Sony says it will launch another tablet by the end of the year

Will Sony's new tablet continue the Tablet P's folded book design?
Will Sony's new tablet continue the Tablet P's folded book design?

Sony is officially taking another stab at the tablet market, revealing that it plans to launch a new tablet before the end of 2012.

Details are scarce, but according to published reports, a Sony representative confirmed that a new tablet will be revealed in the next few months, with a release date in time for Christmas.

Earlier this week, a Sony tablet labeled with model number SGPT1211 appeared in an FCC filing for the company.

It is believed that the new tablet is a follow up to last year's Tablet S, an uniquely wedge-shaped Android device which has seen middling success without setting the tablet market on fire.

Try, try again

In addition to the Tablet S, last year Sony also launched the dual-screened Tablet P, which didn't quite live up to the lackluster sales of its single-screened counterpart.

But don't count Sony out of the tablet race yet. There is still the possibility that with Windows 8 launching in October Sony could branch out and put its unsuccessful attempts on Android behind it in favor of Microsoft's tablet-friendly OS.

However, ditching Android entirely seems a risky move given Sony's investment in Android with its PlayStation Mobile SDK.

The set of tools help to facilitate development of games and apps across PlayStation Certified smartphones, tablets, and the PlayStation Vita.

Sony isn't likely to give up one of those cross-platform pillars, especially as the PlayStation Mobile SDK approaches the end of its beta stage.

We may not have long to wait before we find out what Sony is cooking in the tablet space, now that FCC approval is out of the way and the company is starting to drop hints on the record.

Via PC Advisor