Sony has renewed its most famous tablet at this Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The X It has reinforced those aspects in which it differentiated itself from its competitors and has raised the level of some components in line with what we expect to see in the coming months. The change has been significant compared to the previous edition and we want review how it has improved specifically.
Design, size and weight
If we look at the two tablets, we will not notice almost any difference in their external appearance. An aesthetic continuity has been chosen, possibly due to the good reception that the approach of the first Xperia Z Tablet had.
The difference is in a thickness slightly reduced to a record 6,4mm which increases the leadership in this variable that Sony holds among other manufacturers of tablets. In addition, it has been possible to reduce the weight by about 30 grams, being the lightest 10-inch tablet on the market. In fact, competitors such as the iPad Air or the Galaxy Tab PRO 10.1 have remained at 469 grams below the record that Sony set last year with the first generation but insufficient to avoid the new one this year.
Water resistance has also been improved going to IP58 protocol that allows the tablet to be submerged 1,5 meters deep for 30 minutes. In principle, this protocol is also superior in dust protection.
Screen
In terms of resolution there have been no changes, but an IPS panel has been introduced that gives a better viewing angle and the color gamut has been enriched. This has to do with the Triluminos technology which replaces Bravia Engine 2.
Protection against scratches and bumps is maintained.
Performance and software
The processor in both tablets is excellent, but right now the second generation uses the most powerful on the market until Qualcomm's Snapdragon 805 and Nvidia's Tegra K1 arrive at the end of the year. The first-gen Snapdragon S4 Pro will hold up well for a while, but it doesn't have as much travel as the Snapdragon 801.
The change from 2 to 3 GB of RAM will be noticeable in multitasking.
Finally, the new model comes with the latest version of the Android 4.4 KitKat operating system, an evolution to which the first generation will be updated soon, which is now only one step behind with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.
Storage
No change in this sense, the options are the same and the same ratio is maintained between the price of the models with more memory, something that could change over time, since it is likely that some variants of the first generation will be left to sell and obtain more advantageous prices.
Connectivity
The level is the same, although the WiFi antenna of the Xperia Z2 Tablet improves compared to its predecessor. Now it follows the 801.11.2 ac protocol and its antenna is dual, something that we will notice. We will also note that the support in the LTE bands is higher in the new model reaching Category 4 while the previous one remained in the third, something that implies more speed in the download of data.
The microUSB 3.0 will give us a certain advantage in data transfer and charging compared to USB 2.0.
Cameras and sound
Apparently nothing has changed on the cameras. We have the same type of sensors and the same Sony technologies. As for the sound, the position of the stereo speakers has been changed from the sides to the lower corners, hoping to obtain better results.
Battery
Everything remains the same in this section, although it is foreseeable that there will be better performance in the new model thanks to the evolution of its chip and the version of the operating system, the latter factor being likely to disappear with the software update of the first model.
Price and conclusions
Sony has done a good job with the second generation and there is a clear advance that puts its main tablet again among the best on the market just as it was the first generation.
The most important improvements are in the processor and WiFi connectivity, making a very noticeable difference in the experience, especially in the long term. The progress on the screen is not negligible either. Those expanded viewing angles are greatly appreciated.
Sony continues to sell both with not too differentiated prices, only 50 euros separate them, and with the promotion that for 1 euro more they give us an extra year of warranty.
Being completely honest, it does not seem to make sense to save those 50 euros, knowing how much we would get for them. To the question of whether having the first Xperia Z Tablet is worth renewing the second generation, we would answer that only if you are really a fan of technology, since the advances are not groundbreaking enough and the tablet you now have will have you happy at least one more year.
The official Sony store only has the first generation 32 Gb WiFi model, although if we go to unofficial stores we see that there is still stock of all models and with prices that start at 390 euros or lower. On the contrary, all the models of the new generation can be reserved already on the official website of the company.
| Tablet | Sony Xperia Tablet Z | Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet |
| Size | 266 x 172 x 6,9 mm | 266 x 172 x 6,4 mm |
| Screen | 10,1 LCD LED Bravia Engine 2 | 10,1 inch, TFT IPS “Triluminos” |
| Decision | 1920 x 1200 (224 ppi) | 1920 x 1200 (224 ppi) |
| Thickness | 6,9 mm | 6,4 mm |
| Weight : | 495 grams | 425 grams |
| Operating system | Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean (upgradeable to 4.3 Jelly Bean) | 4.4 Android KitKat |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 APQ8064CPU: Quad Core Krait @ 1,5 GHzGPU: Adreno 320 | Snapdragon 801CPU: Quad Core Krait 400 @ 2,3 GHz GPU: Adreno 330 |
| RAM | 2 GB | 3 GB |
| Conference proceedings | 16 GB / 32 GB | 16 GB / 32 GB |
| Extension | Micro SD 64GB | microSD up to 64 GB |
| Connectivity | WiFi 802.11 b / g / n / 4G LTE Cat 3, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, IR | Dual band ac WiFi, WiFi Direct / 4G LTE Cat 4, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, IR |
| Ports | microUSB 2.0, 3.5 mm jack, micro SIM | Micro HDMI, USB 3.0, 3.5 mm Jack, |
| Sound | 2 rear speakers 1 microphone | 2 stereo speakers |
| Camera | Front 2,2 MPX Rear 8,1 MPX (Autofocus, HDR) | Front 2,2 MPX and Rear 8.1 MPX, autofocus, HDR, |
| Embedded | GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, compass | GPS-GLONASS, accelerometer, compass, gyroscope |
| Battery | 6.000 mAh (10 hours) | 6.000 mAh (10 hours) |
| Price | OFFICIALWiFi 16 GB: 449 eurosWiFi 32 GB: 499 eurosWiFi + LTE 16 GB: 599 euros STORES from 390 euros | WiFi 16GB: 499 eurosWiFi 32GB: 549 eurosWiFi + LTE 16GB: 649 euros |
In my sad country it comes out, which would be for you 200 euros more of difference (the 16 GB version). It already represents a 50% difference to you. already hurts there. But hey, beautiful tablets. Greetings from Argentina!