Sony's
second Android tablet intrigued us. We're always willing to give another form factor a
try and in the Tablet P (£500), we certainly had that. While the Tablet S's wedge profile stood it out a little from the
rest of the prone slabs, the P piqued our interest with an unusual clamshell
form factor. Once the two 5.5-inch screens are folded together, the tablet has
a pretty tiny footprint and just about fits into a jacket pocket. It's the
third PlayStation-certified device, arriving proudly emblazoned with the four
symbol trademark, and a second screen capable of doubling-up as both a
controller for games or as a laptop-style keyboard. However, those twin screens
require some not-so cosmetic adjustments to the Honeycomb experience we're used
to and this is where we're most interested in seeing how Sony fared. Is the
unique design implemented well enough? How does it fare as a games machine? Can
a clamshell pull potential tablet buyers away from the iPad and a legion of
sameish Android tablets? Crack open our review to find the answer to those
questions and much more.
Android tablets
are becoming more common each and everyday but most all of them look and feel
the same. There may be a difference of brand quality, but overall the design is
always the same. Recently, Sony introduced two new Android tablets, one
features a typical tablet design and is known as theSony Tablet S, but the other one, the Sony Tablet P, sports a completely
different look. The device is actually the first ever "foldable"
Android powered tablet which features two 5.5-inch dual-touchscreen displays
with Sony's TruBlack technology (also used in Sony's Bravia TV range).
Unfortunately,
having a unique design and a prestigious brand name equals a hefty price tag.
Sony launched the 3G version of the Tablet P in the UK where it costs £500 or
approx. $750. We're hoping the price will be different in the US, but unless it
drops a few hundred dollars, it's safe to say this thing will be DOA.
Along the narrow right edge, there
is a micro-USB socket and a dedicated AC port, which worked fine with our PSP
adapter. A fiddly volume rocker's also made its home here, next to the mic,
with a single speaker located on the opposite edge. Yes, a single speaker.
Unfortunately, the sound quality is hugely disappointing -- especially given
how impressed we were with the PlayStation Vita's audio prowess. The Tablet P gives out some of the weediest,
tinniest sound we've heard on a tablet; if you're looking give your media a
public showing, then you'll have to crank up the rocker to the max. The
removable plastic shell gives access to the SIM card on the top, and the battery
and microSD card below. Yes, it's microSD, not the full-sized card we were told
to expect.
The
hinges protrude from the back, but are designed in a way to bring the two
halves as close together as possible once the device is opened for use. After
doing so, you'lll find two two sheer black surfaces reflecting back at you. The
only undulations here are the front-facing VGA camera and a slight nub on the
lower edge -- something for your fingers to grip at to open and also the
placement of the notification light, which acts similarly to the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray. It will emit a green hue when emails and social
network notifications arrive, while a troubled red-orange hue appears when the
device is getting short on battery life.
The
pair of 5.5-inch screens are identical. Both of the 1,024 x 480 screens have
Sony's TruBlack LCD technology, promising deeper darks and brighter whites, and
it gives a respectable performance. Dual AMOLED would have been nicer, and if
the 5.3-inch Galaxy Note can manage it, what's in an extra 0.2 inches? Viewing
angles are passable, although in comparison to the PlayStation Vita, possibly
the pinnacle of Sony's portable screen technology so far, they're certainly not
the greatest. There's a blueish hue given off by the screens at indirect
angles. Fortunately, by the sheer virtue of it the clamshell, you don't have to
fear that the (non-Gorilla Glass) screen will come to much harm, unlike its
sister, the Tablet S. The P also differs from its sibling in that it comes
without an IR emitter, which is a shame, given its portable size. We also found
that our UK review unit had a lot of issues maintaining WiFi reception --
typically one or two bars less than other nearby wireless devices -- although
we didn't seem to have the same problems with a Japanese retail model.
Software
As we mentioned earlier, Sony had to meddle with the stock Honeycomb experience to get it to work with the P's dual displays. This includes a new launcher along the top of the screen. Alongside the stock Google search box, you'll find shortcuts to mail, a social feed hub and video content. Next to the app drop-down menu in the top right corner, there's also a favorites shortcut, providing a glossy UI to all your Sony-bought content and self-made videos. The app menu has also been given a white coat of paint, and icons will occasionally glimmer. Of these, most third-party apps won't fill out the two screens. A handful, however, have been crafted for the Tablet P. The stock web browser rolls smoothly between the two screens, with the second screen taking responsibility for the keyboard input when necessary. It's here where the dual-screen setup shines. While the bezel between them may jar a little, pages load swiftly (if the device manages to hold onto a wireless signal) and Flash content loads untroubled, as long as you don't force it to fit one or both screens.
Gaming
Sony still hasn't
really galvanized the game selection since the Tablet S. Fortunately, Sony was
running a festive game promotion when we got our hands on the clamshell model,
though the selection remained particularly underwhelming, free or not. It's
worrying when the oft-maligned game selection of the Xperia Play trumps what we
get here. Games play similarly to the Tablet S, with the ability to reassign
(and re-size) the location of those familiar PlayStation gaming buttons to
suit. This is a clever tweak, providing an adjustable controller that can adapt
to your own hands -- and bring those pesky collar buttons into use. Despite
this, it doesn't quite match the fast-twitch response of the physical controls
afforded on both the Vita and Xperia Play, but for the likes of Kula World and Crash Bandicoot, they're up to the task. We'd probably avoid the
driving titles, though.
