Inside source
The Xperia Z is powered by Qualcomm’s
Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, which runs at 1.5GHz and is paired with 2GB of
RAM. It’s seriously fast. Android flies along, with no sign of stuttering and
little time spent waiting for applications to load. In our Geekbench and
SunSpider benchmarks, the quad-core CPU lost out a little to the higher-clocked
dual-core chip in the Nexus 10, but you won’t notice the difference in everyday
use.
Qualcomm’s
Snapdragon S4 Pro
Games and 3D applications are where the
Tablet Z excels. It scored an incredible 9,802 in 3DMark Ice Storm, making this
the fastest Android tablet we’ve tested and almost as fast as the current crop
of quad-core smartphones from I-ITC and Samsung. We had no trouble playing
demanding games such as Real Racing 3, which looked fantastic at Full HD
resolution. As this is a Sony device, you can use a PlayStation 3 controller
with it. Plugging the tablet into your TV over HDMI turns it into an ad-hoc
games console.
All that 3D power doesn’t come at the
expense of battery life, either. In our video playback test, the Tablet Z’s
battery lasted a superb 10 hours and 17 minutes, outlasting Apple’s latest iPad
- arguably the benchmark for tablet battery life by almost 20 minutes.
Games
and 3D applications are where the Tablet Z excels
Droid user
The Xperia Tablet Z runs Android 4.1.2
rather than the latest jelly Bean 4.2 version, although Sony has promised to
make an update available in the coming months. This means you can’t use
multiple user accounts on the tablet yet, as Sony hasn’t included the Guest
Account feature we saw in the Tablet S. However, Sony’s custom Android skin
gives the operating system a sleek appearance, and it’s unobtrusive, unlike the
custom skins from some of Sony’s competitors. Apart from a few re-skinned
icons, the only additions are a shortcut bar at the top of the Home screen and
a Mini Apps toolbar at the bottom.
Plenty of apps are bundled with the tablet,
including Sony’s Video Unlimited and Music Unlimited apps for streaming music
and renting films. The slick Walkman app lets you play music stored in the
device’s 16GB of storage, while the Album photo gallery app can import images
from Facebook and Picasa, as well as from a NAS device or networked PC.
Plenty
of apps are bundled with the tablet, including Sony’s Video Unlimited and Music
Unlimited apps for streaming music and renting films.
There’s also a Remote Control app, which
turns the tablet into a universal remote using its IR blaster. We tried this on
a couple of TVs from other manufacturers, and although it’s not particularly
easy to set up, we soon had it working smoothly.
The Tablet Z is designed to work with
Sony’s Bravia TVs, thanks to its built-in NFC, screen mirroring and the ability
to stream content using DLNA, although you can send videos to any compatible
TV, not just Sony’s. It also has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS connectivity. An
optional 4G module will soon be available but only on the more expensive
version of the tablet, which will cost a little under $767.
There’s little doubt that the Sony Xperia
Tablet Z is one of the best 10in tablets we’ve seen. Its main competitor,
Google’s Nexus 10, is cheaper and has a higher resolution screen but it’s not
necessarily better.
The
Xperia Tablet Z’s thinner, lighter waterproof chassis
The Xperia Tablet Z’s thinner, lighter
waterproof chassis, built-in IR blaster, expandable storage and Sony-specific
tweaks give it a real edge. Some people will prefer to save money and buy the
Nexus, but they’ll miss out on a fantastic tablet. We think the Xperia Tablet Z
is worth the extra cash.
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Specifications
·
Assessment: 5/5
·
Price: $612
·
From: www.sony.com
·
CPU: 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro
·
RAM: 2GB
·
Storage: 16GB
·
Graphics: Qualcomm Adreno 320
·
Display: 10.1in widescreen IPS touchscreen
(1,920x1,080)
·
Operating system: Android 4.1.2
·
Dimensions: 172x266x7mm, 495kg
·
Warranty: One-year RTB
·
Part code: SGP311GB
·
Details: www.sony.com
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