled by personal preference and real-time trends from users’ social media feeds. TV fans can use the app to discover new shows based on intelligent recommendations from the app, change the channel with a flick of the finger and share their thoughts on what they are watching via Twitter™, Facebook® and Get Glue. The Sony exclusive app will be available for download for the Xperia Tablet S in the US from Google Play™ at launch.
“We know that eighty-eight percent of tablet owners in the US are using their tablets in the living room,¹ and are multi-tasking with their tablets while watching TV,” said Phil Lubell, vice president of networked technologies and services at Sony Electronics. “We wanted to enhance that living room experience by providing interactive and useful features with the Xperia Tablet S.”
BEYOND THE LIVING ROOM
Not only will Xperia Tablet S owners be able to control their living room, but they can also control content on the device for various other people using Sony’s new exclusive Guest Mode feature. Guest Mode allows for personalized configurations for different users by displaying different wallpaper, applications and widgets. The tablet owner can manage access for any friend or family member by regulating which apps and widgets are accessible by others. Guest Mode can provide parents with a strong parental control tool by offering more supervision over what content their children can consume.
“Tablets are no longer just a personal device, but are being shared by family members, and we heard from consumers that they wanted to have parental controls. It was important for us to provide parents with a solution for controlling what content their children could access from the tablet,” Lubell added.
Xperia Tablet’s splash proof design helps provide assurance that the tablet is protected from the elements. With an IPX-4 splash proof rating, the Xperia Tablet S can withstand splashing water at all angles when the multi-port cover is in place. Even with wet hands the LCD screen will still recognize touch gestures, making the device a perfect companion in the kitchen and beyond.
SONY APPS
Preloaded onto the device are the Sony Entertainment Network Services, giving consumers access to their favorite songs, movies and TV shows with a single sign on:
· Purchase or rent on-demand hit movies and TV shows anytime you want with Video Unlimited.
· Discover and listen to millions of songs from all your favorite artists with a Music Unlimited subscription, now with the ability to cache playlists for offline listening.
· Store your photos and videos in the cloud and share on any device at any time with friends through PlayMemories Online™ service.
Book lovers can also purchase and read their favorite eBooks with the pre-loaded Reader™ application and manage their bookshelf across multiple devices, including Sony Reader and Xperia Smartphones. This fall, Sony Xperia Tablet S owners will also be able to enjoy dedicated content from PlayStation®Mobile on their tablets.
Small Apps allow tablet owners to truly multi-task by using a minimized version of the browser, calculator, remote control, recorder, timer, memo or clip simultaneously while using another application. Any widgets downloaded to the device can also be added to the Small Apps.
Scrapbook, a new app available at launch, allows users to clip from websites, services or apps to create their own scrapbooks. Users can then share clips or scrapbooks as images across multiple apps. Users can download Socialife, a fun, stylish viewer to manage your social networking sites and news feeds in one place. Lastly, Sony offers three media applications, WALKMAN®, Album and Movies, allowing users to consume their content in feature rich and easy-to-use apps.
TABLET ACCESSORIES
Users can personalize their Xperia Tablet S with a new line of optimized accessories (sold separately). The Cover with Keyboard features a thin keyboard that connects via the device’s multi-port, so no pairing is needed. The Docking Stand is sleek, stylish and adds functionality with three USB ports and one HDMI port. Other accessories include a Simple Stand, Carrying Cover in seven stylish colors, a Charging Cradle and a Dock Speaker.
Xperia Tablet S Accessories:
Cover with Keyboard – $99.99
Docking Stand – $99.99
Simple Stand – $24.99
Carrying Cover –$50.99 – $79.99
Charging Cradle – $39.99
Dock Speaker – $129.99, available November