Review
Play away
One of the headline features of
the Z3 Tablet Compact is that, like
itsZ3andZ3Compactsiblings,it
supports PlayStation 4 Remote
Play when paired, using a Dual
Shock3or4controllerandthe
Sony GCM10 mountTablet trio
ThreeversionsoftheZ3Tablet
Compact are available: 16GB and
32GBWi-Fiversionsanda16GB
LTE-equipped model. The LTE
premiumisconsiderableat£100,
butitdoesgiveyoufreedomfrom
hunting for Wi-Fi hotspotsColour choice
The Z3 Tablet Compact is available
inblackorwhite,bothofwhich
featureasofttouchfinishonthe
back, not unlike the ‘sandstone’
textureoftheOnePlusOne.It
overcomes the phone range’s habit
of sliding off things
Reading
The 8” screen is exceptionally clear and bright,
great for reading books and magazines.Carrying around
Atamere270g,theZ3TCreallycangoinyour
bag without you realising it’s there.
Storing stuff
microSD expansion and USB-OTG support
make it ideal if you need lots of storage!and largely complementary, with the only minor
frustration being Sony’s custom lockscreen and
the fact that it prevents the use of live wallpapers.
The Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact is equipped with a
2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 processor, speedy Adreno
330 GPU and 3GB RAM – it wants for nothing in the
power department. As you’d expect, the device is
incredibly fast and smooth. As an 8-inch device it is
at the upper limits of what is acceptable when it
comes to apps that are effectively enlarged phone
versions. However, in use, the experience is far
superior to that on its 10-inch Z2 Tablet sibling.
The Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact is only 6.4mm
thick and it’s easy to assume that such slim
dimensions would lead to compromises. In reality,
it’s hard to see where that’s the case. The battery
is still a generous 4500mAh in size (and courtesy of
Qualcomm Quickcharge 2.0 it juices up very
quickly) and the device is still waterproof,
something of a Z range trademark nowadays.
6.4mm doesn’t leave a lot of room for high-quality
cameras (particularly as there is no camera bump)
and the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact’s 8-megapixel
rear camera is only adequate, as well as lacking a
fl ash. The 2.2-megapixel front-facing camera isn’t
bad – it’s certainly good enough for the occasional
selfi e and for video calls. Is camera quality of
paramount importance on a tablet like this?
Probably not.
An LTE version of the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact is
available and it has a particularly intriguing feature.
Most cellular-enabled tablets offer a data
connection only, with SMS also sometimes
available. The Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact also has
the Phone app installed, so you can use it to make
voice calls! You can’t hold it to your head (and you’d
look silly anyway), but you can use it as
speakerphone or with a Bluetooth headset.The Xperia Z3 Tablet
Compact redefines the small,
premium tablet market and
embarrasses its rivals»Verdict
Value for money
Many cheaper devices are available, but none
can match this truly impressive packageFeatures
With the possible exception of a camera
flash, the Z3 Tablet Compact is fully loadedDesign
Sony’s ‘OmniBalance’ design is particularly
well executed on this devicePerformance
The Z3 TC’s processor and GPU are very fast
indeed, assisted by the ample 3GB RAM»^ Operating system ...............^ Android 4.4 KitKat
(Lollipop upgrade announced)
»^ Processor ...................................^ Snapdragon 801 2.5GHz
»^ Memory .......................................3GB RAM, 16GB or 32GB storage
»^ Dimensions ..............................213.3 x 123.6 x 6.4mm
»^ Weight ..........................................270g
»^ Display size ...............................8-inch
»^ Display resolution ...............1920 x 1080 pixels
»^ Connectivity .............................optional LTE
»^ Expansion slot .......................^ microSDtechnical specs
Price From £329
»^ More information^ http://www.sony.co.uk
»^ Supplied by Sony UKinformation
Sony Xperia Z3
Tablet Compact
Battery life
Sony somehow
managed to fit a
4500mAh battery in
the 6.4mm body for
very good battery lifeN/Abetter than worse than
Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet