Tablet computer sales are growing as Android tablets muscle in on the iPad, and Sony clearly wants to get a slice of the action. Enter the Sony Xperia Tablet Z, the slimmest tablet so far, with high specs to match and the novelty of being waterproof!
Superslim & water-resistant
Maybe you didn’t even realise that you needed a waterproof tablet, but someone at Sony did! Whether you need it or not, the Xperia Tablet Z certainly is waterproof to a depth of 3 feet, just like the Xperia Z smartphone.
It’s also an ultraslim tablet, with a thickness of just 6.9mm, which is even thinner than the Xperia Z smartphone! It’s light in weight as well, yet despite this, the build quality is rock solid.
A full size tablet
Although there’s been a trend towards smaller tablets recently with the iPad Mini having an 8 inch screen, there’s nothing like a full-size tablet when it comes to more serious use. The Sony has a 10 inch screen, making it ideal for all kinds of demanding applications. The display uses Mobile Bravia Engine 2 from Sony’s LED TV division for fast and accurate rendering of graphics and video, and the display is capable of full 1080p high definition graphics. The resolution is 1920 x 1200 pixels, which is not far behind the iPad 4’s Retina display.
Tech specs
- The tablet uses an extremely fast Snapdragon S4 Pro quadcore processor with a dedicated graphics processing unit for 2D and 3D graphics acceleration.
- It comes with a very large 2GB of RAM too, which means that it can fly through the most demanding apps and is suitable for gaming and multi-tasking.
- The tablet runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean.
- The built-in memory of up to 32GB can be doubled by adding a microSD memory card.
- The 6000mAh battery is perhaps smaller than most rival 10 inch tablets. However, the battery stamina mode can sustain a day’s usage by shutting down non-essential services when not in use.
Cameras
While a tablet might not be the ideal device for taking photos, it’s useful to have the option available, and the Sony includes a very high quality 8 megapixel camera with low-light and high dynamic range capability. A front-facing 2 megapixel camera can be used for Skype video calling. This also has low-light capability and can record video at full HD 1080p quality.
Connectivity
Connectivity is key to effectively using a tablet, and the Sony Xperia Z tablet has all modern connectivity options covered. These include both Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n) and also 4G mobile data, giving the flexibility of accessing the mobile internet wherever you happen to be.
Also included are Bluetooth, USB and NFC. An infra-red capability is included, enabling the tablet to act as a remote control for your TV. DLNA compatibility lets you integrate the tablet into your wireless home network, and a TV-out option enables you to display images and video directly on a high-definition TV.
Conclusion
It’s hard to find fault with the Xperia Tablet Z. It’s a beautifully-constructed ultraslim tablet with a full HD 10-inch screen. It runs Android Jelly Bean with fast hardware and plenty of memory to support the most demanding apps. Connectivity is outstanding, with all modern requirements fully supported, including 4G LTE mobile compatibility. Battery life is adequate, especially when employing the stamina mode. And, as a bonus/novelty feature, it’s waterproof!
Of course, quality is never cheap, and the Sony is one of the more expensive Android tablets on the market. It’s similar in price to the iPad 4 and more expensive than the Google Nexus 10. Yet comparing the features on a like-for-like basis, it’s not over-priced.