Sony Xperia Z Tablet Release Date: March 22 in Japan

The Sony Xperia Z tablet will launch on Mar. 22 in Japan, according to Japanese mobile carrier NTT DoCoMo.

Previously, Sony had said the waterproof tablet would be available in the second quarter of 2013, but preorders are open now.

"he Xperia Tablet Z will be arriving in black and white hues. Though pricing was not revealed, it is expected to cost around $900 US at launch," writes GottaBeMobile. "The Xperia Tablet Z is expected to be rolling out globally, though Sony has not announced to which regions yet. Given that Sony had announced that it would be focusing on the premium market segment, the Xperia Tablet Z should be expected to be a premium-priced tablet and not a Nexus 7 competitor."

The Xperia Z tablet debuted at Mobile World Congress last month to rave reviews for its sleek styling and ability to operate even after being dunked in a pool of water. Rubberized flaps seal each of the tablet's ports, preventing leaks, in a design copied from Sony's flagship mobile phone the Xperia Z, which is also waterproof and is expected to hit the American market soon.

The Sony Xperia Z tablet is the world's thinnest and lightest Android tablet, weighing just 1.09 pounds and measuring just over a quarter inch thick. It features a 1.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2 GB of RAM, a 10-inch 1900x1200 display, an 8 megapixel camera and runs Android 4.1 Jell Bean, though Sony has promised a quick upgrade to 4.2. It is waterproof down to a meter in depth for up to half an hour.

Check back for the latest information on the Xperia Z tablet as it becomes available.