Folding tablet. ZTE Axon M: the first smartphone to fold out into a tablet. Impressions from the appearance of the device

Sony is a company that always strives to surprise. However, this does not mean at all that all their findings were implemented in the best way. Nevertheless, the portfolio of the Japanese giant contains such masterpieces and representatives of the classics that only for them it would be worth respecting and appreciating the concepts and mass products it presented. Many are unhappy that the company is offering inflated prices, not hesitating to include there a "tip" for originality. Despite this, the interest in the brand has been stable for several decades.

Sony Tablet P: review of a unique clamshell tablet

When the P-series tablets were introduced to consumers, many experts raised concerns about the viability of such solutions. This is primarily due to the feeling of déjà vu: micro-laptops of the P series of the same name appeared and disappeared as if they never existed. Apparently, the problem was a very specific view of the development of portable computers. But it cannot be denied that many have loved them. Now a similar "micro-solution" has been presented in the world of tablets. Let's see how successful such a reincarnation will be?

Sony Tablet P

Appearance. When folded, the tablet looks more like a pencil case, a small case or an eyeglass case. However, the strict Sony lettering and the camera lens immediately emphasize belonging to the world of hi-tech. The new device looks very, very attractive. "Cover" is made of gray metallic material. Ends: right and left and "spine" are made of glossy black plastic. In the middle there is a small recess for a comfortable grip with your fingers when opening. At the same time, on the back side there is a ledge, which is convenient to rest against with your thumb when opening the tablet. There are legs on the lower part so that the device does not scratch or slip when typing. The tablet weighs 372 grams. The dimensions in the open position are 15.8 x 8 x 1.4 cm.

Control devices.

On the right side, in the "keyboard" part, there is a volume rocker, a micro-USB connector, hidden behind a cap made of the same material, and therefore not striking. Then - the power connector. The device is charged only from the adapter with a round plug. The power supply itself is small, from it there is a tightly soldered cord to the device itself, but the power cable (from the adapter to the outlet) can be disconnected.

As a result, in a working environment, the outlet can be reached in any conditions. And then recently, manufacturers began to save even on the length of the wire, which led to the discomfort of owners of tablets of some brands.

When folded, the Sony Tablet P looks very compact

Nearby is a button for forced on / off of the device. The tablet also automatically starts working when it is opened more than 45 degrees. This is very convenient if you do not want to "shine" information, but you still need to periodically check the data on the display. Accordingly, when closed, the device turns off. Immediately it is necessary to make a reservation that the Sony Tablet P does not turn on instantly, you need to get used to it.

A small multi-colored LED indicator is located next to the power supply. When the battery level is low, it glows alarmingly red, and when fully charged, the color changes to green. During charging, the indicator is bright orange. Another color indicator, in the form of a long strip, is located on the front panel under the opening groove. It glows and blinks green, which may mean a message has arrived or an event in the calendar has been activated. The indicator is another "kawaii" (kawaii - "cute" in Japanese) thing that we have already missed. Other manufacturers - take the baton!

Connector for standard 3.5 mm. headphone or headset is located on the front edge of the bottom of the tablet, at the very right edge, so as not to interfere with typing.

Sony Tablet P interfaces and physical buttons are collected on the right side

Displays

Sony Tablet P is equipped with two screens of five and a half inches. The resolution of each is 1024x480. But you have to understand that in the end you do not get an eleven-inch tablet. First, the combined screen is almost square. And also between the screens in the fully open state there is a gap from the frames. It's not that small. Minimum 8.75 mm.

The screen is made using TruBlack technology, which provides it with sufficient contrast and good color reproduction. The backlight brightness reserve is also satisfactory. The screen fades in the sun, but making out black on white (for example, a letter) is not difficult.

Due to the fact that the Sony Tablet P has two, almost independent screens, many applications do not immediately understand how they work. They are initially launched on one of the screens. And what a joy to use an app on a display that's smaller than some modern smartphones? The pleasure is below average. To do this, in the Android interface, on the bottom command line, next to the battery level and calling the settings, there is an icon that makes the application work in full screen mode... However, when you click on it, the application ends, without any warnings. It feels like you just "fell out" of the program. However, the next time you start, the program will start on two screens. Again, this does not happen with all applications. And in some games it makes little sense. In the same glorified " Angry Birds»The entire upper screen is occupied by the stretched sky, and the action takes place on the lower screen.

Sony Tablet P's two screens barely merge into one

In principle, you can run almost any application presented on Google play... The only question is how comfortable it will be to use it with this configuration of screens. As for the speed of work, everything is fine here, even in heavy office applications, work goes without brakes. It should also be noted that, despite the presence of two displays, there are no problems with their synchronization. working together not visible.

Processor and memory

Built on an nVidia Tegra 2 processor, as everyone already knows, this is a dual-core solution. Each of the cores operates at 1 GHz. And most importantly, the chipset provides decent graphics capabilities that allow you to work fairly quickly with simple 3D graphics. This is just enough for a mobile platform, with not the highest resolution. The chip also handles high definition video.

Given the screen resolution, the need to run 1080p video seems somewhat far-fetched to us. Still, you are unlikely to look at a vertically stretched image, besides, with a slit in the middle. Therefore, it remains to view the video on one of the screens. And there the resolution cannot exceed 480 vertical pixels. So is it worth loading the processor and, accordingly, the battery with heavier videos?

Video and game viewing is possible only on one of the screens of the Sony Tablet P

A full-fledged GPS module is built into the tablet, so that the device can be used as a navigator. But then again - the gap between the screens can make you frustrated with this navigation solution.

Sony Tablet P is equipped with one gigabyte random access memory... 4 GB is provided for storing programs and content. However, the capacity can be expanded with an additional card. The expansion slot is located next to the battery under the removable bottom cover. True, there can be no talk of any "hot" replacement, to install and change the memory card you need to remove the battery. When the power is connected, the operation to change the memory card takes place even without turning off the device. Both micro SD cards and high-capacity micro SDHC cards are supported.

Wireless interfaces are represented by Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G. Full-size connector SIM card located in the upper half of the tablet, under the lid. By the way, in order to remove both the bottom and the top cover you will have to sweat. They themselves are made of very thin plastic - it is very scary to damage them.

Sony Tablet P hinges are quite tight and hold their shape

It is impossible not to dwell on the interface. Sony has always been careful about the design of its products, be it an interface or a set of “right” accessories. So in the situation with the Sony Tablet P - at first glance, it rejoices in the laconic and stylish surroundings of the working screen. All icons were redrawn and depicted in one color and stylistic solution. Icons are consistent with the desktop background. Colors - "catch" the eye. However, soon, if you start working with the tablet, all harmony will break into small fragments. Third-party icons, alas, do not know anything about the idea of \u200b\u200bthe Japanese interface engineers. And soon, between the original labels, various bright pictograms will be interspersed, destroying the original harmony.

The left side of the Sony Tablet P is absolutely smooth

The player is beautifully rendered. The top screen displays the cover of the current track or album, as well as the main controls and the "progress bar" of the song. The most interesting thing is on the lower screen, where, in addition to several playback modes, covers of your entire music collection are scattered across the working screen. They can be shuffled across the field, rotated, zoomed in and out, and naturally played back. Of course, the player works even when closed. However, playback control is not possible in this state.

The camera is also implemented outside the box. The lower screen becomes the working area of \u200b\u200bthe viewfinder. All camera controls are displayed on it. From this point of view, the camera is normal. There are various shooting modes, white balance settings, digital zoom, the ability to link "geo-tags" to the picture. A separate mode, in addition to photo and video shooting, made it possible to create photo panoramas. On the upper screen, there are stencils stylized as a film, where thumbnails of the latest photos and still frames of video clips are inserted.

Sony Tablet P is comfortable to hold

Also, one cannot help dwelling on one more application written specifically for this version of the tablet. From the name Reader it is immediately clear that this is a program for reading books. Moreover, the program skillfully plays with the design of the device itself. That is, the Sony Tablet P turns into a real open book: Displays a page of text on each screen. This is a godsend for those who yearn for traditional reading. The only other thing you could ask for is the additional flipping animation that is so mesmerizing in the original version of the Apple developer. Another additional advantage of the program is reading ePub format, without any conversion. Books can be downloaded directly from the Internet. Reader automatically picks them up right from the Download folder.

Support for three-dimensional games from the legacy of the PlayStation universe is also declared. Moreover, the Crash Bandicoot game was originally loaded on the tablet. The controls are placed on the lower screen. That is, when you play, your fingers do not cover the game scene. But this is the main gripe with modern games adaptable to the tablet. Much of the gameplay on tablets is determined by the controls. However, on the example of the presented game, it becomes obvious that touch buttons will never replace analog. Fingers slip, miss. And the triggers and other keys are still displayed on the working screen with the game. It would be more logical to imagine a race in this quality, where it is possible to smoothly control the touch steering wheel, accurately driving the racing car through difficult turns. Moreover, Sony has such an immortal gaming series, Gran Turismo, with countless numbers of digital indexes and prefixes.

The color scheme of the Sony Tablet P case is quite diverse

Cameras

There are two cameras. One is external, its resolution is 5 megapixels, there is no flash module. In a closed state, there is no way to use it, but you could "hang" the launch and shooting on the volume buttons. Although, of course, you can't do art photography with a tablet. It's just uncomfortable. Color rendition and noise level, in the absence of sufficient illumination, contribute to the resulting result. There is even no certainty that a miniature light source would correct the situation.

The internal camera has a resolution of 0.3 megapixels and is intended only for VoIP calls.

Sony Tablet P and "big brother"

Battery

The tablet is equipped with a removable 3080 mAh battery. In principle, this charge should last for a long time. Moreover, you can't really play three-dimensional games on such a tablet, you can't watch a video either. And in standby mode, the Sony Tablet P performs quite well. Especially if you play around with the energy saving settings. Our only gripe will be too for a long time charging. However, given the convenient enough charging device, there is no problem leaving it charging overnight.

Original packaging of Sony Tablet P

conclusions

The device is definitely not devoid of charm. The style of the tablet echoes the design of the series of micro-notebooks of the same name. And if the aesthetics of these devices are dear to you, why not pay tribute to the new incarnation of a successful concept? The Sony Tablet P is also suitable for those who are not tied to certain full-screen Android apps and are willing to put up with the design tradeoffs. Again, the Sony Tablet P is interesting, productive and inimitable, which has always been appreciated by true aesthetes.

Last week at Tech World 2016 in San Francisco, Lenovo launched two major products: Lenovo Folio, Lenovo Cplus, Lenovo PHAB2 Pro and Lenovo Moto Z. Although PHAB2 Pro is the first phone built with Google GOOGL + 0.14%. The Moto Z is the first device to have interchangeable modules on the outside called Moto Mods.

During a press conference announcing both devices, the Lenovo Folio was also teased with several next-generation prototypes based on flexible display technology ... Obviously, a lot of people were very happy about this bully, but little was known about these devices. Fortunately, we had the opportunity to sit down with Lenovo and ask some questions about their CPLUS and Folio phone and tablet prototypes. Not given announced new smartphone from.

In fact, during this session, held by Lenovo Cplus Peter Hortensius. He answered the question of when these devices can be expected on the market, and so far he has not provided any specific answers. He also said that such devices can be expected within 5 years. Augmented reality by Peter Jackson,.

The two prototype devices that Lenovo Cplus have shown are CPLUS flexible smartphone / Smartwatch and folio foldable tablet. While the hardware details are light on both devices. Lenovo Cplus has made it clear that the mechanical design. Which they developed was done in cooperation with a major manufacturing partner. And the display technology was not their own, but what kind of partner? It is very likely that LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Sharp, or Toshiba. They also made it clear that these were not finished products, but more prototypes / concepts. They will appear closer to the final product. Samsung recently announced if it will have similar features?

Lenovo Folio: Price, Release Date, Specifications

I took pictures of each device so that you can see how they work. One of the most interesting things about both devices is that they are not only physical. But also phones, they also change user interfaces between modes. The Lenovo Folio is arguably the most important part of the fight against folding devices. As different form factors have different user interfaces, which suits them best. CPLUS and the Lenovo Folio illustrated these changes in real time, and if we weren't paying attention, you probably didn't even notice it because the transition was smooth. Last news in the world of smartphones about.

Required changes user interface is one aspect of the convertible design of the device that many people seem to overlook. The future of PCs is already convertible between laptop and tablet for many users. Partly due to the saturation of the PC market, and manufacturers are racing to innovate. I suspect that as we are seeing the smartphone and tablet markets are becoming saturated, convertible devices will be the next logical step. Nokia also does not stand still and announced its new device.

Of course, we've seen many concepts in the past, but the reality is that many of them were technically impossible or financially impracticable. I believe we are getting very close to making convertible tablets and smartphones real. Future technologies are the key to making this happen. Imagine a future where your removable Folio can also transform into a phablet smartphone style. Who wouldn't want a device that can function like all three? Last news .

There are only rumors, the Chinese manufacturer ZTE was the first in the world to announce such a device: with two 5.2-inch screens connected on the long side and software specially modified for this by Google programmers.

The ZTE Axon M, introduced in the US the day before as an exclusive product for AT&T, consists of two aluminum halves connected along the long side, like a laptop. Each of them has a 5.2-inch screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (FullHD). The bezels to the right and left of the screens are rather narrow, but the bottom and top are not large in fashion. When folded, the smartphone looks like a real "brick" in comparison with conventional modern thin devices.

Unique design would be useless without the necessary modifications software - they were provided by Google programmers, specially modified for this model Android 7.1 (alas, not the new Oreo 8.0, although the manufacturer promises to release a corresponding update over time) and some proprietary applications such as "Documents" and "Sheets". As a result, ZTE Axon M can work in three different modes, in addition to the basic one, when only one screen is activated.

Parallel (Dual mode, A / B): one device, two screens, maximum performance In this mode, you can run two different applications at the same time - for example, watch a sports match on one display and order pizza on the other. Or at the same time watch the series and correspond with friends, discussing the acute moments of the plot development.

Extended (/ -): simulates a tablet. This mode allows you to watch videos, check email or play on a 6.75-inch large square screen. True, since bendable displays so far exist only in laboratories, you will have to put up with a black strip in the middle, behind which the joint of the two halves of the smartphone is hidden.

Mirror mode (A / A): collective viewing. In this mode, it is convenient to view content for a large group of people. Content from one screen - be it a Power Point presentation, movie, or video - is duplicated on the second. It is enough to put the smartphone on the table, and users will be able to watch the same video from two different sides of the device.

The Axon M has a completely modern, almost flagship "filling": a system-on-a Snapdragon 821 chip, 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory, support for microSD up to 256 GB and the only one (because the design allows it to work on both the rear and front) Megapixel camera with dual-tone flash capable of capturing 4K video. The battery capacity is 3180 mAh, and it is charged via the modern symmetrical USB-C port.

I can't help but recall, like Sergey, about a series of wonderful laptops Sony VAIO P, now forgotten. I remember that I myself used a couple of versions, I advised my friends to take it, but inside - Atom, the operating time is 2-4 hours, this was compensated by a luxurious keyboard and a low weight (about 700 grams) - that is, it turned out to be an excellent typewriter.

Once upon a time (about three years ago) I had this bunch of devices designed for printing:

Now, Microsoft is promoting a similar direction with its Surface tablets on ARM and x86 (will be on sale by the end of this year).

But today we are talking about the Sony Tablet P. Let me remind you of the dimensions of this device (I am tempted to write "toys", but I will try to restrain myself): 15.8x1.4x8 cm, weight 372 grams.

Ease of wearing

In fact, such a miracle is definitely inconvenient to wear in a jeans pocket, but it is quite possible to carry a P-skin in a jacket pocket (winter, windbreaker, sportswear - no difference). You can also throw it into a small bag - the device takes up almost no space.

I didn't get a strap on my hand - well, thank God, it's not very good to wear such a miracle Yudo on the wrist, in addition to the weight and size characteristics, there is also such a factor as the quality of materials, we will talk about them now.

Case and build quality

As for the case, unfortunately, Sony uses plastic, and in the photos you can see what happens to the exterior of the device during constant use. Scratches, abrasions - what was the cost of using aluminum? Probably, I wanted to avoid the analogy with MacBooks and iPads - that's how it happened.

The assembly is not bad, but during the operation, the top cover is completely loose. By itself, it does not fall off, but it seems to me that very little time will pass until this moment.

Impressions from the appearance of the device

I would like to make this point for separate consideration. If you do not take the shameful plastic, then the folding structure remains, it looks kind of like, and futuristic, but, as it seems to me, only in black.

In silver color, Tablet P looks like something completely toy. I showed it to friends and acquaintances - as a result, the poor tablet received such unflattering characteristics as "overgrown eyeglass case" and "powder box". Well, this is the design. On the other hand, it is not clear how it could be done better (with the exception of the color of the plastic and materials).

Living with two screens

It is not very clear where the idea of \u200b\u200bsplitting two screens on a tablet came from, because the main problem is applications that are far from always (let's face it - not always at all, and even harder - almost never) know that instead of one screen they have access to two at once. As a result, only branded sony apps and several programs in the Sony Select section ( useful applications can be counted on the fingers of one hand, mostly toys), maybe there is something from third-party developers, but I did not find such happiness. So you can get either one "combined" screen with a diagonal of about 7 inches, and one separate 5.5-inch.

Simply put - the standard program pad is more or less equipped for a two-screen tablet, in other cases either one of the screens is empty or busy on-screen keyboard... Plus, the two screens have slightly different color rendition, you can get used to this, but the fact is surprising - is it really so difficult to find a pair of identical matrices?

In pursuit - another drawback. After opening the two halves, the tablet thinks for 1-2 seconds before turning on the backlight. In my opinion, too long - it would be more pleasant if the OS was activated immediately, that is, at the moment of disclosure, and not after it.

Except for color rendition, the screens are of high quality, the coating is more or less resistant to fingerprints.

Upgrade to Android 4.0

Update before latest version Robotic operating systems for the Tablet P have been waiting for a long time, but in June it finally happened. Apart from the version, not much has changed - the applications are the same, the operating speed (and battery life) are also unchanged. So it's not very clear what to expect. One important change is that the icon next to the clock has disappeared somewhere, which allowed switching some applications from the two-screen mode to the normal one, where the second screen is reserved for the keyboard or auxiliary elements. Plus - the device flatly refused to communicate with the computer via USB. Well, and a small loss, in general.

In general, the following should be said about the speed of work (on any OS): not a fountain. In some places, there are strange slowdowns in the browser (in the same Sony Select web application), although the interface as a whole works smoothly, it happens that applications start slower than we would like, the gallery slows down. Level about the first (in some cases - the second) Apple iPad, that is, never a breakthrough.

3G implementation

Everything is simple here - remove the panel, insert the SIM card, and get started. The connection is stable, everything is fine. Naturally, with constant carrying with you, this is an indispensable option - we look at mail, surf, update applications. What this leads to - see the next section.

Working hours

The declared 7 hours of operation from one charge is a myth and a fiction. It is clear that in standby mode the tablet can live for a day (even in the mode of checking mail), but if you start crawling on the Internet, listening to music, playing games - we get 3-4 hours, at best - 5. That is, Tablet P - this is such an addition to a smartphone / laptop, it is discharged - it does not matter, we carry it home (with us charger especially not dragging). What can I say - Android.

Camera

The tablet has two cameras, one for photo and video recording (5 MP), the other for video conferencing (0.3 MP).

The quality of both cameras is not high, in my opinion, it could have been done better. In any case, the application for capturing content is quite convenient, there is even a panorama stitching function.

Anyway, I quickly forgot about the shooting function - I think the sample photos will explain why.

Price and competitors

For several months since the writing of the first part of the review, the price of the tablet has practically not changed - it was 24 thousand, it became 20 for the regular version and 22 with a 16 GB memory card. In general, for this money, you can buy almost any tablet on the market - and you should write something miniature for competitors, but the trick is that there are no models with a 5-6-inch screen on sale anymore, you have to bend your heart and compare the Tablet P with Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and 7.7. Yes, Samsung has one screen, not two - but as you can imagine, this is largely a plus, not a minus. In terms of size, it is clear that Galaxy Tab will not fit into every pocket, but otherwise - the filling is about the same, the screens are of high quality both in Galaxy and Sony.

Formally, P has no rivals; Sony's folding tablet is unique in terms of its characteristics. But why such uniqueness (without applications)? It is not completely clear.

Usage scenarios

The problem is that we pay a high price for the uniqueness of the device - the lack of applications. That is, what can be used "to the fullest"? Browser. By mail client... Built-in reader. And, in general, everything.

Thus, I have developed the main scenario of use - constant checking of mail (I am very pleased with the light indicator that signals the incoming letters), crawling a little on the Internet. I tried reading books, and I didn't like it very much - how the Tablet P book is perceived with great difficulty.

You can use P-shka as a player. For both audio and video playback. But here I personally have an iPhone 4, there are also specialized players. That is, a simpler phone should be paired with P, but is it convenient to take out a tablet to switch a track, unfold it? No, it's really inconvenient. Video player - on one screen 5.5 inches? Funny enough.

Output

So, should you pay more than 20 thousand for a tablet? Yes, if you like trendy things and gadgets. Even after reviewing the disastrous BlackBerry Playbook, I received letters that I was wrong and this is a great device, worth buying and adoring.

Well, the same can be said about the Tablet P. Only you should immediately understand that this is the first (and most likely the last) tablet of this kind, there will be no applications for it, its body is flimsy. And this is a purchase that you will make "forever" - it will be possible to sell it only with a not weak discount (14-15 thousand rubles for almost new tablet - such prices are now on the secondary market).

If all this does not bother you - take the money and buy. But the charm of a clamshell wears off in a couple of days, it's fun to carry it with you, and nothing more. Then the integration of the Tablet P into your personal ecosystem begins, and here it is better to think over which functions the tablet will handle and which will not.

Ilya Tarakanov ()

At Lenovo Tech World, a concept phone stole visitors' attention from the new Phab Pro 2 and Moto Z, as in the case of this gadget it comes about a smartphone that you can literally wrap around your hand.

Dr. Peter Hortensius, Senior Vice President, Product Division, Lenovo, like Kew from the James Bond films, introduced mobile phone, which was named CPlus. In the normal state, that is, unbent, it looks like a remote control remote control with a large display.

However, the notches on the back and sides are suspicious: the apparatus bends. The CPlus can even be wrapped around your wrist. When it was shown to reporters at a separate session in San Francisco, Lenovo admitted that the display was still suffering from breakage at the folds.

Indeed, when turning the smartphone, we saw cracks in the screen. In response to a request from the editors of Chip, Lenovo has named the estimated time for the product to go to market - Q3 2017.

Whether CPlus will be released in just a little more than a year is still a big question. Lenovo Tech World has a tradition of showing concepts that never make it to the mainstream - although they certainly have an impact on technology for other devices.

Lenovo Folio: folding tablet

In addition to CPlus, we were able to admire another futuristic product: the so-called Folio is a tablet that can easily be folded in half.

What is so good about it? When folded, the device is comparable in size to a smartphone: keep it close to your ear while telephone conversation much more convenient than large tablet... Again, whether the Lenovo Folio will ripen to market readiness is anyone's guess.

Phab 2 Pro and Moto Z: dino-mobile and modular smartphone ready for launch

In addition to concept gadgets, the focus at Lenovo Tech World was the Phab Pro 2 and Moto Z. Phab Pro 2 is a phablet designed to work with the Google Tango augmented reality platform. You can read about how to project, for example, a dinosaur onto a table surface in our review article about.

AT smartphone Moto Z, Lenovo, on the other hand, relies on modules that dock to the back of the device. Thus, you can, for example, turn your mobile phone into a mini-projector, provide it with a large supply of energy for the battery, or equip your smartphone with a powerful speaker. You can see how it looks in reality in our review article about.