Sony starts fightback against Apple with launch of tablets
SONY yesterday launched its first tablet computers, with the Japanese firm desperate to recapture the initiative from Apple’s all conquering iPad.
The devices have a wider significance for Sony, which has slipped from its pedestal as the world’s most popular electronics manufacturer to be widely seen as an also-ran, chasing the tail of rivals such as Samsung and Apple.
The tablets, codenamed the S1 and S2, will try to lure customers of its last smash-hit products, the PlayStation franchise, by allowing them to sync games on the device.
Both tablets will be wi-fi and 4G compatible. The S1 has a 9.4-inch display and a curved design that Sony says makes it easier to hold for long periods of time.
The S2 has two 5.5-inch displays in a clamshell design, which Suzuki showed off by producing one from his jacket pocket during the launch.
The devices will run a tweaked version of Google’s Android operating system, which will allow users to “throw” media content onto Sony TVs and stereo systems.
Non-Apple devices have so-far failed to seriously dent the iPad but research firm Gartner suggests sales of tablets will quadruple to about 294m between 2011 and 2015, with almost half of those Android-based.