As we’ve mentioned in the past, mobile devices like smartphones and tablets use highly integrated logic referred to as SoCs to minimize physical footprints and power consumption, all the while optimizing for performance and functionality. By putting execution resource, graphics processing, system memory, and several other subsystems in a single ASIC, data transfers can be achieved more efficiently without soldering a bunch of separate chips onto a PCB. Incidentally, the same SoC term applies to modern desktop processors like Intel's Sandy Bridge- and AMD's Bulldozer-based chips, which combine cores, cache, memory controllers, and other capabilities.
| SoC | Apple A4 (iPad) | Apple A5 | Nvidia Tegra 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tablets | Apple iPad | Apple iPad 2 | Acer Iconia Tab A500 Asus Eee Pad Transformer Motorola Xoom Motorola Xoom Family Edition Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Sony Tablet S Toshiba Thrive |
| Processor | 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A8 (single-core) | 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A9 (dual-core) | 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A9 (dual-core) |
| Memory | 256 MB 333 MHz LP-DDR (single-channel) | 512 MB 1066 MHz LP-DDR2 (dual-channel) | 1 GB 667 MHz LP-DDR2 (single-channel) |
| Graphics | PowerVR SGX535 (single-core) | PowerVR SGX545MP2 (dual-core) | ULP GeForce (single-core) |
| L1 Cache (Instruction/Data) | 32 KB / 32 KB | 32 KB / 32 KB | 32 KB / 32 KB |
| L2 Cache | 640 KB | 1 MB | 1 MB |
Tegra is Nvidia’s SoC brand, and it represents the company’s effort to tap into the mobile market beyond its desktop-derived GeForce graphics processors. For those unfamiliar with Tegra 2, read page eight of our Motorola Xoom review for a full discussion of GPU architecture. On the CPU side, Tegra 2 shares the same dual-core Cortex-A9, which offers a substantial boost from Cortex-A8 used in the first-generation iPad. Read Apple's iPad 2 Review: Tom's Goes Down The Tablet Rabbit Hole for a full discussion of Cortex-A9 performance.
While we've already covered Tegra 2, it's important to examine the graphics performance of each tablet. Sy Choudhury, director of product management at Qualcomm, once stated, "There is a misconception that the same processor and operating system gives the same performance." Why is it wrong to expect the same performance from all Android-based Tegra 2 tablets? Hardware vendors get access to the same optimizations from the SoC developer, but not all of the software-based tweaks are enabled by OEMs.
| GPU (System-on-Chip) | PowerVR SGX 535 (Apple A4) | PowerVR SGX 543 (Apple A5) | ULP GeForce (Tegra 2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SIMD | USSE | USSE2 | Core |
| Pipelines | 2 (unified) | 4 (unified) | 8 (4 pixel / 4 vertex) |
| TMUs | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Bus Width (bit) | 64 | 64 | 32 |
| Triangle rate @ 200 MHz | 14 MTriangles/s | 35 MTriangles/s | ? |
The ULP GeForce has a maximum operating frequency of 300 MHz, but device vendors can tweak this setting to save on power. Nvidia provides less information on the Tegra 2 than it does for its desktop GPUs, so it’s best to move on to benchmarks. As in our iPad 2 review, we're turning to GLBenchmark. However, since the publisher of this benchmark recently released version 2.1, our scores are different from what you've seen in the past.

The Tablet S offers performance typical of a Tegra 2-based tablet. It's better than the iPad, but worse than the iPad 2. However, the standard Egypt and Pro tests only measure performance at a tablet's native resolution. On Android-based tablets, this is always 1280x800 (compared to the iPad/iPad 2's 1024x768).

GLBenchmark 2.1 introduces a new off-screen test, which standardizes performance to 720p. Based on the new tests, we see a smaller gap between the Tegra 2 and PowerVR SGX543MP2, but the latter still outperforms the former by ~50%. As a result, it's not surprising to hear that Sony will employ a quad-core PowerVR SGX 543MP2 on its PlayStation Vita, the PSP's successor.

- DLNA Certification And A Remote Control Catch Our Eyes
- Meet Sony's Tablet S (SGPT111US/S And SGPT112US/S)
- Tablet S: The Layout
- Sony's Android Skin: An Aesthetically-Clean Design
- Tablet S: A Keyboard With A Number Pad
- Multimedia Applications
- The Universal Remote Control
- DLNA (UPnP) And "Throwing" Media
- Sony's On-Demand Services: Music Unlimited And Video Unlimited
- PlayStation Store: Unimpressive Tablet Games
- Graphics Performance: Tegra 2
- Display Quality: Color Gamut
- Display Quality: Black And White Uniformity
- Camera Quality: Shooting Indoors And Outdoors
- Benchmark Results: Real-World
- Battery Life And Recharge Time
- Wireless Performance
- Sony's Tablet S: The Multimedia Enthusiast's Best Bet

Yeah, admittedly the name isn't catchy or memorable.
Cheers,
Andrew Ku
TomsHardware.com
I think SONY should have included an HDMI port, but wireless works too. HDMI has a limited life anyway as the video industry is moving to CAT6 instead. Its cheaper and can be far LONGER cable than HDMI.
There are both good and bad things about the SONY, its problems are rooted in Android in general and reminds me WHY I'm glad we went with an iPad(1), even compared to todays modern designs.
- Connectivity. The USB is for debug mode? How easy it is to share your data between a desktop and the tablet? My Samsung Android experience in this area is just as crappy today as it was a year ago. I doubt I'll ever buy another Samsung phone ever again, much less another Android. I'm looking to MS's WP8 next year.
- Performance: All these new tablets (I'm eying the Lenovo ThinkPad tablet - why they didn't name it ThinkTab? or Simply ThinkPad) have the same low Nvidia Tegra2 performance compared to the OLD iPad2. Same shorter battery life. Why would a typical person pay $500 when the iPad2 does it faster?
- Love the shape and remote control aspect of the SONY. Looks comfortable. When I went to Android (from a basic phone) I had a choice between the Samsung Galaxy and Sony's Android. Sony still had some quality issues to work out. Samsung had the better OMLED display and a cover for the USB port - rather than a stupid rubber cover to fight. Sony had a much nicer weight and feel. But considering that both phones hit the market at the same time - SONY using Android 1.6 vs. Samsung's 2.1 made me nervous about SONY's ability to upgrade. And then I experience Samsung & at&t failure for a proper Froyo update. Ice Cream has lots of improvements... but still buggy.
Its crap like that, that make me NOT want to buy another Android device. iOS 5 is a very nice update, it was far less painful than getting Froyo onto my Phone! (I had to use an old XP computer to do it) - but Apple pisses me off with their anti-competitive legal games they play against Android. And I have my issues with Microsoft.
Okay, they are ALL EVIL! So I'll go with the easiest and best thing at the time of my purchase.
With Amazon & RIM selling tablets at $200 now, the game will be different next spring when the iPad 3 comes out as well as Windows Mobile 8. Hopefully MS will just call mobile devices "Metro 8".
The IR blaster was the one feature that made me consider keeping it. It works VERY well.
The Transformer Prime is going to be the same price and is better in every way, other than not having an IR blaster. Who would buy this instead? You'd either REALLY have to want that IR blaster or be a Sony fanboy.
Bad ergonomics
Cheap plastic build
Expensive
Terrible battery life
Sony bloat on it
I played with one in store and found it to feel and look like a cheap toy compared to some of the other Android tablets.
good price good options.
However on your graph cart.
Higher is better or lower is better?
Hi Andy,
Which chart?
Cheers,
Andrew Ku
TomsHardware.com
I don't understand why more vendors don't include that. Having a universal remote seems like a no brainer to me.
If only we could get a Tegra 3 with an IR Blaster, a Wacom/Pressure Stylus Pen, micro usb/hdmi and an SDCard slot - that would be an artists go to tool.
I'll second that sentiment. All these features cost more money to implement, so it simply might not be cost effective. We'll have to see how things turn out with Transformer Prime.
Cheers,
Andrew Ku
TomsHardware.com
* For a device this thick it's really odd that there's no SD/microSD, HDMI, USB-A. It suggests to me that design and aesthetics were completely seperate until the end.
* I don't understand their choice of bright white background for a media control when there's a good chance you'll be using it in darkened rooms.
What do you mean by "control a PS3"? Do you mean replace the PS3 remote? Or are you talking about using it like a dualshock controller?
I'd say yes to the first question and no to the second.
Cheers,
Andrew Ku
TomsHardware.com