The New Xperia Tablet S In Singapore!

21 December 2012, Singapore – The new Xperia Tablet S from Sony  finally hit the stores in Singapore starting today, just in time for Christmas.

The Xperia Tablet S is the refined version of the previous Sony Tablet S. It adopts the same ergonomic “folded-magazine” shape, which give users a comfortable firm grip when using the tablet. The Xperia Tablet S is of course thinner and lighter (585 g for the 3G Model), which makes it an attractive travel companion.

Apart from being thinner and lighter, the Xperia Tablet S is also splash proof! This is quite an attractive feature for a device that is meant to be used everywhere. Imagine using it in the kitchen or bathroom where the risk of splashes is higher. Sony has designed it for real-life use around the home and on-the-go, so there’s no need to worry about casual water spillages.

Another notable feature is that the Xperia Tablet S can be used as a universal remote for other devices you own at home such as your TV, home entertainment system. The infrared universal remote control is enhanced with a new Macro function that stores a time-saving sequence of commands for instant recall at a single touch. This means that you can use the Xperia Tablet S to switch on your TV, cable box and home entertainment system, select inputs, adjust volume and more just by a single tap.

This tablet was scheduled to be launched earlier, but it was plagued with sealing issues that causes gaps between the screen and the case, which makes it vulnerable to water damage (no longer splash proof). The launch of this device would mean that the issue is now resolved! It is great news for users who have been waiting to get their hands on this device.

At a glance, the Metropolitant Team were a little disappointed with the specs for Sony’s latest offering on the tablet. Firstly, the Xperia Tablet S is preloaded with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), which is not the latest OS that Android has to offer. But this is a small issue that can be resolved at a later time with the software updates.

Secondly, display wise, it is not the most high-definition screen currently available on the market. Of course we are making comparisons with Apple’s Retina display and Samsung’s HD Super AMOLED display. However, to be fair, it may be just decent enough for normal use.

Our third gripe is with the 3G-cellular connectivity. With the telcos rolling out the LTE (4G) islandw-wide coverage around the island and mobile giants Apple and Samsung releasing LTE models for their tablets, we can’t help but feel a little “outdated” if we were to use the Xperia Tablet S. We have raved about the LTE connection on the Apple iPad Mini and the Samsung Galaxy Note II. We think that consumers would opt for this connectivity for their mobile devices in the near future.

That being said, the Metropolitant Team reserved any judgments and concluding remarks on this device until we have formally reviewed it. So our advice is go to the nearest Sony store and try it out yourself before commiting to buy this device.

 Where to get it & how much?

The Xperia™ Tablet S (only 16 GB, 3G model is available) will be available from 21^st December 2012 at all Sony stores and authorised outlets at S$749.

Specifications: