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Sony unveils waterproof Xperia Z2 Tablet, breaks 'thinnest' and 'lightest' records again

By Daniel Petrov

Updated: Feb 24, 2014, 3:43 AM

17comments

Move over, Sony Xperia Tablet Z, there is a new king on the slimmest and lightest tablet block, and it is... the Xperia Z2 Tablet. That's right, Sony did it again, like Britney Spears, and released the world's thinnest, lightest waterproof 10-incher money can buy.

Design

Sony unveils waterproof Xperia Z2 Tablet, breaks 'thinnest' and 'lightest' records again

Measuring the astonishing 0.25" (6.4mm) in thickness, the Xperia Z2 Tablet is also the lightest of them 10" slates, weighing only 15 ounces (426g) for the Wi-Fi model, and 15.5 ounces (439g) for LTE/3G model. If we add those two measurements to the fact that Sony's new tablet is still as waterproof as last year's Tablet Z, and you can understand our excitement to review this beauty when it swings by the office.

Sony used its OmniBalance design language, with the signature circular power key, creating a well-crafted slate with soft edges and pretty looks. When paired with the company's BKC50BT Bluetooth Keyboard and Tablet Cover Stand, the Xperia Z2 Tablet becomes a versatile office warrior, too. You can accessorize it for entertainment and telephony as well, with Sony's new BSC10 Bluetooth Speaker dock with Magnetic Charging Pad, the DUALSHOCK3 wireless gamepad, or the BRH10 Bluetooth Remote with Handset Function, that lets you make calls with the LTE/3G variant of the slate.

Display

Just like with the Xperia Z2 flagship, Sony is using its new LED display technology for the Triluminos Full HD screen on the Xperia Z2 Tablet. Called Live Colour LED, it uses red and green phosphor with blue LEDs, and has tailored color filters on top, that allegedly produce brighter and more evenly spread lighting. The end result should be more vibrant colors on the display, yet without the accompanying oversaturation of, say, OLED displays. In addition, Sony's X-Reality for mobile tech analyzes the image output in real time for artifacts, colors, sharpness and contrast, and makes sure the digital noise is boiled down to a minimum. Some may scoff at the resolution, given that we have high-end slates with 1600p screens, but most of those use an alternative PenTile "diamond" pixel matrix arrangement, while the Z2 Tablet's 1200p is still more than enough for most purposes

Processor

Sony's new fashion model is powered by the fast 2.3 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801, which is a vast improvement over the Snapdragon S4 Pro that last year's Tablet Z shipped with. The Xperia Z2 Tablet also comes with 2 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of internal memory, expandable via a microSD slot. This processor will be just a step below Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 805, which won't be in devices before the summer, which will ensure the Z2 Tablet relevancy in the silicon department at least until next year's edition.

Extras

The new tablet comes with a dual stereo speaker setup that is called S-Force Surround Sound, just like on the Xperia Z2 phone, also offers its Digital Noise Cancelling technology that weeds out up to 98% of the ambient noises when listening to music via Sony's MDR-NC31EM Noise Cancelling headset. The 6000 mAh battery is cited to last the usual 10 hours on a charge, but the Z2 Tablet now takes advantage of Qualcomm's Quick Charge 2.0 technology, which enables the slate to charge up to 75 percent faster. The 8 MP Exmor RS camera sensor on the back sports all the bells and whistles you'd expect from one, like Sony's automatic Scene Recognition mode, or its HDR photo regime.

Software and release date

The Xperia Z2 Tablet will be arriving some time in March, and there will be a choice of two colors - black and white housing. The tablet will run the latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat, and there will be plenty of enticing entertainment offers to go along with your purpose, like six free blockbuster movies from Sony Pictures, and a month of Music Unlimited trial to get you hooked up. Needless to say, with the tablet's IP58 certification, you can watch said free movies in the bathtub, and all that is left now is for Sony to seal the deal with the retail pricing scheme. What do you think, has Sony done it again with the Z2 Tablet?

Sony introduces its most innovative tablet yet with Xperia™ Z2 Tablet – the world’s slimmest & lightest waterproof¹ tablet

The world’s slimmest, lightest and only waterproof tablet for ultimate portability
The world’s first tablet display with Live Colour LED² for the best entertainment viewing experience
The world’s first digital noise cancelling technology built into a tablet³ for a truly immersive sound experience
The world's fastest processor in a tablet⁴ featuring the Qualcomm^® Snapdragon™ 801 processor combined with Sony’s leading battery performance
Unique accessories to further enhance your tablet experience for work and play

24^th February 2014, Mobile World Congress, Barcelona – Sony Mobile Communications (“Sony Mobile”) today set a new standard in tablet innovation with the Xperia Z2 Tablet – the world’s slimmest and lightest waterproof tablet with Sony’s best ever entertainment experience.

“The Xperia Z2 Tablet represents the pinnacle of tablet innovation and is a true flagship in our premium line. We have evolved our cutting-edge design to create the slimmest lightweight tablet matched with Sony’s latest technologies to deliver a unique user experience.” said Kunimasa Suzuki, President and CEO, Sony Mobile Communications. “And with our new range of dedicated accessories, you can further now enhance your tablet experience whether for work or play, at home or on the go.”

Unbeatable viewing experience

The Xperia Z2 Tablet is the world’s first tablet display with Live Colour LED display, providing bright natural colours and perfectly sharp images in any light thanks to Sony’s latest BRAVIA TV technology expertise. The 10.1” Full HD TRILUMINOS™ Display for mobile is matched with Sony’s new Live Colour LED technology resulting in colours that have never been so real, more natural or so true to life. Add to the Sony’s unique X-Reality™ for mobile intelligent engine that analyses each image for optimal colour, sharpness and contrast while super resolution reproduces lacking pixels to ensure you get the ultimate viewing experience every time.

Best ever sound experience

The Xperia Z2 Tablet offers the clearest sound quality with Sony’s Front Surround™ audio technology that lets you enjoy dynamic sound. And now you can enjoy uninterrupted audio when you’re on the move, even on noisy trains or planes, thanks to the world’s first digital noise cancelling technology built into a tablet that reduces ambient noise by up to 98% when paired with the MDR-NC31EM Noise Cancelling headset.

The world’s slimmest and lightest waterproof tablet

With Xperia Z2 Tablet, Sony has developed a tablet that is both beautifully sleek and portable. Using premium materials, every single detail has been carefully crafted to create the world’s slimmest (only 6.4mm) and lightest (only 426g for Wi-Fi model and 439g for LTE/3G model) waterproof tablet on the planet, making it extremely portable and comfortable to hold, even with just one hand. Sony’s acclaimed OmniBalance design creates an elegant shape that is delightfully slim yet reassuringly solid, providing balance and symmetry in all directions for a comfortable hold and beautiful look from all angles. And as you would expect from Sony, this lightweight beauty is also entirely waterproof taking every day life in its stride.

Best ever tablet entertainment

“What’s New” app helps you discover new and recommended movies, music, games and apps for enjoyment on your Xperia Z2 – all accessible from an informative and interactive widget on the home screen.

“WALKMAN®” and Movies applications provide access to more than 25 million songs on the “WALKMAN®” app through Music Unlimited⁵ and tens of thousands of movies and TV series on the Movies app through Video Unlimited⁵from Sony Entertainment Network.
The Album app with PlayMemories™ Online⁶ makes it easy to securely upload, share and enjoy all of your photos and videos across your favourite Sony devices.
Exclusive entertainment content offer⁶: Get 6 blockbuster movies from Sony Pictures including Captain Phillips and 30 days free trial from Music Unlimited.

Further enhance your entertainment experience with the latest tablet accessories. Create a Full HD TV style viewing experience with your tablet with the BSC10 Bluetooth® Speaker dock with Magnetic Charging Pad that lets you enjoy all your online and offline entertainment content with superior sound - all whilst charging. The BRH10 Bluetooth® Remote with Handset Function adds full multimedia remote control functionality to your movie and gaming experience, as well as easy call handling via IP telephony or voice calling (LTE/3G variant only). Turn your tablet into a gaming console experience withWireless Controller (DUALSHOCK®3), which brings the most intuitive PlayStation® style game play entertainment straight to your tablet.

The world’s most powerful tablet³

The Xperia Z2 Tablet features the fully integrated Qualcomm^® Snapdragon™ 801 processor with 2.3 GHz processor quad-core Krait CPU that delivers high performance without draining the battery. Enjoy immersive multimedia experiences with stunning visuals and 3D gaming thanks to the enhanced graphics capabilities of the latest Adreno™ 330 GPU.

Xperia Z2 Tablet can also spend less time charging with the integrated Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 technology, which enables devices to charge up to 75 percent faster than devices without the fast charging technology. The large 6000mAh lithium polymer battery, together with Sony’s leading Battery STAMINA Mode, provides up to 10 hours of uninterrupted multimedia usage and more than 100 hours music playback without having to recharge your battery.

A tablet that means business

Turn your tablet into a laptop with the BKC50BT Bluetooth® Keyboard and Tablet Cover Stand that connects to your tablet for the ultimate laptop experience.

The inclusion of OfficeSuite Pro 7 means you can view, edit and share native Microsoft Office files giving you the flexibility to work where and when you need to. The robust security architecture of the Xperia Z2 Tablet safeguards both your corporate and personal data, while at the same time providing support for multiple accounts that are quick and simple to set up. And if you’re new to Xperia or simply upgrading, then Xperia Transfer is the simple and easy way to seamlessly transfer your contacts, photos, bookmarks, apps, messages and much more from your existing Android or iOS tablet, swiftly and securely.

High quality photos and videos with integrated Xperia camera apps

Capture HD photos and videos in any light condition with the Xperia Z2 Tablet’s 8.1MP camera with Exmor RS™ for mobile. Superior Auto mode combines Scene Recognition with high quality and high performance image processing technology such asHDR and noise reduction to automatically capture the moment with the optimal settings. Perfect for video calling, the 2.2MP front-facing HD chat camera is ideal for catching up with family and friends. The pre-loaded suite of Xperia camera apps adds an extra dimension of fun and creativity to the camera experience.

Xperia Z2 Tablet key features summary:

10.1” Full HD TRILUMINOS™ Display for mobile with Live Colour LED powered by X-Reality™ for mobile engine delivers a superb viewing experience
S-Force Surround™ Sound and Digital Noise Cancelling for unrivalled audio quality
World’s slimmest (6.4mm) and lightest (426g for Wi-Fi / 439g for LTE/3G) waterproof (IP55/IP58) tablet for ultimate portability
Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with 2.3 GHz quad-core Krait CPUs, 3GB RAM, 4G LTE and Battery STAMINA Mode for fast, lasting performance
Available in black or white colour variants

The Xperia Z2 Tablet will launch globally from March 2014.

For the full list of Xperia Z2 Tablet specifications, click here.

Ends –

¹Tablet with an 8-inch or above display size. The Xperia™ Z2 Tablet is a waterproof (in compliance with IP55/58††) tablet. Specifications verified by Strategy Analytics’ SpecTRAX service as of 30^th January 2014, for more information on Strategy Analytics results go to: www.sonymobile.com/testresults. In compliance with IP55 and IP58, Xperia™ Z2 Tablet is protected against the ingress of dust and is waterproof. Provided that all ports and covers are firmly closed, the phone is (i) protected against low pressure jets of water from all practicable directions in compliance with IP 55; and/or (ii) can be kept under 1.50 metres of fresh water for up to 30 minutes in compliance with IP58.

²Xperia™ Z2 Tablet features a unique TRILUMINOS Display with Live Colour LED. Specifications verified by Strategy Analytics’ SpecTRAX service as of 30^th January 2014, for more information on Strategy Analytics results go to: www.sonymobile.com/testresults

³Xperia™ Z2 Tablet features digital noise cancelling technology. Specifications verified by Strategy Analytics’ SpecTRAX service as of 30^th January 2014, for more information on Strategy Analytics results go to: www.sonymobile.com/testresults

⁴The Xperia™ Z2 Tablet features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with 2.3GHz quad-core Krait CPU, Adreno 330 GPU and 3GB RAM. Specifications verified by Strategy Analytics’ SpecTRAX service as of 30^th January 2014, for more information on Strategy Analytics results go to: www.sonymobile.com/testresult

⁵ Sony Entertainment Network services are subject to availability by region. Please visit www.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com for more details. The number of tracks available from this catalogue varies by country and may be fewer than stated.

⁶Subject to market availability. Movies offer available in 40 markets.

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.