In hopes that the saying “3rd times the charm” holds true, Sony is opening up the floodgates and is now taking pre-orders for the Xperia Tablet Z. The followup slate to the Tablet S and Xperia Tablet S, the Xperia Tablet Z takes many of the design cues from its predecessors while improving on it in every way. Unlike previous models which were underpowered for their time, the Xperia Tablet Z now packs some of the latest specs which include:

• Quad Core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro (APQ8064 Cortex-A9) processor
  
• 2GB RAM
• Bluetooth 4
• 802.11 a/b/g/n
• 2.2 MP Front Camera
• 8.1 MP Rear Camera

However, more important that just pure tech specs, this 10.1-inch (1920 x 1200) tablet includes NFC technology that is designed to making pairing with other Sony equipment easier. Sony has also retooled the design with a more premium finish which has also made this the world’s thinnest 10.1 tablet. The Xperia Tablet Z also includes water-resistant technology which allows for usage in up to 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes at a time. The Xperia Tablet Z is now available for pre-order in 16GB black for $499 and 32GB in black or white for $599 with a May 24th release date. Sony is also throwing in an extra incentive by offering a free charging cradle to those who pre-order the white variant.

Discuss:

Are you interested in the Xperia Tablet Z?

[Via Sony]