LA Gadgets Examiner rating: A
Last evening, CNN's Technology Minute discussed the Sony Xperia Tablet Z and although the panelists agreed it was a great tablet, they thought at $499 (16GB) and $599 (32GB), it was priced too high. However, they didn't mention the fact that unlike the iPad, which is priced the same, the Xperia Tablet Z has a microSD card for additional storage.
We have been using the Xperia Tablet Z for the past three days and are in love with the screen, the multimedia capabilities, and just about everything else. The processor isn't the fastest thing in the world, but it's a minor flaw. Let's take a look at the Sony Xperia Tablet Z.
Basic specs
Operating System: Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean)
Dimensions: 10.47 x 6.77 x 0.27 inches
Weight: 17.46 oz (495 g)
Screen: 10.1-inch, 1920 x 1280 (224 ppi)
Battery: 6000mAh
System chip: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064
Processor: Quad core, 1500MHz
Memory: 16GB or 32GB, microSD card slot, 2GB RAM
Build and design
Sony's waterproof Xperia Z tablet is the thinnest and lightest tablet in its class. It looks and feels as thin as a wafer, but also feels like a high tech masterpiece. At 1.1 pounds, it is definitely the lightest in its class. It feels skinny, but not anorexic.
The back is made from rubberized plastic that feels strong. The front is covered with a screen that is supposedly made of gorilla glass, but don't trust it -- the screen can scratch easily. You will definitely need a screen cover for this. There are speaker grills on the bottom two corners, but the speaker sound isn't that great. To make things worse, the grills are located where your hands usually rest, making it easy to cover them up.
The 3.5mm headphone jack, micro USB port, and microSD card are covered by small flaps and this can get very annoying at first. However, it's one of the tradeoffs of having a waterproof tablet. This is one that you can spill coffee on and not have to worry about any damage.
