Sony chairman and chief executive Sir Howard Stringer has confirmed that the company will release a tablet computer based on Google’s Android Honeycomb operating system.
Speaking to Japan’s Nikkei, he said that the device would appear by the end of the summer, but did not give further details. Sony has previously indicated that it was working on both a PlayStation-accredited “S1” tablet and a folding “S2” version.
Apple’s iPad has taken the vast majority of the tablet market, with some analysts suggesting they account for more than 90 per cent of all sales. Google’s Android operating system has, however, begun to apply pressure to the iPhone-maker with the launch of Honeycomb, a version of Android designed specifically for tablets.
In America, the Motorola Xoom has already launched, and it is expected in the UK imminently. Asus, too, has announced that it will introduce a Honeycomb tablet very soon. Although Sony has already worked with Android for the PlayStation-accredited Xperia Play mobile phone, it has not yet produced a tablet PC using the platform.
Demand for Apple’s new iPad 2 has, however, outstripped supply, while Samsung has admitted that its original Galaxy Tab 7” model has been hard for retailers to sell. A new version, in 9” and 10” formats, is due later in the summer.
