Sony xperia tablet z parameters. Sony Xperia Tablet Z series tablets

If just three years ago tablet computers running the Android operating system aroused general interest and admiration, today everything has changed and not for the better, of course, in the sense of attention to tablets as something new.

Electronics manufacturers are literally churning out tablets in whole packs, without even caring about the originality of the products they produce. And yet this endless and dull stream is interrupted from time to time by some bright and original model that instantly attracts the attention of the already jaded and tired of the monotony of the consumer.

This is exactly the tablet model that appeared before us Sony Xperia Tablet Z from the famous mobile phone manufacturer Sony. More precisely, Sony has established itself as such, because the tablets produced by this manufacturer can be counted on one hand. As for the Xperia Tablet Z, even the most cursory glance at this device will be enough to understand that Sony did not waste its time. Unique design, excellent performance capabilities, high-quality display and remarkable body characteristics, all of this certainly deserves special attention and praise from the creators of this remarkable device in many respects.

Appearance

One of the most characteristic design features of the Xperia Tablet Z is the amazing similarity of the tablet with another device from the company, namely the flagship smartphone Xperia Z. If you want, the Xperia Tablet Z tablet is a huge Xperia Z smartphone, at least it evokes such associations. Some similarities between the manufacturer’s products can be observed by comparing the Xperia Tablet Z with other Sony mobile devices, for example with the Sony Xperia SP smartphone, a review of which you can find on simplereview.ru.

The physical dimensions of the tablet are 266x172x6.9 mm and weight 495 grams. The design of the case is strict, stylish, with a predominance of straight lines, the corners are barely rounded. Despite this angularity, which is uncharacteristic of most tablets, the device is very comfortable to hold in your hands. The Xperia Tablet Z uses the same materials as the Xperia Z smartphone, but the back panel is plastic rather than glass. Of course, the plastic is not simple, but special, harder than the usual Soft Touch, but very pleasant and velvety to the touch.

The tablet is available in two colors: black and matte white. It is noteworthy that fingerprints can only be seen on the black case, or rather on the back cover, but on white they are practically invisible. By the way, the plastic cover of the Xperia Tablet Z is reinforced with carbon fiber, which explains its increased rigidity. The entire front part of the tablet is covered with durable glass, on which a special coating is applied to prevent the formation of fragments if damaged. The film glued to the glass protects the screen from minor damage such as scratches and abrasions, as well as from fingerprints, although the latter still remain, but do not look as ugly as on cheap displays and are also easy to remove.

Physical controls and connectors are located around the perimeter of the device. On the left side (if you hold the tablet horizontally) there is a fairly large aluminum power/lock button, an audio jack and a volume control. The microUSB connector, as well as the IR port, are located on the top edge; slots for microSD and microSIM cards can be found at the bottom. The device has two speakers and they are located on both sides. It is noteworthy that the sound output in the Xperia Tablet Z occurs not only on the side edges, but also on the bottom end, which prevents accidental closing of the output holes with your hands.

All connectors are tightly covered with plugs and this causes some inconvenience, especially when replacing cards, but this is the price for water resistance. Unfortunately, the developers never thought of marking the plugs in any way - you have to figure out which plug hides which connector yourself. The device protection complies with IP55/57 and IP5X standards. Judge for yourself how well the tablet is protected. The Xperia Tablet Z can withstand a 30-minute immersion to a depth of one meter, however, Sony employees are inclined to say that this is not the limit, which we fully believe, but we still do not recommend that owners put their tablet on the “brink of survival.” Please also note that the tablet is protected from water, and fresh water at that, and not from any liquids, such as chemicals. Perhaps it would also be worth saying that it is still better to protect the device, in particular the display, from strong jets of water, and the point here is not that water can get inside the case, but in the sensitivity of the display - it’s just that the water pressure can randomly start applications.

As for the assembly as a whole, it was completed with all ten points - the main thing was that no play was noticed, and for all its elegance, the device looks durable and monolithic.

Hardware and performance

The heart of the Sony Xperia Z is a powerful quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 processor clocked at 1.5 GHz. The RAM is 2 GB and the GPU is Adreno 320.

Overall, the performance level can be described as high (for a tablet). Toys are played without problems, as for the operation of the interface, it’s generally super - no lags or slowdowns were observed.

The only note is that when running heavy games, for example, Real Racing 3, the tablet gets noticeably warm, but that’s natural. According to benchmark data, today the Sony Xperia Z is perhaps the most productive tablet. The amount of physical memory depends on the modification and is 16 or 32 GB, with the bulk being devices with 16 GB on board. By modern standards, this is not much, however, nothing prevents you from expanding the memory using microSD cards. In addition, the 16 GB version has a 3G/LTE module, which is not present in the 32 GB model.

Among other characteristics, we note the presence of Bluetooth 4.0, an infrared port, an NFC module, GPS, aGPS, GLONASS, Wi-Fi (a/b/g/n), an accelerometer and gyroscope, a light sensor and micro-USB connectors. The supported standards are GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 and WCDMA 850, 900, 1900, 2100. Autonomous operation of the tablet is ensured by a 6000 mAh battery. The battery charge lasts approximately 10 hours under average load. With a constant connection to the network and maximum screen brightness, battery life will be about 6-6.5 hours. A completely discharged battery (you must understand a new one) takes at least 4 hours to charge.

Display

The device’s display can hardly be called ideal; in many respects it is inferior to the screens of the iPad 4 and Nexus 10; however, it would be simply a sin to complain about the quality of the displayed image, at least for a non-specialist. The Xperia Tablet Z uses a 10.1-inch IPS matrix with support for Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 technology and a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. The display has an anti-glare coating, has wide viewing angles, excellent color reproduction, high levels of contrast and brightness, and deep natural blacks.

The screen is protected from external damage by high-strength glass. There are no problems with sensitivity. The matrix is sensitive to finger touches, supports 10 simultaneous touches and gesture control technology. It has a display and its drawbacks. Perhaps the most important of them is poor screen readability in sunlight. When the display is exposed to sunlight, the colors fade and it becomes almost impossible to make out small details in the images. Professionals noted some instability in the brightness distribution, equally unstable white balance, as well as a slight oversaturation of primary colors.

Camera

There are two cameras in the Xperia Tablet Z - a main 8.1 megapixel with an Exmor R sensor and an additional 2.2 megapixel. There are no particular complaints about the quality of photographs taken with the main camera, but this is only provided that the shooting was done in good lighting. If there is insufficient lighting, the picture may be spoiled by excess noise; in addition, the colors in such a photograph may look unnatural. In a word, the tablet’s camera is not suitable for night and evening photography, and it also lacks such an important module as a flash. It has been noticed that the highest quality photos can be obtained by shooting not indoors, but outdoors and, moreover, on a sunny day.

The maximum photo resolution is 3104×2328 pixels, which corresponds to 7 megapixels, this is the real resolution of the matrix (1 megapixel is used to suppress noise). The camera records video with a resolution of 1920×1080, speeds up to 30 frames per second and stereo sound. By the way, the front camera, like the main one, supports video recording in Full HD quality. There is autofocus, HDR mode, digital zoom, automatic “super auto mode”, burst shooting and other, this time software features, for example, applying various effects to photos.

Software

Sony Xperia Tablet Z runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean operating system. The shell in the Xperia Tablet Z is its own, proprietary, very comfortable and attractive in appearance. Among the main features of the software, I would like to note the presence in the bottom control panel of keys for emergency calls of mini-applications, control of audio playback and launching the camera from the lock screen. Includes OfficeSuite, WisePilot navigation, separate backup and recovery software, Smart Connect for event management, Walkman, Chrome browser, remote control app, and proprietary file manager.

There are no special complaints about the software, the only thing the Xperia Tablet Z lacks is a multi-user mode, like the one implemented on the Nexus 10 and Amazon Kindle Fire HD devices.

Conclusion

The result of the efforts of Japanese developers was a unique device that combines an impressive design, high performance, ultra-thin design and protection from moisture and dust. This is exactly how we can characterize the Sony Xperia Tablet Z. In terms of design, this tablet is perhaps the only device that can compete with the famous Apple products.

The Sony brand produces high-quality tablets that differ in size and functionality. Gadgets with a modern design are easy to use. Among the models, each user will be able to choose the appropriate option for himself. The choice will be made easier by our rating of the best Sony tablets of 2016-2017, which we present to your attention. After reading it, you will be able to evaluate the main characteristics of the devices.

The gadget will please users for whom performance and high image quality are considered important parameters. The diagonal of the tablet's touch screen is 8 inches. High-quality display of a picture or photograph is guaranteed thanks to the high resolution of 1920 pixels by 1200. The lightweight and easy-to-use gadget can be taken to a business meeting or for a walk. The owner can optionally work with various applications: the device is equipped with a powerful quad-core Snapdragon 801 as a processor and 3 GB of RAM (random access memory). The clock frequency is 2500 MHz. The built-in memory allows you to additionally store 16 GB of information.

The tablet computer has 3G, autofocusing rear camera with a resolution of 8.1 million pixels. and front camera - 2.2 million pixels. This makes it possible to take photos of memorable events and immediately post them on the Internet. Several mobile communication standards are available, among them LTE and GPRS are worth mentioning. The tablet also supports wireless Internet or Wi-Fi. This is a good gadget for its price and parameters. If we take into account all the possibilities, then its cost cannot be considered overpriced. The gadget is convenient to carry with you. Viewing the review allows you to evaluate all the advantages of the new product.

When a tablet is required for work, then advanced functionality is a necessity. The more expensive model from Sony allows you to process more information: when creating the product, the manufacturer used Nvidia Tegra 3, a new generation processor equipped with eight cores and a clock frequency of 2000 MHz, with 3 GB of RAM. The gadget with the Lollipop operating system has a widescreen screen. The resolution of 2560 pixels by 1600 guarantees high-quality image display. The screen diagonal is 10.1 inches. Stereo sound from the built-in speakers is one of the undeniable advantages of the device. The model supports Wi-Fi, but there is no provision for a 3G module, which may cause some inconvenience for users who prefer to communicate via the Internet. A short video dedicated to the review of the gadget introduces you in detail to the characteristics of the tablet.

The rating of Sony tablets will continue with a description of a model that will not leave anyone indifferent. The tablet computer's operating system is Android 4.4. The gadget has Nvidia Tegra 3 - a powerful processor with four cores and a fairly fast clock speed of 2300 MHz. The 10.1-inch diagonal screen is securely covered with special glass that is scratch-resistant. Throughout the entire long period of operation, the device retains its attractive appearance. The sleek design of the tablet is combined with easy controls. In addition to Wi-Fi support, access to various mobile communication standards is provided. LTE technology allows you to work on the global network at high speed. The owner of the device also has access to GLONASS, a global positioning system that allows you to easily locate your location, just like the American GPS system. The gadget has excellent moisture protection. The device is among the TOP best in terms of characteristics and user reviews.

This inexpensive but good tablet from Sony is based on Android. The manufacturer chose version 4.0. Owners have a convenient user interface at their disposal. A well-chosen combination of colors is beneficial to the eyes: it doesn’t take much time to get used to. The device is equipped with a fast Nvidia Tegra 3 - quad-core processor with 1 GB of RAM. Its clock frequency is 1300 MHz. The storage capacity for important data can be expanded using 16 GB of internal memory and a special slot designed for a memory card. Resolution 1280x800 allows you to enjoy high-quality images. The screen diagonal of the gadget is 9.4 inches. The device allows you to access the Internet: the device supports Wi-Fi with a 3G module. This rating contains the latest models from the famous brand Sony. The gadget is equipped with two cameras: a front one with a resolution of 1 million pixels and a rear one with a resolution of 8 million pixels. The latter is capable of autofocus, so even a non-professional photographer can take a picture taken with its help. You can always find out the coordinates of your tablet thanks to the built-in GPS.

Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet 32GB LTE

The device is more expensive, but with it its owner is guaranteed a lot of advantages. If you need to conduct business negotiations via the Internet, then this model is a worthy choice for a businessman. The gadget works with almost all available mobile communication standards: 3G, GPRS and others. The device supports Wi-Fi signal perfectly. If required, a tablet with a nano SIM can act as a cell phone. The device with a screen diagonal of 10.1 inches and automatic screen orientation is ideal for reading electronic information resources or browsing the web. The model with the ability to connect a keyboard has excellent build quality and a modern design. The device with Android 5.0 allows you to communicate via 4G (LTE). The tablet's capabilities allow it to become a real assistant to a business person. High performance is provided by the eight-core Snapdragon 810 processor with a clock frequency of 2000 MHz.

The Sony Xperia Z4 tablet is a storage facility for large amounts of information: in addition to 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory, you can use a slot for memory cards up to 128 GB. The gadget can be used to make calls using the cellular network. The device with its compact dimensions is reliably protected from the ingress of dust and moisture particles in accordance with the IP68 standard. Thanks to special technology, fast battery charging is possible. Users leave positive reviews about the performance characteristics of the device for 2017. The model with a durable plastic body is available in two versions: black or white.

Ilya 4254

The Sony Xperia Tablet Z4 tablet, the price of which is no less than 35 thousand, at a quick glance is very similar to the Sony Xperia Tablet Z2 tablet, its price is 10,000 lower: the same monitor size, the cameras are very similar, identical amounts of memory. Is it worth paying extra and is there a significant difference in these two models? In this material we will analyze in detail the main technical parameters of the devices and make a comparison.

Note that the first generation, Sony Xperia Tablet Z, the price of which does not exceed 20,000, is equipped with a 10.1-inch ND screen. It has rear and front optics, a quad-core APQ8064 processor. It is worse than in other representatives of the review; there is 1024 MB less RAM. But it is still a modern device with good speed.

Prices in online stores:

		Teek	80 R
		Teek	180 R

Sony Xperia Tablet Z2 and Z3 tablets - prices and specifications

You can buy a Sony Xperia Tablet Z2 tablet for 20 – 24.5 thousand rubles. Unlike its predecessor, it integrates the MSM8974AB. Together with 3 GB of RAM, the device demonstrates excellent performance.

The 10.1” IPS monitor is protected by scratch-resistant glass. It is produced using the same technologies as Bravia TV screens. As a result, we see a clear, colorful, contrasting picture, deep black colors.

The 8 MP rear and 2 MP selfie lenses have an eight-fold zoom, HD media recording, intelligent detection of faces and smiles, shooting conditions, Sweep Panorama and HDR technologies.

A similar chip is integrated into the Sony Xperia Tablet Z3 Tablet, the price of which is almost identical to the Tablet Z 2. Several configurations are available with ROM sizes of 16 and 32 GB, with support for Wi-Fi only or with LTE.

The display diagonal has been reduced to eight inches. Many users want to buy a Sony Xperia Tablet Z3 Compact tablet because of its improved photographic abilities. With the same resolutions, it additionally gained video and image stabilization functions, a burst shooting option, the ability to add geotags and focus on a specific object. Battery capacity is 4500 mAh. This is lower than in other configurations: even the Sony Xperia Tablet Z tablet, whose price is much lower, had a 6000 mAh battery. However, the device demonstrates long-term performance thanks to the presence of the energy-saving Stamina mode.

Prices in online stores:

		Teek	180 R
		Teek	340 R
		Teek	390 R
		Teek

Sony Xperia Tablet Z4 and Z5 tablets - prices and specifications

If you have a budget of 35-50,000 and are ready to spend it on the purchase, we recommend buying a Sony Xperia Tablet Z4 tablet.

It should immediately be said about the improved performance due to the use of the eight-core MSM8994 CPU. The amount of RAM remained unchanged. The optics have the same functions and settings. Among the differences is a modified selfie camera, now 5 megapixels, video recording in 4K format. The new product has a 2K screen resolution. Experts claim that the display has become 40% brighter.

The use of the Wi-Fi a/c standard with MIMO support makes the Internet connection speed 1.5 times higher. This allows you to completely eliminate delays when playing streaming media files and reduce file transfer times. The advanced configuration has a 4G module, while the standard configuration only has Wi-Fi.

The Sony Xperia Tablet Z5 tablet, which will cost (according to authoritative sources) at least a thousand dollars, is currently not available for sale. It was announced at the MWC 2016 exhibition, but the company does not provide any information regarding the release date, nor is there a presentation on the official website.

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Review of the Sony Xperia Tablet Z. Part 1

The situation with tablets today is strange, but natural - there is relative polarization in this market. On the one hand, there are Apple and Samsung tablets. This heavy top artillery is supported by the cavalry in the form of Google (with its Nexus tablet), Asus and the recently joined Sony (Xperia Tablet S and P), albeit with very variable success. On the other side of the scale are a bunch of cheap noname devices, as well as those that have already gained some popularity - Texet, Prestigio, Wexler, GoClever, even, dare I say it, Ainol, etc. There are interesting, but insignificant surges in popularity like Lenovo (though , more in terms of laptops and smartphones), but the rest, sometimes even famous brands, are a little lost against the background of market leaders.

And in this current situation, “either image or cheapness,” Sony traditionally chooses the direction of image and releases into the world its new, one might say, “rethought” tablet Sony Xperia Tablet Z. After the “magazine” Tablet S and “a case for glasses "some grandfather" Tablet P The Japanese again focused on design, but this time also on anorexic thinness, body armor protection from water and dust, and on Full-HD resolution, of course.

Let's see how the company coped with the task.

"Oh! The lukewarm one has gone..." "The irony of fate, or Enjoy your bath!"

First impression, appearance, design

Looking into the box, don’t look for much - a USB/Micro-USB cable, charging (also Micro-USB) and documentation. There are no “goodies” or gift accessories. They should have put the headset down. Still, it’s a useful thing for such a device. On the other hand, real connoisseurs still connect separately purchased monster headphones, and wireless ones at that (so as not to wear out the connector).

The set is an attraction of unheard of generosity

True, in Japan itself, headphones are included in the package, and even with a docking station. But these are their local promotions.

The device looks strictly - black (there is an option with a white body), straight lines, no soft and smooth “turns” in the contours, with the exception of small rounded corners. The edges are framed with a frame frame. From the edge of the tablet to the screen, the sides are quite wide.

Elegance complements the pleasant impression. Seven millimeters... I can’t even call it thick, it’s more like seven millimeters thin (even more precisely, 0.1 mm less).

On the back there is a “soft touch” coating that is extremely appropriate in this case. The device gets noticeably dirty. If it is critical for you, it makes sense to try the white model, perhaps you will like it better (although this problem exists there too).

Everything is assembled and adjusted perfectly as usual. It would be strange if it were otherwise. Especially with an emphasis on moisture and dust resistance. For the same reasons, the back panel is solid and cannot be removed. However, in other tablets it is also usually not removed.

The weight, of course, is also small - almost half a kilo.

Put an iPad and a Sony Xperia Tablet Z next to each other, and the first one suddenly seems like a victim of fast food. But it also has the opposite effect; picking up this device after the iPad is scary. It looks fragile and reacts sensitively to the slightest bend and pressure on the corners of the screen. The thin body also has its inconveniences if you want to put it somewhere or lean it against something. So it is better to install it in a stand.

Interfaces for working with the network and devices. Connectors and elements

The system provides the following technological solutions: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, DLNA (working in a home network), NFC - this interaction block is located on the rear surface, at the bottom (for reference, this is short-range wireless communication, in particular touch communication tablet of another device or broadcasting music to wireless speakers - either via NFC or Bluetooth).

Sony Xperia Tablet Z - communication with wireless speakers via NFC

There is also a high-tech MHL interface (Mobile High-Definition Link - HD video transmission), as well as the usual infrared port (upper end for easier aiming while holding the tablet in your hands) and Micro-USB. As you can see, it’s an interesting combination of familiar and very unusual standards.

Advice: whoever needs HDMI, look for an adapter from MHL to HDMI - a completely normal solution.

There are also versions of the tablet with LTE and 3G. But, as you understand, the 4G module will often work in 3G mode, since actually working and adequate LTE networks are still a relatively rare phenomenon.

However, those who don’t want to overpay for a high-speed communication module can make a bundle of “distributing Wi-Fi from a smartphone to a tablet.” Also an option.

The connectors (Micro-USB, SIM slot and memory card slot) are aesthetically hidden with plugs (opened with chaotic picking movements). Some of them have additional fixation options. Some are marked with symbols (for example, a headphone icon), and some are without directional signs (you can only find out which side to insert, for example, a card through experience and preferably with the help of some kind of tool).

Where exactly is what located?

Left end: audio output, round metalized button for screen lock and on/off of the tablet (this is already a recognizable element), LED charging sensor, volume up/down. Plus connectors for the docking station (cradle).

Closed

Open

Top: microphone, infrared port.

Bottom: MHL, micro-SIM, Micro-USB, microSD/SDHC memory card slot.

All buttons are pressed softly. They are conveniently located - no matter how you hold the device. Also at the ends there are four outputs for a pair of built-in speakers.

Screen

It's so nice when developers and manufacturers listen to consumers' opinions. The Xperia Z smartphone had a relatively weak display: both the picture quality and viewing angles were, as they say, not so hot. In the Xperia Z Ultra, the situation was significantly improved, and for the tablet they decided to completely avoid such an “awkward moment.”

Somehow Sony Xperia Tablet Z and Sony Xperia Z meet... (almost like a joke)

Here is honest Full HD with a resolution of 1920x1200. A very high-quality 10.1-inch matrix with finally good viewing angles (from any side), covered with durable glass. The company is very evasive about the definitions and specifications of the display, but almost all experts are inclined to believe that it is either an IPS matrix or its equivalent.

The only negative is that it gets dirty like a first grader in art class (like the back surface). The official specifications mention an "oleophobic coating". This oleophobic coating is not particularly noticeable...

The colors are bright and juicy, like a hybrid of watermelon and lemon. It even turns out to be too “cheerful colors”. I would like to have preset image profiles so that the color gamut could be set more strictly. Although there are no such psychedelic shades as can be seen in the Samsung Galaxy series. What's nice is that the black color really looks like deep black.

Everything looks beautiful, and if you don’t delve into the microscopic technical meanings of graph deviations and “color temperatures,” then 99.9% of users will be delighted. Even pixel hunters have nothing to complain about.

But with brightness, everything is traditional: in the room there are zero complaints, but on the street, under the bright rays of the sun, it is almost the same sadness and melancholy as most even expensive smartphones and tablets (subjectively a little better, but also not ideal ). Plus the glare is not suppressed as well as we would like.

Bright rich colors and highlights - two in one...

But for the benefit of improving “watchability”, a panel under the brand name OptiContrast is working, where the glass is combined with a touch panel (there is no air gap, as the developers say).

Screen Sony Xperia Tablet Z - OptiContrast technology
1 - glass, 2 - air, which is not there, 3 - sensor, 4 - the screen itself

Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 technology adds its plus to the picture.

This technology appeared in 2005 in Sony TVs of the BRAVIA line.

A small digression. By the way, the tablet can interact with modern TVs produced under this brand in a simplified way. For this, the NFC communication technology already mentioned above is used (data transfer with one touch of a tablet or smartphone to the TV).

The abbreviation BRAVIA stands for, as you probably know, as follows: Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture (integrated solutions for ideal high-definition sound and image). Briefly, the effect of using this technology looks like this: digital noise is suppressed, image sharpness and contrast are increased. Not significant, but still noticeable.

As a result, the picture looks almost as beautiful on the screen as on the iPad, and the kangaroo is two jumps ahead of the picture from other tablet manufacturers.

Performance

The Qualcomm S4 Pro APQ8064 chip is asynchronous, that is, the cores work independently of each other, like the eyes of a chameleon; moreover, under low loads, some cores can be automatically turned off (this saves battery power). This processor is quad-core, based on ARMv7. To this not very new, but very powerful solution we add 2 GB of RAM and a strong Adreno 320 video module, which after the equals sign gives absolutely excellent performance. And not some kind of academic calculation and not only in abstract “parrots”, but also IRL, that is, in practice.

If Crysis 3 had been made for tablets, I wouldn’t be surprised that it would have gone well here too. Because modern heavy games run fine on the Sony Xperia Tablet Z. Almost all games run, be it Asphalt, NFS or Real Racing, or Modern Combat. Even GTA: Vice City runs quite normally, only occasionally twitching a little (so as not to relax).

Do you recognize Batman?

Dead Trigger

Modern Combat

The Amazing Spider Man

Racing

Public Favorite - GTA Vice City

There is 16 GB of memory for data storage (there are options with 32 GB). Expandable via microSD memory cards.

During operation, the device does not heat up enough to cause complaints (however, again, I have heard the opinion that at times it still noticeably heats up on the left).

A few words about the software part

As you probably know, Sony is adding its own design to Android. It turns out quite beautiful.

Setting up a shell for yourself

By the way, the version on board is Android 4.1.2 (the possibility of further updating to 4.2 is announced). On such powerful hardware, the system “runs” well (this is especially noticeable given the ten multi-touch touch points and good touch sensitivity), isolated “jerks” are a common phenomenon for almost all Android devices. However, I have also heard opinions that the Sony shell still slows down.

Even from a locked device, you immediately get quick access to the camera and music. A beautiful stylized unlocking (it turns out to be a rather arrogant imperial finger gesture) is a good solution. The upper left corner of the screen is ready to accept four shortcuts to choose from for the applications you need.

Typical applications installed on the tablet

In the second part of the review, we will continue the story about interesting programs, look at other features of the tablet, and also consider such aspects as battery life, vaunted protection from moisture and dust. Well, the most important thing is the summary and conclusions.

Appearance and ergonomics

The letter Z in the name is not accidental: the new 10-inch tablet is directly related to the Sony Xperia Z smartphone, sales of which recently began in Russia. These two devices look extremely similar: the front panel of the Tablet Z is made entirely of impact-resistant glass, with inserts from the same on the sides, and a neat layer of damping plastic in between.

There are familiar plugs on the sides and a round aluminum power button, exactly the same as the Xperia Z. The left side of the case still has two contacts for connecting the docking station.

Perhaps the main stylistic difference is that the “back” of the tablet was decided not to be made of glass. Most likely because otherwise it would be too heavy. Instead of glass, there is plastic that is pleasant to the touch, somewhat reminiscent of Soft Touch, but a little harder. The plastic is reinforced with carbon fiber, which increases strength and rigidity - although the latter is still a little lacking.

This is the thinnest Android tablet - 6.9 mm thick. In addition, it is very light: it weighs only 495 grams in the version with a cellular module and is five grams lighter in the Wi-Fi only version, something an iPad could only dream of. Among 10-inch tablets, the Xperia Tablet Z is perhaps the record holder for weight. It is comfortable to hold and your hands do not get tired.

There are very few buttons - only three: on/off and volume control. But there are more than enough plugs: one for the MicroSD and Micro SIM memory card slots, the second covers the 3.5 mm audio jack, and the third hides the MHL port. They are made more carefully than on a smartphone: some even have special holes next to them so that the open cap can be carefully secured.

This abundance of plugs is understandable: like a smartphone, the tablet is protected from dust and moisture according to IP55 and IP57 standards, that is, it is not afraid of either fine dirt or jets of water and is guaranteed to survive immersion to a depth of up to a meter for 30 minutes. Sony representatives claim that, in fact, you can dive even deeper and for longer, but this already goes beyond the guaranteed limits, so the user can do this entirely at his own peril and risk.

Let us separately mention the speakers: it seems that there are four of them - a slot on each side and a couple more on the bottom edge. But in fact, there are still two speakers, they just made two terminals for each so that it would be almost impossible to close them with your hands. It's a small thing, but it's convenient. For some reason, other manufacturers didn't figure it out.

⇡ Screen

The screen is the most important and most interesting part of any tablet. It's especially interesting in the Xperia Tablet Z. This is an IPS matrix with a diagonal of 10.1 inches and a resolution of 1920x1200, covered with durable glass, on which, for greater reliability, a special coating has been applied that protects against splinters, in the manner of car glass.

There is no air gap between the display and glass, which makes the tablet thinner and at the same time eliminates some of the glare from the display. The touch layer is combined with glass - in fact, there is no separate touch layer as such: this further increases the tablet’s responsiveness to touch and saves you from some glare. One of Sony's proprietary features is the OptiContrast coating, which makes the image appear more contrasting than it is. If you turn off the screen, it practically merges with the black frame of the tablet.

Objectively, the contrast is not that high: about a quarter lower than that of the iPad 3. Although there is no shortage of it, probably partly due to the minimum amount of flare, partly due to the good viewing angles. But the brightness is a little higher than that of the third iPad, although not so much that this alone could attract a buyer.

With color rendering, things are ambiguous. On the one hand, the color gamut is very wide: 5% more than the sRGB color space, and the blue is incredibly deep, its coordinates are close to the edge of the visible spectrum. On the other hand, due to the “wrong” green, the entire triangle turned out to be distorted compared to the standard color space. The iPad's settings are much more accurate; the color gamut matches sRGB almost perfectly.

The color temperature is set very well: for white it is 6361 K and even the temperature of completely black turned out to be surprisingly low - only 8759 K. We did not have the opportunity to measure all the intermediate gradations, but something tells us that they are all set well . In a word, image warm and lamp.

The Japanese still failed to surpass the Apple iPad 3. But we managed to reach a close level - and this is already a lot. The display is of very high quality, and is configured so well that the picture looks extremely nice. In Android and Windows devices, such image quality is, unfortunately, still a rarity. Only HTC is more attentive to this issue, but it no longer makes tablets.

⇡ Iron

The Xperia Tablet Z has everything in order: the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, also known as APQ8064, operates at a frequency of 1.5 GHz, traditionally accompanied by the Adreno 320 video core. There is enough RAM - 2 GB. The built-in flash memory is 16 or 32 GB depending on the version, but if this does not seem enough, a MicroSD slot will solve the problem.

The tablet will exist in two versions: with and without the LTE+3G module. In general, a separate module is responsible for cellular communications, as in the Xperia Z smartphone, not built into the system on a chip. It works both in 2G/3G networks - up to HSPA+, and in LTE networks, which are built by the largest Russian operators.

The ability to connect to Wi-Fi networks 802.11 b/g/n (you can’t expect 802.11ac in portable devices in the near future), data transmission via Bluetooth 4.0, GPS receiver (most likely in the Wi-Fi version of the tablet) has not gone away there won’t be one) and an NFC module for interacting with accessories. There is even an infrared port that allows you to use the tablet as a remote control for your TV and other audio/video equipment.

The Xperia Tablet Z has two cameras: a 2.2 megapixel front camera and an 8 megapixel main one, both based on Sony's proprietary Exmor R sensor, which, like other BSI matrices, should capture more light than conventional sensors. The tablet can take panoramas, record videos in 1080p@30 FPS, and generally actively pretends to be a large flat camera. Unless there is a button for taking photos - and there is no need.

The battery capacity in Tablet Z is average: 6000 mAh (22.2 Wh, 3.7 V). For a 10-inch model with a powerful quad-core processor and a high-resolution display, and even with an LTE module, this is most likely not enough. We’ll find out how long the tablet will last on such a battery when we get to a full review.

Sony Xperia Tablet Z
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro ARM Cortex A9 architecture; Four computing cores; Frequency 1.5 GHz
Graphics controller	Qualcomm Adreno 320
Screen	10.1 inches, 1920x1200, IPS technology Capacitive touch screen
RAM	2048 MB
Built-in storage	16/32 GB
Flash card connector	MicroSD
Connectors	1 x MHL (Micro USB + HDMI) 1 x 3.5mm mini-jack audio jack
Bluetooth	4.0 + A2DP
WiFi	802.11b/g/n
3G	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100 LTE 800 / 850 / 900 / 1800 / 2100 / 2600
NFC	Eat
GPS	Eat
Sensors	Accelerometer/gyroscope, light sensor
Camera	Main: 8 MP BSI CMOS Front: 2.2 MP BSI CMOS
Battery	Non-removable, 22.2 Wh (6000 mAh, 3.7 V)
Size	266x172x6.9 mm
Weight	495 g
operating system	Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
recommended price	ND

⇡Soft

There have always been a lot of all kinds of software tricks and bells and whistles in Sony tablets. Naturally, we didn’t have time to try all of them. Among the interesting ones: the tablet can be used as a large screen for a smartphone. That is, you can use it to receive and reject calls coming to your phone number; you can simply duplicate the picture from your smartphone screen onto it.

To display the image from the Tablet Z on a modern Bravia TV (with NFC), you just need to touch it with the tablet. Using the same NFC (and Bluetooth), with one touch you can transfer music or video to laptops, if they have the appropriate modules, send sound to Sony wireless speakers from the line of NFC accessories and do other seemingly magical things.

Sony is nowhere without all sorts of “enhancers”: Mobile Bravia Engine 2 brightens up photos on the tablet screen and makes videos more contrasty. Clear Audio+ by its name alone promises divine sound - we didn’t have time to check what it sounds like in headphones, and tablet speakers squeak loudly, but without a particularly wide frequency range. On the other hand, it is physically impossible to fit even somewhat normal speakers into 7 mm of thickness. It will do for TV series.

There is also a kind of “improver” for the battery - it’s called STAMINA Mode, like in VAIO laptops. The principle of operation of “stamina” is extremely simple: if activated, it cuts off mobile data transmission when the screen is off. However, if you have, say, Dropbox installed, you won’t be able to use STAMINA Mode.

In general, the software part of the Xperia Tablet Z can be described as “Android 4.1.2 with a promised update to 4.2, unknown when.” We won’t talk about operating speed for now - the firmware is far from final, although even in this form the Tablet Z doesn’t seem to slow down.

⇡ Instead of output

We, of course, still have no idea how the Xperia Tablet Z is doing with battery and performance - although knowing the name of the chip used, there is no doubt that the lack of POWER is unlikely to be felt. So we probably won't be able to loudly declare that the Tablet Z is the best Android tablet ever released (actually, I'd like to say so - but wait, wait).

For now, only those facts with which everything is already clear. This is perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing and most balanced Android tablet. Moreover, at first glance, the Xperia Tablet Z has no weak points at all: the screen is good, the design is good, communications are fine, durability and reliability promise to be sufficient. Even the cameras, which are not really needed in a tablet, are nothing. You can pour water on it, use it as a chic universal remote control, you can even rob cows - the graphics core is very, very suitable.

We look forward to one more detail that will decide the fate of Tablet Z in Russia - its price. So far, even Sony doesn’t know about it, but it is already known how much “Z” charges for pre-ordering in Europe - from 799 euros. That is, even more than the 30,000 rubles that are asked for the Xperia Z smartphone in our homeland. But if you forget about this small flaw, the tablet is really very, very nice...

Addition: according to Engadget, in the US for a tablet with 16 GB of memory and without LTE they are asking $499 (excluding taxes). This may change things somewhat, but for the final verdict it is still worth waiting for the announcement of Russian prices.

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