The Xperia Tablet Z is Sony’s latest attempt to make some waves in the growing tablet market, something it’s struggled to do so far. It’s a stylish 10.1” tablet that’s bravely going head-to-head with the more established iPad, Samsung Tab and Nexus 10.
Sony was somewhat late to the table as far as tablets go and arguably the company has been playing catch-up as a result. Whilst its previous attempts weren’t bad devices by any stretch they didn’t really do anything to set fire to the imagination. The previous Xperia Tablet S sported a unique, curved design somewhat like a folded magazine, which looked interesting but didn’t really add anything to the desirability of the device.
That unique design possibly contributed to its lukewarm success as the tablet just wasn’t as immediately identifiable as the competing Android tablets; in fact, they weren’t even particularly identifiable as Sony products. Thankfully for the Xperia Tablet Z there’s no mistaking that it’s very much a part of the current Xperia family, with a design that closely echoes its smartphone sibling, the Xperia Z.
Summary
Pros
- Beautifully designed, incredibly thin and light
- Remote control functionality
- Excellent display
- It's waterproof!
Cons
- Lack of weight makes it feel potentially less durable.
- iPad is formidable competition at this price
- Screen is a fingerprint magnet as per usual
Design
With its striking clean lines and slim profile the Xperia Tablet Z is, to put it mildly, a bit of a stunner. Visually it’s probably closest to the BlackBerry Playbook which, regardless of its shortcomings, was a great-looking tablet that was very well built. It’s hard to convey in words just how thin it is in words, but I’ll try anyway. At 6.9mm it’s the thinnest tablet on the market, and the low weight of 494 grams really makes a difference when holding it for extended periods of time.
Now that lack of weight and thickness does work against the tablet slightly, but that’s only because we’re somewhat conditioned to associate weight with quality. The Tablet Z almost feels too light when you compare it with its competitors, raising the question of what they had to take out to make it that way. However once you spend some time with it, you’ll quickly discover that Sony hasn’t compromised on features or performance despite the Tablet Z’s lightweight design.
Finally we have to mention the impressive water resistant capabilities. Whilst I still didn’t quite feel confident to throw it in the bath whilst testing it I’ve seen Sony demonstrators gleefully shooting them with water pistols and dunking them in fish tanks and it still never ceases to amaze me. Putting an expensive electronic gadget in water goes against everything you’ve ever been told, and whilst I personally wouldn’t advocate taking it swimming it is nice to know that it’ll survive an accidental soaking.
Hardware
At the heart of the Tablet Z is a quad-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor. This is not only a significant improvement on its predecessor, the Tablet S; on paper it makes it one of the fastest tablets on the market. The specs are impressive, but as always the important thing is how those numbers translate to performance and usability. The processor is coupled with a healthy 2GB of RAM, which means the Tablet Z is fast and responsive even when dealing with multiple open applications using Jelly Bean 4.1’s multitasking.
For power we have a 6000mAh battery which Sony reckons will give you up to 12 hours of “standard” use. Sadly I didn’t get to play with it quite long enough to go through a full charge but I certainly didn’t see anything to suggest battery life wouldn’t be comparable to competing tablets. Given the size of the battery I see no reason why it shouldn’t perform close to the quoted figures, although those hefty power requirements mean any hopes of USB charging go out of the window. Equally, be mindful of using anything other than the official Sony charger with the Tablet Z - I had issues with third party ones presumably because they simply didn’t deliver enough power.
The Tablet Z comes in 16 GB and 32 GB models, plus a micro SD slot so storage shouldn’t be an issue, especially with the current availability and quality of cloud storage and streaming services.
Connectivity
As far as connectivity is concerned, the Tablet Z features all the usual suspects plus a couple of unexpected surprises. Wi-Fi is naturally a standard feature and there’s also a 4G variant if you want to take advantage of high-speed mobile internet. Like the Xperia Z smartphone there’s NFC which allows the tablet to communicate with other compatible devices just by touching them together. Sony has been particularly proactive in making use of this feature and already sells a number of products that support NFC, including speakers and televisions.
Bluetooth and DLNA support are built-in, but what might surprise some is the inclusion of infrared support. This allows you to use the Tablet Z to control any device that already uses a conventional remote control. It’s not something you’d usually expect to find on a tablet, and although it was included on the previous Sony models it’s nice to see it retained.
Camera
The Tablet Z has the now common dual-camera setup with a capable 2.2 MP front-facing camera for video calls paired with an 8 MP rear-facing camera which supports full HD video recording and 1080p. Photography and tablets have a somewhat uneasy relationship; they’re not the easiest devices to wield and it’s hard not to feel a bit silly pointing something the size of a small magazine at someone. That being the case, if you are going to be taking photographs with a tablet you want them to be worth the effort. The Tablet Z already has an advantage here as you really do notice and appreciate the reduced weight when holding it with an outstretched arm, but the camera performance is truly impressive.
Sony already has an excellent pedigree in this field and the Tablet Z uses the same Exmor R sensor as their popular CyberShot cameras which promises improved response in low-light conditions. However, it’s the camera software itself that really shines here and arguably makes it the best tablet yet for taking pictures. The interface is reminiscent of the CyberShot cameras, giving you a host of pre-sets for taking the best picture possible as well as some pretty extensive manual options for things like exposure level. If you’re a keen photographer you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the amount of functionality available, but novices needn’t feel overwhelmed either. I’m a rubbish photographer myself, but using the camera’s automatic settings I was able to get some decent results, and was particularly impressed with how fast the camera responded to changes in light levels.
Screen
The slim bezel means the 10.1” LCD display really stands out, the colours are bright and images are sharp. The screen resolution is 1920x1200 pixels, so doing some maths that gives a pixel density of 224 pixels per inch. Whilst that’s lower than some competing tablets, it’s just a number, and the reality is unless you’re scrutinising things on screen with the most accurate and critical of eyes you’re not going to notice the difference.
Where this screen really excels is with video playback, and we have Sony’s long history in the television market to thank for that. The Tablet Z uses Sony’s Mobile Bravia Engine 2, based on the same imaging technology used in its HD televisions. I won’t pretend to know exactly how that works, but essentially it’s image processing technology that aims to deliver enhanced contrast levels, deeper colours and less “noise” when playing back. The specifics of the technology aren’t really what’s important to whoever is viewing the screen, all that matters are the results which are thankfully as promised – the Tablet Z has a lovely screen, and anything you display on it will look equally impressive.
Software
Operating System
The Tablet Z comes installed with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean which is common enough these days, however Sony has put its own stamp on it with a much leaner and less cluttered user interface than we’re used to. I’ve found some tablets to be a little over the top with manufacturer-installed apps pushing the “purer” elements of the Android operating system into the background, and whilst the Tablet Z still has its fair share of Sony-installed fluff, the balance feels about right. The overall look of the user interface is refreshingly clean, and because of that it’s easy to find your way around.
Sony has also added some nice touches that make certain features easier to access. For example, both Bluetooth and DLNA connections are now handled by a single app called Smart Connect which is much easier than having to go digging around in settings. Again though, this makes me think they’ve put a bit more thought into making this tablet easy to live with – after all, as users we don’t really care whether or not two things connect via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, we just want them to talk to each other. Putting them together in a single app makes sense and, most importantly, makes things less complicated.
Apps
The aforementioned Remote Control app is easy to use and connecting it to my LG television was quick and easy. Using this in conjunction with Smart Connect made it easy to send media from the Tablet Z to my TV screen via a PlayStation 3 too. It’s only a small thing, but being able to change the inputs on the TV from the same device I was using to send files from was a welcome convenience
As with any premium Android tablet there’s the full complement of Google Play services for apps, music and movies as well as Sony’s own Video and Music Unlimited services which are already established on Sony Blu Ray players, smart TVs and consoles.
Gaming fans will be pleased to know that the Tablet Z has built-in support for the PlayStation 3 wireless controller. Touch-screen gaming is often a compromise as using your fingers means they’re obscuring part of the screen. Furthermore, since the controller is a Bluetooth device it connects easily thanks to that aforementioned Smart Connect app.
Who is this tablet for?
The Xperia Tablet Z is clearly positioned as a premium tablet, and that’s a brave move given the fierce competition in that sector currently. The iPad still dominates the market, with the best of the rest fighting over what’s left and Microsoft throwing its substantial resources behind its Surface tablets. That being the case, Sony had to do something to make the Tablet Z stand out - when you look at what’s currently available there aren’t many truly compelling reasons to choose one tablet over another.
The first thing Sony have done is, quite simply, make a great-looking device that will really stand out visually - compared to the Xperia Tablet Z the competition suddenly looks very dull and clunky. That’s not just my opinion either, the device has been round the office several times and the reaction has been pretty universal “Ooh that’s really pretty”, followed by “Wow that’s really light!”. There’s also the fact that it’s water-resistant which is going to appeal to several types of customers - parents, outdoor sports enthusiasts, clumsy people... the list goes on.
Secondly there’s noticeable effort that’s gone in to making it an easy tablet to live with. From the stripped down user-interface to the comprehensive camera and clever apps like Smart Connect, there’s a definite feeling that this is more than just “Android-by-the-numbers”.
Finally, Sony have made sure it appeals to existing Sony customers. Sony’s background is in home media, and features like the Remote Control app will certainly appeal to those loyal Sony fans, as will the way it supports existing Sony services such as Music Unlimited. There’s also the support for PlayStation services and controllers which should strike a chord with the gaming market, and it will be particularly interesting to see how it will integrate with the recently announced PlayStation 4.
Verdict
The Sony Xperia Tablet Z is an excellent tablet, the screen is great, the hardware is powerful and it has the best camera you’ll find on a tablet by quite some distance. Certainly as far as features go it can stand toe-to-toe with any of its Android competitors. I think the pricing is about right too, if you want to make a mark at the top-end of the market you have to have the courage of your convictions and price accordingly. The Tablet Z certainly looks good enough and performs well enough to justify the cost.
It’s difficult to say definitively whether it’s the “best” Android tablet but if you were to compare them all on a feature-by-feature basis then it’s probably the one that would come out top in the most categories. Certainly if I was looking for an Android tablet it’s impressed me enough to say “Yes, it’s the one I’d buy”. There’s more than enough unique selling points to give it an edge over the current competition.
However, history tells us that the “best” doesn’t always come out on top when it comes to technology. Sony knows this as well as anyone having been involved in several high-profile battles, having lost with Betamax but won with Blu-Ray. That being the case, although the quality of the Tablet Z isn’t in doubt it’ll be the marketing that ultimately decides how successful it will be. The iPad is still top dog in the tablet arena but the Xperia Tablet Z is certainly good enough to be considered credible competition, Sony just need to make sure it can convince enough people of that fact.