Sony’s announced availability for its Xperia Tablet Z, claimed to be the slimmest 10-inch tablet ever.
It’s due to start rolling out in the second quarter of this year, costing $499 for the 16GB model and $599 for 32GB. Based on a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor, the 10.1-inch, Jelly Bean 4.1-powered device boasts 2GB of RAM and 32 GBs of flash storage, and comes with Wifi, LTE and NFC connectivity.
Screen resolution is 1,920 x 1,200 pixels. There’s an eight megapixel camera on the back, and a 2.2 megapixel one on the front.
“Xperia Tablet Z sets new standards in entertainment by matching premium specifications and Sony technology with cross-device connectivity and a consistent user-experience,” says Kaz Tajima, corporate VP and head of UX creative design and planning at Sony Mobile Communications.
“Xperia Tablet Z reinforces our intention to be a leading player in the premium Android device market, by building on the principles established by Xperia Z and perfectly optimising them for the tablet form factor.”
Notably, the company claims it’s the thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablet available – just 6.9 mm thick and weighing 495 grams – not much over a pound. I’s design is rather more restrained and conventional than its predecessors – your standard rectangle with rounded corners, in fact.
It’s even, says Sony, waterproof enough to deal with being sunk into three feet of water for half an hour – as long as all the ports are covered.
The company’s also announced that its flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z, will roll out in stores worldwide from today. Launched first in Japan, Sony says it’s already the top-selling smartphone there.
