Still looking for that perfect 10-inch tablet? Sony would like to toss its hat in the ring for your attention – and money. The tech giant took to the Mobile World Congress 2013 stage today and announced the Sony Xperia Tablet Z would be making its way to the United States later this year. It will carry the price tag of a premium device and the specs of one, too, so we thought it best to stack it up against the top competition in the tablet market. We’ll see just how well the Xperia Tablet Z lines up against its opponents in a spec showdown with the iPad and Nexus 10.
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iPad (4th Gen.)  |
Nexus 10  |
Xperia Tablet Z
|
|
| Size | 241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4 (mm) | 263.9 x 177.6 x 8.9 (mm) | 266 x 172 x 6.9 (mm) |
| Weight | 662g | 603g | 495g |
| Screen | 9.7-inch LCD | 10.1-inch LCD | 10.1-inch LCD |
| Resolution | 2048 x 1536 pixels | 2560 x 1600 pixels | 1920 x 1200 pixels |
| OS | iOS 6 | Android 4.2 Jelly Bean | Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean |
| Storage | 16/32/64GB | 16/32GB | 16/32GB |
| SD Card Slot | No | No | Yes |
| Processor | Dual-core A6X | Dual-core A15 | Quad-core Snapdragon S4 |
| RAM | 1GB | 2GB | 2GB |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, HSPA+ | Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, HSPA+ |
| Camera | Front 1.2MP, Rear 5MP | Front 1.9MP, Rear 5MP | Front 2MP, Rear 8MP |
| Bluetooth | Yes, version 4.0 | Yes, version 3.0 | Yes, version 3.0 |
| Battery | 11,560mAh | 9,000mAh | 6,000mAh |
| Charger | Lightning connector | Micro USB | Micro USB |
| Marketplace | Apple App Store | Google Play Store | Google Play Store |
| Price | $400+ | $400 | $500 |
Regardless of specs, the Sony Xperia Tablet Z definitely wins in the “longest and most confusing name” competition. But aside from that, one of the starkest differences between Sony’s tablet and its opposition comes just in physicality. The Xperia Tablet Z is so thin. Sony has cut off a full 2mm in comparison to the Nexus 10. The Tablet Z is 27 percent thinner and 24 percent lighter than the fourth-generation iPad. It’s definitely a sight to behold . (Literally, hold it. It’s so light.) Aside from that, though, a lot of the specs are pretty comparable. The Xperia bumps the processing power up to the quad-core Snapdragon, though it’s now outdated. It does have a significantly smaller battery than either the Nexus 10 or the iPad, and we’ll have to see exactly how much that plays into its usability. If it can’t run for long then it’s just a very expensive, impressive looking slab. That will likely be the biggest challenge that faces the Xperia Tablet Z as it enters the U.S. market.
