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Sony Xperia Tablet Z now on sale around the world, having attracted record-breaking pre-orders

Sony Xperia Tablet Z menuCheck out our review of the Sony Xperia Tablet Z.

Sony looks to have another mobile winner on its hands, as following the sales success of its Xperia Z smartphone, it has reported record-breaking pre-orders for the Xperia Tablet Z, which goes on sale around the world today. Although Sony never confirmed the estimated 4.6 million sales of the Xperia Z phone, it has shouted about the Xperia Tablet Z’s pre-orders, but it’s still being cagey about the exact figures.

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In the press release announcing the global availability of the new Android tablet, Sony says it has, “received the largest number of pre-orders of any Sony tablet to date.” It follows the considerably less popular Tablet S, with its quirky “folded magazine” style design. The Xperia Tablet Z is considerably less quirky, but more modern and attractive.

Initially put up as a pre-order in the UK at the start of April, there was some confusion over the launch date, as early buyers were initially told to expect a mid-April delivery. This was later clarified and revised to the end of May. In the U.S., pre-orders began at the end of April, and a May 24 date was provided for shipping, so it’s good to see Sony beat its early estimates.

The Xperia Tablet Z has a 10.1-inch, 1920 x 1200 pixel touchscreen, and is powered by a 1.5GHz, quad-core Snapdragon processor with 2GB of RAM. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is installed, and while it’s not quite as obscured as on a Samsung tablet, does have its fair share of unique software features. The tablet also has a pair of camera – 8-megapixels on the rear, and 2-megapixels on the front – plus NFC, an Infra-red blaster, and the choice of Wi-Fi-only or Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity. Prices start at $500, and you can check out our hands-on report from Mobile World Congress here.

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Andy Boxall
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
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