Sony is apparently looking to enter the small-screen tablet segment as well, as an Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact is reportedly en route.
We already heard that Sony is gearing up to launch new Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact smartphones at the upcoming IFA 2014 trade show in Berlin next month. An Xperia Z3 Tablet would not be much of a surprise either, but how about a Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact?
According to a new report from Dutch publication TechTastic, Sony is also working on a smaller version of the upcoming Xperia Z3 Tablet. No concrete details are available at this point, but the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact reference spotted in a Sony user guide nonetheless stirred some interest.
The Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet should launch as the successor to the popular Xperia Z2 Tablet. If it retains the same screen size, it should come with a 10.1-inch display, which would place it in the large-screen tablet segment. An Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, meanwhile, would come with a smaller screen and a more compact form factor, as the name itself suggests. This slate may sport a 7- or 8-inch display, competing against the Nexus 7, iPad Mini, and other devices in the small-screen tablet sector.
Nothing is officially confirmed at this point, but some rumored specifications for the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact include an 8-inch full HD display (1920 x 1080 pixels), a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor under the hood, and 3GB of RAM. If Sony's recent devices are any indication, the upcoming Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact should also boast waterproof and dust-proof capabilities, which would make it more durable.
Sony devices have risen in popularity recently due to their high-end specs and features, as well as their durability, and the company's next generation of devices is expected to come with notable improvements over their predecessors. With nothing officially confirmed, however, it all remains in the rumor state for now.
Sony has scheduled its IFA 2014 press conference for Sept. 3, where the company will take the wraps off its latest devices. The Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact smartphones are expected to be the stars of the show, but this purported Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact may also make an appearance. We'll keep you up to date as soon as more details become available, but take everything with a grain of salt in the meantime.
