After recently announcing its new Android-powered flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z, Sony Mobile Communications has now pulled the wraps off its Xperia Tablet Z. This waterproof and dustproof tablet measures in at a wafer thin 6.9 mm and weighs just 495 g.

Sony’s latest tablet shares many of the same specs as the Xperia Z smartphone. It is powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and features 2 GB RAM while Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) handles the operating system.

The tablet sports a 10.1" Reality Display (1920 x 1200) that does not quite match the 9.7" (2048 x 1536; 264 pixels per inch) touchscreen of the new iPad or superb 10" (2560 x 1600; 300 ppi) display on the Google Nexus 10 tablet. Like the Xperia Z smartphone, the Reality Display on the Xperia Tablet Z packs Sony’s Mobile Bravia Engine 2 engine to allow for a more “immersive viewing experience with super brightness and clarity”.   
 
Also onboard is 32 GB worth of internal storage that can be expanded upon via microSD memory card slot, as well as Sony’s S-Force virtual surround sound technology for an enhanced audio performance. In terms of optics, the Xperia Tablet Z packs an 8.1 MP rear-facing camera that boasts an Exmor R sensor. NFC (near field communication) and LTE (4G) network support also makes it onto this tablet’s connectivity list.

According to Japanese tech site Blog of Mobile, the Xperia Tablet Z also features a 2.2 megapixel front-facing snapper, 6000 mAh battery, Wi-Fi 802.11 n as well as Bluetooth 4.0.

Sony stated that the Xperia Tablet Z is slated for release in Japan during autumn, but no local release info is available yet.

In related news, TechSmart was recently given the opportunity play with Sony’s latest smartphone flagship, the Xperia Z, at a function held at Vodaworld, Midrand. Check out our first impressions of the device here.