After finally producing the much debated “PlayStation phone”, Sony is now said to be working on a branded tablet device, possibly debuting as early as the fall.

Though there have been previous rumors of such a device, it now looks as good as official. The Nikkei newspaper in Japan quoted Sony’s CEO Howard Stringer (pictured) as saying a Sony tablet running Honeycomb (the latest edition of Android, designed specifically for tablets) will be available by the end of summer. Other reports have Sony issuing a corporate statement revising the timetable simply to some time this year.

It appears the confirmed device is the same one previously reported by Endgadget. Apparently having the development name S1, it’s most notable feature would be a curved edge, described as reminiscent of a magazine with pages folded back over the spine. That design is partly to make extra space for the battery and circuitry without making the entire tablet the same thickness, and partly so that the tablet can be held in a way that distributes the weight such that it feels lighter than it really is.

Anyone expecting to effectively have a PS3 in their pocket will likely be out of luck. The device is merely “PlayStation Certified”, meaning it is technically approved to run downloadable PlayStation Suite games. At the moment that only includes a few games from the original PlayStation console. It also appears there won’t be any physical gaming controls, with players instead using the touchscreen. While that’s no barrier to gaming, as shown by the iPad, it does mean the PlayStation connection will be more about branding than technology.