Sony Xperia Tablet Z Release and Review: India Receives the Xperia While Reviewers React

On Wednesday, Sony launched the Xperia Tablet Z into the global market with a release in India, according to the Times of India. There, it will cost a price of about 47,000 rupees. Is it worth it? The reactions, in general, of tech reviewers to Sony's flagship tablet entry are pretty positive. Here's an overview of the hands-on reviews of the Xperia Tablet Z so far.

If there's one universally agreed-upon positive feature of the Xperia Tablet Z, it's the size. It's a tablet with 2GB RAM, a Full HD screen with a high resolution capability of 1,900x1,200, and storage anywhere from 16GB to 32GB. It's powered by a quad-core 1.5 GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor. Sony fit all of those specs, along with other features, within a tiny device. It weighs just over a pound and is the thinnest tablet in the world, at just over a quarter-inch thick.

Cnet's UK reviewer was impressed, saying that "It feels like holding a thin notebook or magazine and naturally you won't struggle to slide it into your [bag] up against your laptop" and that "you'll certainly feel the [weight] difference when you're holding it up for long periods of time." Gizmodo was even more enthusiastic about the Xperia Tablet Z's size, saying, "Not surprisingly, it's a joy to hold. It feels impossibly light; you wonder how there's room for a computer inside." Engadget notes that, "despite its claim to be the world's thinnest and lightest tablet, the Z is still surprisingly solid." However, Cnet worried about how the slim tablet might be vulnerable to an accidental sitting-upon.

The Xperia Tablet Z's display got generally favorable notice, with its wider screen compared to the iPad, and "squarely" median display resolution, according to Engadget. Gizmodo simply said "the screen is gorgeous." Cnet noted another positive about the screen - since the Xperia Tablet Z is more waterproof than most tablets, smears on the display from possibly sauce-covered fingers while cooking don't matter anymore. You can just scrub it clean and run it under water to rinse it off.

The drawbacks of Sony's tablet are mainly its speed and power. Gizmodo noted that their advanced review device was frequently laggy, with some crashes and Cnet found that the battery drained far too quickly for normal tasks. Engadget generally thought the performance and battery time was fine though, so you'll have to pick your trusted reviewer on that one.