Sony confident S1 and S2 tablets will outclass Android rivals

Sony is confident that it can become a major force in the tablet market despite having yet to launch its S1 and S2 tablets, some 18 months after Apple brought the original iPad to market.

Chris Trewhitt, product manager at Sony, told V3.co.uk that the firm needs time to "get it right" and differentiate its tablets from Android devices produced by manufacturers such as Acer and Motorola to offer a superior product.

"We will ship the Sony tablets with the latest [stock] version of Android Honeycomb, but we are working to make it a bit faster and slicker," he said at a Sony product showcase in central London.

"Come Christmas there will be a lot of entry-level devices on the market. People will see Apple's iPad as the benchmark so they will be disappointed in terms of performance if they choose a C-brand device as opposed to an A-brand Sony device."

Trewhitt stated that the Sony S1 and S2 will be aimed primarily at consumers, but that the Japanese manufacturer has not ruled out launching business-specific devices if there is sufficient demand.

Trewhitt also revealed that Sony has incorporated a number of unique features into the devices. Both will have a 'throw' function to allow users to flick video content onto any internet connected TV and continue watching on that device.