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Sony took a wild stab at the tablet market last year with its Tablet S, which we loved. Now details have leaked about a new tablet coming from the tech giant just in time for Christmas, and we have all the specs and photos.
The new Xperia tablet (first spotted over at the XDA Developers) will supposedly feature a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3, an 8-megapixel rear facing camera, 1-megapixel front facing camera, 6000mAh battery. It’s set to hit the market some time after September in three storage variants — 16GB for $US399.99, 32GB for $US499.99 and 64GB for $US599.99.
It’s set to feature a splash-proof, aluminium-magnesium alloy body weighing 570 grams. It’s slated to be 42 per cent thinner than the Sony Tablet S, too, meaning it’s going to be even prettier than the rolled-up magazine form factor we loved so much about the Sony Tablet S. The screen will feature an anti-fingerprint coating and it will also support the TruBlack we see in Sony’s Bravia televisions.
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One of the most interesting things about the new Xperia tablet will be the Microsoft Surface-style keyboard featured in the leaked images. Sony describe it as a “slim and light-weight stylish cover to protect the screen [to] enhance customer’s productivity with a built in keyboard”.
One of the problems with tablets is often connectivity. The debate over the inclusion of a dedicated HDMI port for connected streaming, DLNA or even an AirPlay alternative is likely to be rendered moot with the new Xperia tablet, considering that it boasts what Sony is calling the MultiPort — a proprietary port that can support HDMI and even USB connectivity through use of an external cable.
Finally, Sony will reportedly support multiple user accounts on the new Xperia tablet. Owner mode and guest mode will allow people to secure their data while still letting someone else use it.
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These images were originally leaked onto XDA Forums by sources close to Sony who have since been in contact with us here at Gizmodo Australia, and it’s worth noting (like all leaks) that this could be bunk. The proximity to the German-based tech fair IFA on 31 August, meaning that Sony is likely showing off new hardware privately in the lead-up to the show, so the fact that this is legitimate isn’t completely beyond the pale.