Sony today launched the Xperia Tablet Z in India at a launch event in New Delhi. The 10.1-inch tablet, known as the lightest and slimmest in the world at 495 grams and 6.9mm, has been given a maximum retail price of Rs. 46,990 for the 3G/LTE version. No Wi-Fi only version has been announced for now. Like the Xperia Z smartphone, the Xperia Tablet Z is also rugged, featuring IPX5/7water-resistant and IP5X dust-proof certifications.
The Japanese electronics giant has made the 16GB model of the Sony Xperia Tablet Z available in India, and will be bundling a 16GB microSD card with it – giving users 32GB of storage out-of-the-box. The company at launch is also including a free premium case for the tablet, estimated to be worth Rs. 2,990.
Interestingly, Sony is following Apple’s and Samsung’s example in India, aggressively targeting potential customers by giving them a no down payment, no processing fee and 0% interest plan on a 6 month EMI offer.
We first saw the Sony Xperia Tablet Z at the Mobile World Congress 2013, and have been eagerly awaiting its launch in the country since. The tablet, apart from its svelte form-factor, has some pretty decent hardware under the hood.
The Sony Xperia Tablet Z’s 10.1-inch LED-backlit LCD TFT display has a resolution of 1920×1200 pixels with a 16M colour gamut, powered by the Sony Mobile Bravia Engine 2. It runs on a quad-core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Krait processor on the APQ8064-MDM9215M chipset, which also features the Adreno 320 GPU, coupled with 2GB of RAM.
The Xperia Tablet Z runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box, but is scheduled to get a Android 4.2 update soon. Other features of the Sony Xperia Tablet Z include an 8.1MP Exmor R camera with HDR (picture/film) and 1080p HD video recording, a front-facing 2.2MP camera also capable of 1080p HD video recording, stereo FM radio with RDS, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, HSPA /GPRS/EDGE/LTE connectivity, Wi-Fi and hotspot functionality with DLNA, NFC, GPS and GLONASS, 3.5mm audio jack, IR blaster and universal remote control functionality, and HDMI via MHL. It runs on a non-removable 6,000mAh battery, which is rated to deliver up to 10 hours of continuous video playback, and 1,230 hours of standby time.
The Sony Xperia Tablet Z is also PlayStation Certified, but of course, we’ve yet to see Sony truly leverage the PlayStation Suite for mobile devices. Pre-loaded applications include Google Chrome, Google Maps for Mobile with Street view and Latitude, Google Play, and Google Wallet.
Sony has also included several exclusive features on the Xperia Tablet Z. Users will have 6 months of free unlimited streaming and music download from Sony Music, which features over 15 lakh international, Bollywood, and regional songs from the Sony Music library. Also available is access to Sony LIV, a video streaming service for SAB, Sony Entertainment and Max channels in India, allowing users to watch TV shows after their repeat telecasts. Over 77 programs and 4500 hours of videos and programs will be available via LIV, apart from exclusive content for KBC and Indian idol.
Another interesting feature (apart from universal remote control functionality previously seen in the Sony Xperia Tablet S), is X4 video, which allows users to see up to four videos simultaneously. S-Force Front Surround 3D sound is also onboard, apart from battery stamina mode for extended standby time.
Stay tuned for our first impressions of the Sony Xperia Tablet Z from the launch event. In the meanwhile, let us know what do you feel about Sony’s latest tablet PC offering – will it make a splash in the Indian market, or fade away as an unrealistically priced contender in an extremely competitive space? Let us know in the comments section below.