It looks like Sony may be giving Microsoft’s Surface tablet a run for its money. Leaked internal slides suggest the company is working on a new Xperia tablet that would have an optional keyboard cover/kickstand similar to Microsoft’s Surface.
Thinner and lighter than Sony’s Tablet S the company’s current top-of-the-line tablet the new Xperia tablet would also reportedly come packing a Tegra 3 quad-core processor (the same chip as the one in the Google Nexus 7), Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or later, and 3G data connectivity.
Discovered by German tech site Mobiflip, the leaked internal slideshow provides a good deal of what we might be able to expect from the next-generation tablet.
Sporting “Xperia Tablet” branding, it will have a 9.4-inch TruBlack display, Bluetooth, stereo speakers, and will have an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera as well as a 1-megapixel forward-facing cam.
The tablet will also have a guest mode, allowing you to share the tablet with a guest or family member such as a child without giving that person full access to all of the apps or content stored on your tablet.
“Tentative suggested retail prices” on one slide in the presentation suggest that tablet will be available in three different sizes and at three different price points; 16GB/$449.99, 32GB/$549.99, and 64GB /$649.99. Those price points are $50 less than the iPad for each storage size.
Optional accessories for the tablet include several covers and stands, including one with a built-in keyboard as well as another with built-in speakers.
Sony has not officially announced or commented on the tablet. The company is set to attend IFA, a European electronics show next month where it announced the Tablet S and where it might potentially reveal the tablet.
