Sony goes it alone for Android tablets

Japanese electronics giant Sony has made a foray into the Android tablet space with two devices devoid of any Ericsson branding. The company has shown off prototypes of the two devices, which will be available in the autumn, but is keeping the development in house rather than through its handset joint venture, Sony Ericsson.

The two devices, codenamed S1 – optimised for entertainment – and S2 – designed for mobile communication, are based on Android 3.0 and wifi and 3G or 4G compatible.

The S1 has a 9.4-inch display with an off-centre of gravity design for added stability, while the S2 has two 5.5-inch displays that can be folded for easy portability. The displays can be combined and used as one large screen or for different functions.

The devices will work as universal remote controls for a variety of AV devices under Sony’s Bravia portfolio and through DLNA functionality, users can “throw” personal content to large screen televisions or music to wireless speakers.