Review: Sony Xperia Z2 with Verizon 4G vs. iPad Air
“So slim and light, you forgetting your holding it” touts Sony in this newest tablet in the market. The Sony Xperia Z2 is a LTE-based Android tablet using Sony’s Trilumios technology.
What is Triluminos? Its an approach to LED lighting that is different from most screens. Sony uses an uncoated LED inside a thin tube. The tube has what are called “Quantum Dots” of Red and Green. When electricity goes through the tubes, the wavelengths will determine the color. Blue is always the constant – emited via the main LED.
The end result is a more vibrant experience. How vibrant? Well, lets put it side by side with the iPad Air to see the difference.
Now we got that out of the way lets look at what Sony packs in their tablet.
The Sony Xperia has a display area of 10.1 inches. You will be able to watch videos up to 1920 x 1200 – or 16:10 screen. To put in perspective, a 1080p is 1920×1080 16:9. This resolution is percieved better for those gamers out there – a lot of them noticing how much crisper adding 120 pixels can be.
Along with this Triluminos screen, Sony has added IPS technology, which allows more viewing angle to see the image. That way if everyone is huddled around the tablet, some won’t get that color loss that LED screens create.
To go with the images, the Xperia also contains Sony’s new S-Force front surround audio technology. There are two speakers on the device that emit this surround sound and are in a place where the hand won’t cover it.
Xperia has Digital NC – or Noise Cancel – and is the first tablet to implement. The Xperia reduces up to 98% of ambient noises. That way you can record video without getting too much of the room air conditioner or outside noise. Along with the 8 MP rear and 2 MP front camera, this is perfect for a Skype call, Google Hangout, GotoMeeting session for when you need to connect.
Add the MDR-NC31EM headset to use noise cancelling to the best of its ability. This is a 5-pole plug, and a lot different than the iPhone headset you may own.
Another accessory is the Stereo microphone STM10 which will get better sound when you are trying to bootleg your favorite band.
You could even be gaming and talking smack to your opponent with a limited amount of feedback.
The Specs of the Z2 Tablet
Inside the device is the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor. This is a quad-core processor with 3 GB of RAM and 2.3 GHz. Sony says the processor is 75% faster than the S4 Pro, giving you power when you need it. Along with the new Adreno 330 GPU inside, the Xperia is 20% faster for 3D games with lower power consumption.
In comparison, the iPad Air’s A7/M7 processor duo gives you about 1.39 GHz with 1 GB of RAM.
The Xperia Z2 has a micro SD card slot alongside the LTE SIM. The bottom is a magnetic charging connector which you can put on a speaker dock, or attach a Bluetooth keyboard case to turn the device into a work horse.
You will also be able to connect a Playstation 3 Dualshock controller to the Xperia so you can play games with the tablet docked.
Finally, the tablet is the slimmest yet with 6.4 mm in thickness and 15.52 ounces – 426 grams – in weight.
So is the Sony Xperia Z2 the tablet for you?
It might be the best tablet out there for the gamer – hands down. The extra 120 pixels, improved graphics, the PS3 controller connection and PlayStation app included allows you to play some high end games wherever you are.
You can also connect to not only Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and other services, but with the Playstation store, you can watch your favorite movies you purchased via your Playstation 3 or Playstation 4. Since these movies are in 1080p tops, you might not get advantage on the extra screen.
As for it being a “forget your holding it” tablet, the elonged rectangular size kills that statement. The tablet in portrait mode feels a lot more comfortable than landscape. I’m also holding the landscape tablet completely different than previous tablets like the iPad.
The best part of being in portrait mode is you can see a lot more of your Facebook, web pages, Twitter, and more. I could definitely hold it a lot longer in portrait mode because of my bigger hands. I still like to have cases around my tablets so I have real estate to hold onto and rubber to grip. Any case will, of course, add to the weight of the tablet.
The camera does disappoint a little. The external 8 MP camera doesn’t do HDR technology and if you zoom in on anything you just get pixelation. If you are planning to get video of your bootleg, well, at least the audio will sound good.
Since this is a press unit, I won’t be able to test durability. The XPeria is waterproof and has an Ingress Rating of 55/58 – which means it is more dust resistant than water. No drop tests as of yet, but I am expecting it to be as durible as the original Xperia Z, meaning it might shatter on a screen drop as opposed to a back drop.
I really like how the screen looks and the programs run on this device. I haven’t been able to play any Playstation games, but I can control my community through the device for second screen options. It connects to the Google Play store and Amazon stores so I can get those favorite games like Clash of Clans and Family Guy.
Its truely an impressive tablet besides the lackluster camera options. Sony usually delivers with their electronics and this device is no exception to the rule. I have been using the XPeria more than my iPad – and that says a lot.