Sony Tablet S vs. iPad 2
We recently did a quick Sony Tablet P review the same day that it was released in UK stores. Although it has a lot of promise, we are not really convinced with Sony’s offering especially because of the clamshell design. Now let us look at its older brother, the Sony Tablet S
but this time we will compare it to the most preferred tablet this year, the Apple iPad 2. Let us determine the winner between Sony Tablet S vs. iPad 2.
Looks
Although iPad 2 is the best looking tablet out there, the Sony Tablet S
is not far behind. The Tablet S is similar in size to the iPad, but with a different shape. Its wedge-like structure makes typing easier when the tablet is placed on a flat desk.
Price
Update: Since we wrote this article, the price of the Sony Tablet S has been reduced. We’ve added price comparisons to make it easier for you to get the best deal.
Since the Sony Tablet S
EDGE: Sony Tablet S
You may notice from the price comparison table below that the Sony Tablet S is listed by its model number at most online stores. I think you’ll agree that “Sony SGPT111US/S Wi-Fi Tablet” isn’t a very catchy name.
Delivering the perfect combination of hardware, rich network services, and seamless usability, the Sony Tablet S offers a high-quality, engaging $389.99 All our innovations folded into one. All the great things you know from Sony, now in a tablet. With a comfortable design that fits easily in your $399.99 Apple iPad X10LL/A Tablet (16GB, Wifi, White) NEWEST MODEL $422.95 Available in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology Dual-core A5 chip Front and back cameras Up to 10 hours of $499.00 Sony SGPT111US/S Tablet S - Android 3.1 Honeycomb, NVIDIA Tegra 2, 1GB Internal Memory, 16GB Storage, 9.4 1280x800, WiFi, Dual Cameras $499.99 Display 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch $529.00Merchant Product Price Buy Now 
Sony SGPT111US/S 9.4 Tablet S, NVIDIA Tegra 250, 16GB Storage, NVIDIA Graphics, Android 3.1 (Honeycomb)
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Sony SGPT111US/S Wi-Fi Tablet (16GB)
Go to Store
Apple iPad 2 Tablet (16GB, Wifi,) NEWEST MODEL
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Apple iPad 2 with Wi-Fi (Black, 16GB)
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Sony SGPT111US/S 16GB Tablet S
Go to Store
Apple - iPad 2 with Wi-Fi - 16GB- Black
Go to Store
Hardware
Now that we’re done with the price, let us move on to the hardware specs. The Sony Tablet S runs on a NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor while the iPad 2 is powered by Apple’s own A5 processor. Both have clock speed of 1 GHz but the Tablet S doubles the iPad’s RAM, 512 MB to 1 GB.
The screen of the Tablet S is slightly smaller (9.4 inches) than the iPad (9.7 inches) but it has a higher resolution at 1280 by 800 pixels compared to iPad’s 1024 by 768 pixels. The selling point of the display of the Tablet S is Sony’s TruBlack technology. It effectively lessens reflections from sunlight for high contrast and visibility for a strain free use indoors or outdoors. The iPad 2 suffers reflections when used outdoors so the Tablet S has the edge in this category.
As for the batteries, the iPad 2 lasts 2 hours longer than the Tablet S. Sony’s tablet uses a lithium-ion 5000mAh that lasts up to 8 hours while the iPad 2 runs on a lithium-polymer battery and will stay on for at most 11 hours.
Besides the price and processor clock speed, another area where the Tablet S and iPad 2 are similar is in the cameras. Both have front and rear cameras although the rear camera of the Tablet S is better (5 MP against 0.7 MP for the iPad 2). Both rear cameras can also record 720p videos.
EDGE: Even
OS and Apps
This one is another Android and iOS battle. The Sony Tablet S runs on Android 3.1 (Honeycomb) so most of the OS’s features will be available. Users can upgrade to Android 3.2 if they want. As to which OS is better, check out our Android vs iOS article.
The Tablet S is preloaded with Social Feeds and Select App. The former allows you to connect with your Facebook and Twitter account easily by aggregating the updates into a single stream. The Select App is a portal to the Android Market. Sony also includes a File Transfer utility for easy transfers from and to the tablet and the SD card slot.
Besides the plethora of Android games available for the Tablet S, it will also run classic PSX and even PSP games. They are supposed to be downloaded via Sony’s PlayStation Network but as of this writing, the number of games is yet to be determined. Meanwhile, you can enjoy PSX classics Crash Bandicoot and Pinball Heroes that are preloaded with the Tablet S.
EDGE: Tablet S
Summary of Specs
| iPad 2 | Sony Tablet S | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 9.5 by 7.31 by 0.34 inches (Wi-Fi +3G model) | 9.5 by 6.86 by 0.4 inches |
| Operating System | iOS 4 and later | Android 3.1 (Honeycomb), to be upgradeable to Android 3.2 |
| Weight | WiFi (603.277g) WiFi 3G (607.813g) | 598 grams |
| Storage | 16GB, 32GB, 64GB | 16GB, 32GB |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology, 3G | WiFi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, 3G, Infrared (IR) Remote |
| Display | 9.7 inches (diagonal), LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology. 1024 by 768 pixel resolution at 132ppi | 9.4 inches capacitive touch panel, 10 points detection TruBlack display |
| Processor | 1GHz dual-core Apple A5 | NVIDIA Tegra 2 mobile processor with Dual Core ARM Cortext –A9 CPU |
| Camera | Back camera: video recording, HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio, still camera with 5x zoom; front camera: video recording, VGA up to 30 frames per second with audio, VGA-quality still camera | Face focus VGA camera (front), 5.0 megapixel camera (rear) |
| Battery Life | Built-in 25 watt hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery, up to 11 hours (9 hours 3G), charging via power adapter or USB to computer system | Li-ion 5000mAh,8 hours based on standard usage |
Sony Tablet S Vs iPad 2 – Verdict
Head to head, both tablets are amazingly similar. Although the Sony Tablet S has a higher RAM, we cannot deny the speed of the iPad 2. Actually, both have similar scores on a number of benchmark tests. The number of apps that can result from the merging of an Android and Sony is interesting. The Tablet S could be iPad’s most serious contender but only the number of sales can tell. As for our pick between the Sony Tablet S vs iPad 2, we go with the Tablet S. Why? Simply because we love PlayStation.
Click Here for more info and reviews of the Apple iPad 2 Tablet
Click Here for more info and reviews of the Sony Tablet S
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After reading this article i think sony is best…
very nice post
thanks for the information….
Thank you for stopping by!
Hi Olan
2012 might be the year that I am going to get myself a tablet. Nice to see that there is good alternatives to the expensive iPad.
Hi Thomas,
Thanks for the visit. There are a lot of alternatives to the iPad and the Tablet S is one of them. If you want it cheaper then you can go for Amazon’s Kindle Fire.
Hi Olan,
Good article. I use both PC and Mac, recently received the Sony S as a gift and very pleased with it. For me resolution is very important and the quality of the screen is fantastic. Speed wise, its fast and the more I use it, the less I use my laptop (ProBook and Toshiba!).
Hey, how about you suggesting to the manufacturer…a tablet screen on a laptop. Something that can be removed. I often use Photoshop on my Mac/PC and it would be good to ‘undock’ the screen and take it with me…don’t forget my 5% commission!
Merry Christmas,
Charles.
Hi Charles,
Thanks for visiting. Yes, that would be great. It would be similar to Asus Transformer Prime, although it was a tablet with a dock and not a laptop with removable screen.
Very nice blog. The differences between the two are very clear. The comparison that you have mentioned are, mostly important. Two thumbs up!
However.. The verdict.. You chose the Tablet S, simply because you Love Play Station?? That’s something.
That’s a FUnnY Reason.. LOL!
Great information. Appreciated. Please continue the good work. Thank you very much.
It is all true.. i have a Sony s tablet and my niece a Ipad 2.. and yes.. the Sony wins at a few things… one thing the Sony have is the mini usb port and SD card slot.. something the Ipad 2 doesn’t have
agreed, Tablet S is way better than the ipad 2….in fact, ios 5 took the notification screen idea from Android
I am really happy because I had found a great alternative instead of being getting an ipad. This article just confirmed that I made the best decition buying my sony tablet s.
Thanks for the insights. I have read complaints about the GPS. I’m heading to France in the near future and would like to rely on it for direction. Any comment?
The GPS on the Tablet S works fine. Although it usually takes longer to get a first fix than my android phone.
The tablet picks up more satellites than the phone, but with a lower signal power.. it usually takes 1 or 2 minutes to lock GPS.
Try the “GPS Test” free market app to test you GPS, it displays information about visible satellites and their signal power.
Btw, I owned and ipad 2, and didn’t like the low res screen so I swapped it for a Sony tablet S.
The S is much nicer to hold because of the “bend”, it’s also lighter and the screen is awesome.
the only thing where the ipad2 excels is in the battery time.
As a current user of a Tablet S and former user of an iPAD 2, I have to tell you the camera specs you mentioned for the iPad 2 are wrong as the back camera is only “.9″ MP and you are correct, the front is “.3″ MP… Eitherr way, the Tablet S wins in this area as well.
thanks for the correction. The specs sheet says the iPad rear camera is 0.7 MP.
Any word yet on how many psp or original titles this will have for it??? I myself have neither product
I do have an iPod 4 and honestly Im not that much of a fan…. I find it’s really bad for dropping connection freezing and battery life still!!!! Anyway I’m leaning towards a Sony cause I uav had there products all my life and the rarely break… Honestly I have a trintron Sony videa tv from 1986 and it’s still working and looks just as good as day my parents bought it….that’s twenty five yrs people how many products do u have that last that long…. I’m on my third iPod by the way!!! So yes excellent article and I’m goin buy a Sony!!!! Sorry Steve but your prices to high, I’m also not stupid enough to keep falli g for this rebuy crap every yr!!!!! And your app store sucks period…… Stoping people from getting free aps cause the have a prepaid credit card on file???? Like I said just one more reason apple is goin fall far far from the tree!!!!! Trust me it will happen!!!
Thanks for such insightful comment Blaze! I believe there are lots of games for it now via the PSN.
Hi Olan,
Ur Blog was useful , for me Sony has been my world , every other product that i could possible have for my day to day use. and I’m a die hard fan of PlayStation ( have all 3 consoles ) had the first edition of of Sony walk man phones , and kept upgrading and now its an xperia arc , was thinking of a tablet to add to the collection and ur blog gives me one good reason to purchase it, if not i had my preferences over i pad 2 / Samsung galaxy tab. Thanks for Enlightening if not i would have sloshed so much over any one of those two
hi! thanks to this review. i get to know better the sony tablet that we bought for our six year old son