Poor reaction to tableta bitter pill for Sony

SONY’S tablet computers failed to excite reviewers, who criticised the pricing and quality of the devices, underscoring the battle Sony faces regaining its consumer electronics crown.

Sony Corp is already late to the game with its first tablet, which hits American and Japanese stores this month, more than a year-and-a-half after Apple launched the iPad and almost a year since Samsung launched the GalaxyTab, which is No 2 in tablets behind the iPad.

Analysts highlighted a high price and features that suggested Sony would remain an also-ran rather than a leader in the tablet market. Two versions of Sony’s tablet cost €350 and €420, the same as some lower-end iPad models.