Sony unveils two Android-based tablets to rival iPad

Electronics giant Sony has unveiled two new Android-based tablet devices it believes will challenge the iPad for dominance in the fast-growing tablet sector, using unusual features such as dual-screen technology and a high powered media suite to stand apart from the crowd.

But the announcement is overshadowed by recent sales figure from Apple, which show the iPad sold 4.69 million units in the March quarter.

And Telsyte research director Foad Fadaghi says competition within the Android-based tablet market is making it harder for new entrants to succeed – even from major corporations.

“With any Android tablet that comes out, there is definitely stiff competition,” he says. “Although the new Sony devices look good, and they are slightly different from the rest of the pack, the feeling is that they will be competing with existing Androids more than iPads.”

Sony announced yesterday it will release two new tablets – the S1 and the S2, although it says these titles are just code names for now. The S1 is designed for entertainment consumption, while the S2 will be tailored towards mobile communication and entertainment.

Both tablets will be WiFi and 3G/4G enabled. Using Sony’s Qriocity media software, users can access videos, games, books and other Sony devices.

No details about pricing and release dates have been announced other than a general 2011 timetable, although Sony devices tend to run at a premium when first launched.

The real difference is in the appearance of the tablets themselves. The S1 has a 9.4 inch display, but the S2 is actually made up of two 5.5-inch displays – similar to the design of the Nintendo DS portable gaming handset. Users will be able to perform one function on one screen, and another on the second at the same time.

The S1 tablet also uses infared technology to work as a remote control for AV devices, and users will be able to display content from a tablet onto another Sony television device using a wireless network.

The announcement of the new tablets comes as there has been a rush of new Android-based tablets in the past six months, with many debuting at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in January. Motorola has wowed the crowd with its Xoom tablet, running on the powerful Honeycomb software, while Samsung has continued pushing its Galaxy device.

But Fadaghi says the ever-growing number of Android tablets that are attempting to take down Apple’s position at the top will make it harder for new entrants to stand out. As a result, many companies are trying new features – such as Sony with its dual screen technology.”

“The market is certainly improving, and we’re beginning to see a lot of differentiation among Android devices, whether it be around the screen style or other things.”

Fadaghi says the competition now isn’t so much focused on taking down Apple, but rather about the Android devices fighting among themselves for the remainder of the market.

“The Android platform is basically subject to the level of exposure and development that Google gives to all its partners, so there isn’t very much by way of exclusivity there.”

And he also points out that while the iPad 2 has taken off locally, “we haven’t yet seen an Android hit in Australia. It’s a little bit of a ‘wait and see’ situation right now, although it will appeal to some people who don’t want an Apple product.”

Sony deputy president of consumer products and services Kunimasa Suzuki said in a statement the Sony tablets are designed to “create a new lifestyle by integrating consumer hardware… with content and network”.