When looks can kill

The svelte Xperia Z tablet packs some punch, but is it worth the price tag it carries?

In a market where almost every third day a tablet is being launched, it is getting difficult to stand out. But then, Sony these days seems to be on a roll when it comes to launching stand-out products - be it smartphones (the Xperia Z) or now its tablet, called the Z again. After the Xperia Z smartphone, which has managed to create more than a buzz, the brand is now taking on the phablets and tablets with Xperia Z tablet.

The Z tablet is an extremely good looking device. Add to that its sleek and slim design, it does look like a winner on Sony's hands. The Z tablet is extremely thin - Sony claims it to be the world's thinnest tablet. It's extremely lightweight (500 g) and 6.9mm thickness. Compare it with the iPad, and the Z seems to be half the weight and size. In fact, it is actually one of the biggest USPs for Sony's tablet. Just like the smartphone, the Z tablet is waterproof and dust-proof. But, once you go beyond the size and looks, there's little which you won't find in other Android tablets. The camera - 8.1MP rear and 2.2MP - is pretty average, especially compared to the iPad. The device runs on a Snapdragon S4 quad-core 1.5 GHz processor and the user interface is pretty much standard Android. Multimedia processing is quite good on the Z, especially the video quality. Try watching a movie and the experience is delightful.

One disappointment with the Z tablet is, however, the display quality. The tablet has a pixel density of 224 ppi, while the iPad has 264 ppi. Though, the 1920x1200 pixel resolution is more than decent. The screen, however, is a fingerprint magnet and it is difficult to get off the smears.

The battery life does manage to surprise you, as for a tablet, the Z is far better than the rest. You can browse the Web, play Real Racing 3 for a couple of hours and listen to music and then do some stuff and the battery doesn't run out. Priced at Rs 46,990, it is a high-end tablet and when you fork out so much money you do expect a lot of extraordinary things. While the Z tablet does score in looks and size, it's certainly not worth the price it is being sold at. If you want to buy a good-looking tablet, don't look beyond the Z. But combine the price, looks and performance, it's not worth the hype. Perhaps it is to do with the Z smartphone the expectations are a bit high. The Z tablet is a good device but certainly not a great one keeping in mind the iPad's price, performance and looks.

SONY XPERIA Z TABLET
Price: Rs 46,990,
Screen: 10.1-inch 1920x1200 multi-touch,
Weight: 495 g,
OS: Android Jelly Bean,
RAM: 2GB,
Processor: 1.5Ghz quad core,
Memory: 16GB, expandable via microSD (up to 64GB cards supported),
Camera (rear/front): 8.1 MP/2.2 MP,
Battery: 6,000 mAh