Sony has yet to catch on in a mobile market dominated by Samsung and Apple, but it's hoping the new Xperia line will help improve its fortunes moving forward.
Sony officially announced the Xperia Tablet Z last month, but it just now revealed how much it will cost..
The company's new tablet will retail at $499 for the 16GB version and $599 for the 32GB version. No specific date has been set for launch yet, but Sony did reveal a spring release timeframe.
"Xperia Tablet Z sets new standards in entertainment by matching premium specifications and Sony technology with cross-device connectivity and a consistent user-experience," said Kaz Tajima , corporate vice president at Sony Mobile Communications, in a press release. "Xperia Tablet Z reinforces our intention to be a leading player in the premium Android device market, by building on the principles established by Xperia Z and perfectly optimizing them for the tablet form factor."
The new Sony slate is only 6.9mm thick, making it even thinner than the iPad mini (previously the thinnest tablet on the market). What's more, the 10.1-inch device only weighs 495 grams, meaning it's both the thinnest and the lightest tablet available.
Like its little brother, the Xperia Z smartphone, the new tablet is both dustproof and waterproof. It can withstand being submerged in about three feet of water for about 30 minutes, making it perfect for those times you (yeah, you) just can't decide whether to watch more online cat videos to take a shower.
Powered by Android Jelly Bean 4.1, the Xperia Tablet Z runs on a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor and features a full HD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200. The tablet also incorporates Sony's near field communication technology for content transfer between compatible devices.
"The living room continues to be the number one location for tablet usage in the U.S. Consumers are using their tablet as a second-screen companion while watching TV, which is why we packed the Xperia Tablet Z with more connectivity options than any other tablet on the market," said Phil Lubell, vice president of networked technologies and services at Sony Electronics. "The Xperia Tablet Z makes it easier than ever to connect, share and discover content across all your devices in the home."
