For those unaware, Apple today announced some new products, the iPad Air and the iPad mini with Retina display. Those who know me are aware of my incredibly close ties with Apple yet this article isn’t about the iPad vs Xperia Tablet. Instead, the announcement got me thinking about Sony’s tablet ambitions and how they’ve evolved with the less-than-stellar Tablet S and the improved Xperia Tablet S and finally, the highly-refined Xperia Tablet Z. As I tell a lot of my friends, clients, and colleagues, Sony is the electronic industry’s best kept secret. They tend to have innovative designs and breakthroughs in hardware, and they even release them prior to their competitors. Yet Nikon sells more mirrorless cameras than Sony thanks to their ad campaign starring Ashton Kutcher. This happens despite Sony pioneering the product category with the NEX series, and this is not an anomaly related to just the NEX cameras. At this time, Sony has the most aggressive 4K television lineup with the 55-inch XBR (XBR-55X850A) starting at $3,500 yet wait till Samsung jumps into the market with their own version and I guarantee they will be the center of the conversation. Speaking of Samsung, while the company has just released their first foray into the SmartWatch category, Sony has been busy releasing their second generation SmartWatch with a four day battery life versus the 12-24 hours from Samsung yet no one knows of Sony’s watch ambitions outside of the hyper tech crowd and the same holds true for the company’s tablet ambitions.

This is a pressing matter for Sony and one that they need to address boldly if they want success on a larger scale. In fact, this issue isn’t about Sony vs. Samsung or Sony vs. Apple. Instead, it’s what Sony must do to reach everyday consumers who make up the majority of consumer electronic sales. So with that as backdrop, I’d like to introduce you all to a new series called “Let’s Reconsider” where we look at Sony products that have come and gone. No, we’re not looking at old devices from a decade ago or even a year ago. Instead, the series will highlight Sony products that have been released within the year and/or are still relevant, yet have little publicity and public awareness. Unlike a product review, this series will be designed as a reminder about what the given product has to offer and we’ll leave you, our educated readers, to make up your mind if it deserves your purchase. So with the announcement of the iPad Air and a continued strong growth of tablets in the post-PC world, our first series will focus on the Sony Xperia Tablet Z.

Sony Xperia Tablet Z Specs

I’m a firm believer that specs are meaningless if they don’t improve something in a, well, meaningful way. Are more megapixels and more RAM always better? Not necessarily, yet so many of us are wired to compare products based on this. More importantly, a system spec should help you make a purchase by ensuring that the product does something you need, be it a screen size that fits your usage habits or the inclusion of specific hardware like Bluetooth 4 or NFC that allows it to do something that it otherwise might not have been able to do. So with that, let’s talk about some specs for the Xperia Tablet Z:

Processor Type : Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064 Cortex-A9 Quad Core Maximum 1.5 GHz
Internal Memory (RAM) : 2 GB
Operating System : Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
Screen Size : 10.1 inch
Resolution : 1920 x 1200
Total Storage Capacity : 16 GB or 32GB
Expansion Slot : Micro SD memory card
8MP rear camera and 2MP front
USB 2.0 High Speed, Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL)
Bluetooth v4.0
Wi-Fi : IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n (optional LTE model)
NFC : Sony’s One-Touch feature, based on NFC technology

Sony Xperia Tablet Z Overview

The Sony Xperia Tablet Z at its core is a Android tablet and like all others, has access to the same catalogue of apps and functionality yet the Tablet Z is so much more than that and so much more unique. While there is no shortage of Android tablets on retail shelves, the Xperia Tablet Z has a few things that make it stand above the rest, starting with a build quality that’s not a cheap plastic like most Android/Samsung products. With a nice aluminum structure and a full front glass panel, the Tablet Z measures at just .27″ thin and weighing in at 1.09 lbs. In fact, Sony was able to deliver all of this and still find a way to make the unit water-proof in up to 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes at a time. While Sony has shown people using their tablets in the shower and pool to drive the point home, the reality is that you can use your tablet in the kitchen, at school, and yes, even next to the pool or at the beach without being paranoid about it getting water on it and frying the whole thing. Between the hyper thin design which has crowned the Xperia Tablet Z as the worlds thinnest 10.1-inch tablet, high end material, and water-proof technology, Sony already has a winning combination, yet there is more.

While Sony has not been known for their software prowess, they’ve been hard at work at creating an ecosystem where, with each new Sony gadget introduced to your home or business, your experience across all devices grows. One way that Sony has been able to achieve this is by including a RF port on the Tablet Z which allows it to control most new Sony products. From Blu-ray players, to Sony’s television and its receiver lineup, the Xperia Tablet Z can now act as a universal remote with a sleek UI. Think like a built in Logitech Harmony remote. Now it’s already likely that you sit in front of your television with a tablet in hand, so what better than a tablet that can control your home theater equipment as well. Beyond that, the app allows for control of other products that don’t carry a Sony logo.

Another under-appreciated app from Sony is their PlayMemories Online that allows all of your photos and videos to be stored in the cloud and accessed on any compatible device. Think Apple’s PhotoStream from Sony and the list of compatible devices is huge. Beyond any iOS (iPhone/iPad) and Android device being able to download the app for free, Sony also has the functionality built into the

PlayStation 3 (and likely PS4)
Cameras: NEX, Alpha, Cyber-shot (varies by model)
Bravia Televisions (2o11 and beyond)
Windows 8 Devices

This alone already means millions upon millions of devices have access to use this free service from Sony that not only keeps all of your photos and videos in sync, but also helps keep them organized.

Other unique technologies packed in the Xperia Tablet Z include NFC which allows you to pair a NFC compatible headset to your tablet or stream your music to your home theater system with just a tap. Speaking of music, Sony has also built in Clear Audio+ technology that according to them:

upscales compressed audio files to their full glory

And that’s the beauty of the Xperia Tablet Z. It’s very obvious after just a few minutes with the tablet that Sony built it with all their video and audio experience. This becomes extremely obvious with the Full HD Reality Display that is powered by Sony’s Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 that offers the widest color spectrum of any tablet anywhere. Knowing that you’ll be wanting to store lots of media on it, the Xperia Tablet Z offers two configurations, 16GB at $499 and 32GB at $599. Those looking for more storage space will be happy to know that the Xperia Tablet Z includes a MicroSD expansion slot.

Is the Sony Xperia Tablet Z the perfect tablet? That’s hard to say but depending on your needs and wants, it may be the perfect tablet for you and quite possibly the quintessential Sony experience that we’ve been wanting. So the next time you’re in the market for a tablet, I’d suggest giving a look at the Sony’s latest powerhouse before pulling the trigger.