Sony Halts Xperia Tablet S Sales Over Defect in Splashproof Design
Doh! The Sony Xperia Tablet S has been out for only about a month, and it’s already being pulled from store shelves.
Today, the company announced that it is temporarily suspending sales of the tablet, after it discovered that a limited number of units did not meet its splashproof specification due to a gap between the screen and the case.
The Xperia Tablet S features a water-resistant guard that should protect the device from accidental splashes and allow you to use the touchscreen even if your fingers are wet.
For customers who already bought the tablet, Sony said it will inspect the units for free, and will replace or refund any defective ones. The company did not indicate when it plans to resume sales, but said it is working to fix the situation as soon as possible.
Here is Sony’s official statement:
Sony strives to design high-quality products and is committed to providing a positive customer experience. Unfortunately, we have identified that a limited number of our new XperiaTM Tablet S released in September 2012 may not meet our splash-proof specification. As a result, we have asked retailers to stop selling Xperia Tablet S immediately, until we have had the opportunity to inspect and replace stock with product that meets our stringent quality standards.
Additionally, we are preparing a free inspection, repair or refund program for customers who have already purchased this product. More details and instructions on the program are available at http://esupport.sony.com/news/460/US/EN.
At this time we believe this issue does not present a safety concern. It’s important to note that all other functions of the device still work and can continue to be used by customers as intended. As a precaution and to protect the product, we ask that customers not use Xperia™ Tablet S where water may splash onto it.
We apologize for the inconvenience, and are working to remedy the situation as soon as possible.