Sporting the same massive 6.4-inch 1080p display, what Sony now calls a tablet is largely unchanged from its smartphone roots. January 21, 2014 8:03 PM PST Sony's waterproof Xperia Z Ultra smartphone is getting a Wi-Fi-only tablet cousin. (Credit: CNET) Sony has officially morphed its Xperia Z Ultra smartphone into a tablet. Sporting a massive 6.4-inch 1080p display, slightly smaller than 7-inch tablets marketed by companies such as Apple and Samsung, the phablet more closely resembles a tablet than smartphone. Apparently aware of the appeal inherent in using the device without paying monthly wireless network fees, Sony announced Wednesday it will launch a Wi-Fi-only version of the Xperia Z Ultra. Related stories Android 4.3 flavors Sony Xperia Z1, Xperia Z Ultra Sony brings Xperia Z1, Z Ultra, Smartwatch 2 to the US Sony reportedly readies first phablet If there was any doubt as to Sony's intention, the company referred to the new model as a "tablet" in the press release announcing its availability. But except for the loss of the baseband radio processor that allows cellular calls, the new model appears unchanged from its smartphone specifications, including the same 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and 8-megapixel camera in a water-proof metallic frame. The new Xperia Z Ultra tablet goes on sale in Japan this week for about $499, a bit pricier than similar-size offerings from Amazon, Apple, and Samsung. Availability outside of the US was not announced.
Sporting the same massive 6.4-inch 1080p display, what Sony now calls a tablet is largely unchanged from its smartphone roots.
Sony's waterproof Xperia Z Ultra smartphone is getting a Wi-Fi-only tablet cousin.
(Credit: CNET)
Sony has officially morphed its Xperia Z Ultra smartphone into a tablet.
Sporting a massive 6.4-inch 1080p display, slightly smaller than 7-inch tablets marketed by companies such as Apple and Samsung, the phablet more closely resembles a tablet than smartphone. Apparently aware of the appeal inherent in using the device without paying monthly wireless network fees, Sony announced Wednesday it will launch a Wi-Fi-only version of the Xperia Z Ultra.
Related stories
- Android 4.3 flavors Sony Xperia Z1, Xperia Z Ultra
- Sony brings Xperia Z1, Z Ultra, Smartwatch 2 to the US
- Sony reportedly readies first phablet
If there was any doubt as to Sony's intention, the company referred to the new model as a "tablet" in the press release announcing its availability. But except for the loss of the baseband radio processor that allows cellular calls, the new model appears unchanged from its smartphone specifications, including the same 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and 8-megapixel camera in a water-proof metallic frame.
The new Xperia Z Ultra tablet goes on sale in Japan this week for about $499, a bit pricier than similar-size offerings from Amazon, Apple, and Samsung. Availability outside of the US was not announced.
