Sony has finally made a smaller tablet to rival the Nexus 7 and iPad mini so here's our Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact hands-on review from IFA 2014.
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Sony has only made a few tablets over the last few years so we've had to wait a long time for a smaller size to rival the Nexus 7 and iPad mini (among others). Here's our hands-on review of the new Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact. See also the best tablets of 2014.
It may be a bit of a mouthful and what the Xperia Z Ultra should have been when it launched, but Sony has finally satisfied our desire to see a smaller non-10in tablet. It's called the Xperia Z3Tablet Compact and will launch this autumn at a price we are yet to be told – presumably between £300 and £350. It will launch alongside the Xperia Z3. Read: Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact release date, price and specs.
Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact hands-on review: Design
The main design element is the size of the tablet, Sony fans can now choose 10in or 8in and this is one seriously thin and light 8in tablet. We were impressed by the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 which is 6.6 mm and 294 g but Sony has trumped this at 6.4 mm and 270 g. It's mainly bragging rights here as both are extremely svelte.
It's almost like holding a phone because the device is so slender – holding it one-handed is a breeze. The Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact will be available in black or white only.
The device doesn't have a glass rear cover like its smartphone counterpart but it's still dust- and waterproof. Instead, it has a soft touch plastic rear cover which matches that of the Xperia Z2Tablet. See also: Sony Xperia Z3 Compact hands-on review.
Its IP68 rating is something which you typically won't find on other tablets and may be a big advantage – there's nothing stopping you watching BBC iPlayer in the bath or taking underwater photos of sea life while snorkelling.
Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact hands-on review: Hardware
As we've mentioned the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact has an 8in screen putting it in direct competition with tablets like the iPad mini, Galaxy Tab S 8.4 and LG G Pad 8.3. Sony has opted for a Full HD (1920 x 1200) resolution instead of anything higher but the screen looks nicely crisp and has the advantage of Sony's TV tech like Triluminos with Live colour LED. Also see: Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet review
Inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor which is the same as previous Sony devices like the Xperia Z2 Tablet but the chip is clocked higher at 2.5GHz. Alongside this is 3GB of RAM and we can report smooth performance during our time with the tablet.
Despite clocking the processor higher, Sony touts an impressive 15 hours video playback from the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact's 4500mAh battery.
In terms of storage, there is just a 16GB model (11GB available after firmware) but Sony offers a microSD card slot for adding up to 128GB.
There's an optional LTE model if you want 4G data while out and about via a nano-SIM card slot. Wireless includes 11ac Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth 4.0 LE but no IR Blaster for taking control of device like TVs. There's also no wireless charging but there is a dock connector on the side if you wish to buy a compatible accessory.
If you're into tablet photography then the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact has a pretty decent 8.1Mp rear facing camera with an Exmor RS sensor. However, the 2.2Mp front camera is arguably more useful for video calls.
A new feature to the Xperia Z3 range is support for High-Res audio (including DSD files) when using the right headphones. If you don't own such files, Sony's DSEE (digital sound enhancing engine) HX technology promises to upscale content to 'near High-Resolution quality'.
Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact hands-on review: Software
Sony hasn't done much in the way of software but the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact does come with the latest Android OS in the form of 4.4.4 KitKat – we assume that an upgrade to Android L is on the cards, too. Also see: 27 best Android tablets 2014.
The user interface is much like previous versions found on Xperia devices. It's close to stockAndroid but with Sony styling and apps such as Walkman. There is one key new feature which will set gamers' hearts racing, though.
Like the Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact smartphone, the device includes support for PS4 Remote Play making it the only tablet with the feature. It means that you can play PS4 games on the tablet over Wi-Fi with a DualShock 4 controller. Sony will sell an optional GCM10 Game Control Mount to create a sort of make shift hand-held console (above).
It's great to see Sony finally make a smaller tablet and the 8in form factor is proving to be increasingly popular. The Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact is super thin and light and is waterproof to boot. Hardware is decent but not mind-blowing so rivals like the Galaxy Tab S offer more gadgetry. Software is easy going with one key new feature in the form of PS4 Remote Play. It's a decent effort from Sony but we are waiting for the all-important price.
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