Tablet computers: Sony Tablet S now $100 cheaper
Tablet computers keep getting cheaper to compete with iPad. Sony is latest manufacturer to slash prices on its line of tablet computers.
In this file photo from September, a model plays a game on Sony's new tablet computer Tablet S during a launch event in Tokyo. On Jan. 1, 2012, Sony slashed the price of its 16-gigabyte version to $399.
Koji Sasahara/AP/File
Hopefully you didn’t pick up Sony’s stylish Tablet S Android slate before the holidays, because it’s now a cool $100 cheaper.
Starting today, the Tablet S now starts at $399 for the 16 gigabyte model ($499 for the 32GB), undercutting Apple’s iPad 2 models by a full Benjamin. Sony is also throwing in five free PlayStation Classic titles, 180 days of its Music Unlimited service, as well as credits and free downloads from its Video Unlimited store.
The price cut, while significant, may be too little too late for Sony’s tablets — especially when it seems to have been purposefully positioned after the holiday buying season. Reviews have found the Tablet S to be well designed but otherwise a fairly standard Android tablet. In a few months, Sony’s Tablet S (and dual-screen Tablet P) will have to contend with Apple’s iPad 3 as well as newer Android tablets running Android 4.0 “Ice Cream Sandwich.” (The Tablet S will be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich at some point, according to Sony.)
The S is Sony’s 9.4-inch direct iPad competitor, which features a slightly curved design that resembles a rolled back magazine, and supposedly makes it easier to hold with one hand. It’s powered by a dual-core Tegra 2 CPU and offers a five-megapixel rear camera.
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