PREVIOUS ARTICLENEXT ARTICLE

By Mike Joubert 1 July 2013

0

Sony has a good thing going with its Xperia Z smartphone - so why change when it comes tablets? 
 
Sleek and stylish: two words that describe the Xperia Tablet Z, Sony’s latest. Luckily for us Sony did not stop there, since much like its flagship phone, the Xperia Z (review), its new 10.1” tablet is also dust and water resistant. In fact, if all the ports’ flaps are closed, you can keep the Z under one metre of water for up to 30 minutes. This means that reading Kindle ebooks in the bath is now at long last a worry-free experience. 
 
As can be expected, the Tablet Z takes its design-cues straight from the Z smartphone. It’s definitely not as curvy as other tablets, but this does not detract from a comfortable user experience, with three things helping out. The matte finish of the back cover allows for a bit more grip, while the tablet’s weight and thickness makes it a pleasure to hold for an extended period of time. In fact, at only 6.9 mm (495 g), the Tablet Z is thinner than most smartphones. 
 
And performance too
 
With all this counting in the Z’s favour, one might expect a drop in performance. Not true: in fact the Tablet Z is one of the best performing tablets currently available. With 2 GB of RAM and the 1.5 GHz Qualcomm S4 Pro quad-core processor onboard, it benchmarked the same as the similarly specced Z smartphone, trouncing tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (review).
 
Sony xperia tablet z south africa review
Very easy on the eyes, and in the hands, Sony's thin Tablet Z.
 
Add to this a brilliant full HD 10.1” LED screen (1200 x 1920 pixels, 224 ppi) with excellent viewing angles, expansion of the 16 GB storage via microSD card and full HD connectivity, and you have yourself certainly one of the top tablets currently available. Oh yes, the Tablet Z is also LTE enabled.  
 
To the point
 
There’s very little that Sony hasn’t done right with the Tablet Z. It’s a premium Android (4.1.2) device that shows a commitment from Sony to being more than an also-ran in the tablet space. Onboard you’ll find everything that you need (except a stylus, while Sony expects you to have a micro USB charger/ cable already) including an excellent screen, strong performance and solid design. You pay for the privilege though, since it retails for an expensive R9 000. 
PROS
Waterproof, very thin, strong performance
CONS
No charger included, no stylus
USER COMMENTS

Read
Magazine Online
TechSmart.co.za is South Africa's leading magazine for tech product reviews, tech news, videos, tech specs and gadgets.
Start reading now >
Download latest issue

Have Your Say


What new tech or developments are you most anticipating this year?
New smartphone announcements (43 votes)
Technological breakthroughs (27 votes)
Launch of new consoles, or notebooks (14 votes)
Innovative Artificial Intelligence solutions (27 votes)
Biotechnology or medical advancements (21 votes)
Better business applications (132 votes)