Sony Xperia Tablet S

“The Sony Xperia Tablet S is fairly unique in design and features, but established competitors and relative newcomers like Barnes&Noble are providing excellent products of their own at very competitive price points. So, while the Xperia Tablet S might be a good companion to your other Sony gadgets, it probably won't be the Android tablet that makes it big.”

“The Sony Xperia Tablet S is a competent if a little underwhelming 9.4in Android tablet. It's slimmer and lighter than its predecessor, and has a decent screen and processor upgrade. Ultimately its appeal will come down purely to how its priced.”

“The Xperia Tablet S was Sony's second chance at getting the Android tablet space right. It also represented an opportunity for the company to extend the esteemed Xperia brand to another product category. If we were to judge it based solely on its ergonomic build, then yes, the S wins high marks for comfort. We're not entirely sold on this folded-over magazine shape as a standard for the line going forward, but for now it works, and we're eager to see how it evolves over time. Unfortunately, the S also misses the mark in everyday performance, doling out an uneven software experience that stumbles more than it pleases. Granted, most tablets we've tested hiccup at least a little, but for $399 you might be better off low-balling it for the same specs. While the Xperia Tablet S does feel like an improvement over its predecessor, it ultimately leans too much on the crutch of signature design while skimping on a polished user experience.”

“The Xperia Tablet S is one of my favorite Android tablets yet, but to be honest I can't totally explain why. I suppose it's because it's one of the few devices I've tested with no glaring flaws — there's no hideous UI skin, no major performance issues, no critical features missing. I like most (but not all) of Sony's software additions. I've used the remote features a lot, more than I expected to. Guest Mode made the Tablet S more amenable to social situations than any other tablet I've used, too. But at the end of the day, the $399 Xperia Tablet S is double the price of the Nexus 7, a tablet with virtually identical specs (even the screen is the same resolution, though it's smaller), Google's latest and greatest OS, and the promise of timely updates in the future. Sony's case for the price premium is more compelling than most other tablet makers — primarily its remote control capability — but unless you're dying to replace your Logitech Harmony, it's hard to recommend against saving $200 and buying a Nexus 7.”