Sony Experia Tablet Z (SGP311U1 10.1-Inch 16GB Tablet) review and setup
Tags :Experia Tablet Z Sony Android Tablet mobile
The Sony Experia Tablet Z (SGP311U1 10.1-Inch 16GB) Tablet based on Android is quite an impressive piece of work. Lightweight, waterproof and IR remote controls built in make it a great contender.
The first surprise is the incredibly light weight of the Sony Experia Tablet Z. I thought the battery was not in it when I first unpacked it as shown in the video. From there the base functionality is just like any Android device with some added benefits. The screen quality was excellent, even dimming it some to conserve battery life.
Battery life: I easily got eight hours of usage out of the device including browsing, streaming, playing with apps and connecting to everything I could find in the house via IR or on the network. I did dim it to about 65% as I find no need for the brightest setting. In saying that this is like any other tablet that in direct sunlight you will not see it perfect. Think eInk technology of the Kindle for that. It takes a normal amount of time compared ot other tablets to recharge and can use any micro USB charger which is an added benefit. No special adapters needed.
Tablet size and weight: I was shocked at how light it is. Really, It still amazes me and anyone that picks it up. I did a direct comparison to the iPad for you in the video so you get an idea of overall length and width. It is both slightly wider and longer. The downside is that every bag I have is made for iPad or smaller and the length of the Xperia was not on their game plan. It is easy to hold yet when typing in landscape the keys are spread out quite a bit.
Hardware specs: As supplied on this page above, the specs are terrific with the Snapdragon processor and available memory that is built in. The ability to add a micro Sd card to the device for expansion shuts down any thought of the iOS devices. I had no issues with any of the buttons, tabs for the port openings or connections.
Waterproof (really?) : yes the Sony Experia Tablet Z is.. I dunked it in water. Quickly, but definitely under water for a short time. I sat panicked and astounded at the same time. It worked, was totally dry and sealed tight. If you use the tablet around the sink when cooking this is perfect!
Connectivity: I easily connected it to my wifi and home network. I connect it at Panera's, work, library. Everywhere. At home it sees my Windows media shares and can easily stream movies and music. Simple and effective streaming. It even has a FM radio? Really? The IR controls worked well if you point right at the device. I have my TVs and a stereo working great from it.
Android: This runs on Jelly Bean so expect updates and more features to come along. Also with the open Google Play store apps can be found for just about anything. I used Skype to make calls, our corporate instant messaging app to communicate and more.
Sound: The built in speakers are decent. Nothing exciting. they don't distort and didn't sound like tin or anything. They are just ok.
Downsides:
- Sony provides it's own app store and the Google Play store is on the device. They do not see each other so if I instal an application from Google Play and look at the same app in the Sony store it shows not installed. I skipped the Sony one and deleted it.
- The remote control function is cool but I wish it let me just pick a TV make and model instead of making my look at 72 different remote layouts for a Samsung (for example) and pick the best one. The IR works great but that was a pain and time consuming to set up for multiple devices.
Overall this is a killer device from Sony and should be looked at as a viable choice for anyone with tons of added benefits over others. Expansion, waterproof, battery life and more.
See the video for setup and my other opinions of the Sony Experia Tablet Z and let Amazon know this review helped
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On Wednesday, July 10th, 2013 by Chris Miller
