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Engadget Review
Sony Xperia Tablet Z review: the company's best Android tablet yet
Summary
The Xperia Tablet Z serves as an excellent second screen. Remote functionality is easy to set up, while the display is one of the best we've seen from Sony's Xperia range, if not the market in total.
Pros
- Wide viewing angles
- Infrared blaster and remote apps easy to set up
- Water-resistant, stylish design
Cons
- Weedy charger, temperamental micro-USB port
- Frustrating waterproof covers
It wasn't all that long ago that every month offered up yet another Android tablet for review. While Samsung is still producing plenty, the output of Google-powered slabs has generally slowed, replaced by a steady stream of Windows 8 / RT hardware often from the very same manufacturers that were once all about Android. Sony continues to be pretty discriminating with its launches, however: until now it's released only three Google-powered tablets. The first was the Tablet S, followed by the clamshell Tablet P and the Xperia Tablet S, which improved on the original with a thinner build and improved specifications.
More Info
Sony Xperia Tablet Z announced
Then there's this, the Xperia Tablet Z. It arrives with a completely new design, although it should be familiar to anyone who's already seen Sony's Xperia Z smartphone. It features the same "OmniBalance" look, uniform thickness and straight edges. The display's resolution has been bumped up to 1,920 x 1,200, while the tablet runs Android 4.1.2 on a quad-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro, with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage -- all the while weighing in below 18 ounces (1.13 pounds). Like the Sony Xperia Z smartphone, there's also water and dust protection, which makes it a relatively unique property in the tablet market. But priced at $499 and up against the iPad and the pin-sharp Nexus 10, is there enough here to protect itself against the tablet competition? Join us after the break to find out.
