CES: Sony talks up Walkman, Vita and Tablet P releases

LAS VEGAS: Sony kicked off its 2012 CES in grand fashion, unveiling a range of devices including tablets, handsets and TVs.

President and chief executive Sir Howard Stringer, along with Kaz Hirai and chief operating officer Phil Molynaux, showcased the company's latest and upcoming offerings for the consumer mobility and home entertainment markets.

Sony was keen to promote its foldable dual-screen Tablet P, which sports a pair of screens that can be used as a single display or split to function as separate screens and touch controllers. The Tablet P is being offered as a portable alternative to the company's Tablet S Android model.

"Tablet S has been incredibly well-received and now we're adding Tablet P," said Molynaux.

"It drops easily into a jacket pocket or purse."

The company also gave new information on its Vita portable gaming device. Set for launch in the US on 22 February, it will support the Sony Entertainment Network, including Netflix and the company's new Music Unlimited Network.

"Vita users will have all their games, TV episodes and videos at their fingertips whenever they want," Hirai noted.

Hirai, who has been named as a possible successor to Stringer as Sony president, also revealed a new Sony handset. The Android-powered Xperia Ion will be among the first devices from the newly branded Sony Mobility Communications. The LTE handset will be offered in the US with mobile carrier AT&T.

Molynaux also announced a refresh to the company's Network TV platform. The web-connected TV platform will sport a new touchscreen controller device and will also integrate with Android tablets and handsets.

In the media player space, Sony will continue its Walkman brand. The Walkman Z series devices will run Android and will offer support for streaming media files, as well as HDMI and DLNA video output connectivity.

As with many vendors exhibiting at CES 2012, Sony has made TV development a top attraction. The company said it would be expanding its 3D offerings with a new set of active 3D titanium glasses. The company also unveiled X-Reality Pro, a system which improves the quality of compressed web video on TV sets.

Sony also highlighted its efforts for the home theatre space, with the addition of a 4K-enabled home projector. The company said that it eventually hopes to integrate the ultra-high density video platform into its home TV lines.