Sony Xperia Tablet Z vs Google Nexus 10: Battle of 2013 Tablets Gets More Interesting

Sony Xperia Tablet Z: quad-core, waterproof. New Nexus 10 (rumours): octo-core, latest Android. Which one will you choose?

It is an interesting year for tablet-makers and gadget users looking for the next best mobile device. Keep the money safe in the bank and wait before making a new purchase or a tablet switch. Better features are coming.

Xperia Tablet Z: Waterproof HD Display (Image: Sony)

The Xperia Tablet Z has been unveiled in Japan early this week. Meanwhile, rumours of a new Nexus 10 have been making rounds on tech blogs. It is only a matter of time before these two tablets battle head-on in the international scene.

Tablet Z features a high resolution 10.1-in display (1920 x 1200 pixels), powered by Sony's Mobile Bravia technology. Like its smartphone sibling, the Xperia Z, the new Sony flagship tablet is dustproof and waterproof. On top of that, it is believed to come out thinner than the rumoured iPad 5. Tablet Z measures 6.9mm thin. In contrast, the iPad 4 measures 9.4mm; Google Nexus 10, 8.9mm; and the iPad mini, 7.4mm.

Tablet Z will run on Android 4.1 out of the box. Within its chassis is Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and 32GB built-in storage, expandable with a microSD card slot.

The Nexus 10 upgrade will reportedly be unveiled in February at the World Mobile Congres (WMC) in Barcelona. The upcoming new Nexus 10 is believed to feature a high-definition 2560x1600 pixels display. It will reportedly have under its hood the new robust octo-core processor Mali T678 GPU. The current Nexus 10 is running on the latest Android (4.2 Jellybean) and fueled by dual-core 1.7GHz Cortex A15 with Mali T604 graphics chipset, 2GB of RAM, and choices of 16GB and 32GB of storage.

New tablet buyers are expected to be careful in choosing the right mobile device for their specific needs and priorities. If rumours prove true, the next iPad will be announced before mid-2013. Comparisons and pre-purchase considerations must be weighed in thoroughly to make the best purchase in this interesting year of tablet developments.

Video: Nexus 10 Review by Engadget