Sony, Samsung and Toshiba Tablets Announced in One Day
Archive note. This story reflects what was known when it was first covered. Prices, availability and carrier offers are historical. For the current picture, start with the topic guides.
Samsung
The 7.7 uses a Super AMOLED screen at 1280 x 800 and a dual-core 1.5 GHz processor, with Honeycomb 3.2 and TouchWiz on top. The 5100 mAh battery was rated for about 10 hours, the body is under 8 mm thick, storage ranges from 16 to 64 GB, and there is a microSD slot, which the 10.1 lacked.
The Note is a phone and tablet hybrid with a screen of about 5 inches, a dual-core 1.4 GHz processor, 1280 x 800 resolution and 16 or 32 GB of storage with a microSD slot. It comes with a pen. The author worried that such a small hybrid might not find buyers, as a similar earlier device had not sold well.
Sony
The Tablet S has a 9.4-inch screen and a Tegra 2 processor at 1 GHz. Its battery was expected to last about 8 hours. The 16 GB model comes in Wi-Fi or 3G, the 32 GB model in Wi-Fi only, and the camera is a modest 5.1 MP with a VGA front camera. The Tablet P is a clamshell with two 5.5-inch screens and the same processor, with only 4 GB of storage.
Toshiba
The Excite was billed as the thinnest tablet yet. It uses a dual-core 1.2 GHz TI OMAP processor, offers 16 to 64 GB of storage, and has a user-replaceable battery, a USB port and VGA out. It was aimed squarely at Samsung’s Tab 10.1.
Comparison
| Model | Screen | Storage (GB) | Processor | Battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Note | 5.3 in | 16/32 | Dual 1.4 GHz | About 2500 mAh |
| Samsung 7.7 | 7.7 in | 16/32/64 | Dual 1.5 GHz | 10 hours (5100 mAh) |
| Sony S | 9.4 in | 16/32 | Tegra 2 1 GHz | 8 hours |
| Sony P | Dual 5.5 in | 4 | Tegra 2 1 GHz | 7 hours |
| Toshiba Excite | 10.1 in | 16/32/64 | Dual 1.2 GHz | 8 to 10 hours |
Frequently asked questions
Which ran Honeycomb?
All of the tablets except the Note were listed with Android 3.2. The Note was listed with 2.3.
Which had a removable battery?
The Toshiba Excite.
Are these tablets still usable?
They are very old and no longer receive updates.