Sony is giving it their best effort to take on Apple’s iPad and the array of other Android tablet’s inching for a #2 spot in the tablet work. Sony’s tablets, code named S1 and S2 consist of a single screen 9.4-inch tablet and a dual 5.5-inch screened tablet, both sporting 3G/4G and WiFi and will run on Google’s Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet-optimized OS.

Sony knows about dual screens, with the Nintendo DS, so it’s no big surprise to see them entering the dual-screen tablet world. Apps would have to be optimized for dual-screen viewing on the S2, but that wouldn’t be anything too difficult for developers if the hardware is popular enough to support it. The lower screen could be an area for navigation, or a virtual keyboard, while the top screen for displaying your content.

The single screen S1 9.4-inch tablet is shaped like a wedge, making the majority of the weight “off center” to give it a more stable center of gravity. Good idea Sony.

You can expect them in Q3 of 2011, no firm date of release is set yet, but this should put Sony in view for the shopping season.

[Sony JP]

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Will Sony’s rumored “S1 tablet” concept live up to the expectations set by Apple’s miraculous iPad? If not, will they supersede them? Let’s face it- the main things we all look for nowadays are versatility, battery life, and affordability. We have yet to see anything from one of the biggest players out there, Sony, and if anyone can pull it off to take a second place in the tablet world next to Apple it is Sony.

It might be a little bit hard to buy a protective case to a product with a distinguishable “curve” design, which was intended to provide a more user-friendly experience and resemble that of a folded up magazine. Will this cause a problem in storing the Sony tablet in your backpack that’s designed for a flat surfaced device like all other tablets that currently exist? I think so. Will it just be more vulnerable to injury? Probably. There are usually bad endings to dropping any gadget on the ground…but with a weird curve the Sony tablet ends up being, if it ever reaches the light of day, more vulnerable. Why this design was used for a portable gaming machine is beyond me, but Sony will have to answer to that when they bring it to the limelight.

Taking a better look at the bigger picture, the fine details of the supposed device are a close comparison to what we see out there now with many competitors challenging the iPad. A 9.4-inch tablet with a 1280 x 800 crystal clear fingerprint-resistant screen and an LED backlight, this should help with battery life.

The S1′s release has slipped by, and according to engadget a $600 price tag for the Wi-Fi model would be expected. When is the remaining question.

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