Defect in Sony's Tablet Sparks Recall

Xperia Tablet S, the device that Sony

has promoted as being the only tablet with a

that "protects it from wet hands and the inevitable kitchen splash or two," has been recalled due to a water-proofing defect.

According to

, the device is currently available in the United States, Canada, Europe, Oceania and Taiwan. Sony will offer free repairs to customers in each of those regions. Sony has now suspended sales of the device, which range in price from $449.99 (for the 16GB Wi-Fi 3G model) to $649.99 (for the 64GB iteration). On its

, Sony has placed the words "Notify Me" over its former "Buy" button, allowing consumers to enter their e-mail address to be alerted when the tablet goes on sale again. The Japanese tech giant had hoped to use the Xperia Tablet S and other high-end devices to compete more effectively against its Cupertino, California-based competitor, Apple

. In addition to pricier tablets, Sony recently announced that it would sell an 84-inch 4K television for $25,000. Sony followed in the footsteps of another key competitor by building a keyboard case for its new tablet that is

to the one Microsoft

designed for its first tablet, the Surface. Apple has yet to design a similar add-on for the iPad, but several

have attempted to fill the void. The Xperia Tablet S received new competition last month when Amazon

and Barnes & Noble

announced a slate of new tablets. Amazon revealed that it was developing

to replace the first Kindle Fire lineup, which had completely sold out and helped the company acquire

. Meanwhile, Barnes & Nobile announced that it was developing

, in order to cover the seven-inch and nine-inch spectrum. Apple is expected to unveil

version of the iPad next week. But instead of introducing the world to the fourth-generation model, the company is

a miniature iPad.