Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact hands-on, first impressions

Launched locally back in 2014, the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact shares almost exactly the same internals as the Xperia Z3, but obviously differs in terms of screen size. Here are our first impressions of the device.

The Z3 Tablet Compact’s display spans 8 inches across with Full HD resolution, translating to a total of 283dpi. Its screen is backed by a shatter-proof glass so that should give its users some peace of mind — in terms of display durability, at least.

This LTE-capable tablet uses on-screen navigational buttons which I personally prefer than capacitive ones as one could feel more in-touch with the software’s UI. We’ve tried browsing through the tablet and these buttons worked well and were quite responsive to the touch.

Responsible for your video chat and selfie needs is a 2.2-megapixel front camera located at the upper right corner of the screen. It stands out from the sea of white panel surrounding the display.

The main shooter is equipped with an 8.1-megapixel sensor placed right smack in the middle of the back plate. Located somewhat awkwardly near the edge is the NFC sensor.

With its thinness tipping the scale at only 6.4mm, the Z3 Tablet Compact is impressively slim which makes it really nice to hold. This also makes it possible to just slip it inside a bag easily. In addition, it weighs 270g which makes for a good, solid weight but not cumbersome to hold.

The power/lock screen button and volume rocker are placed on the right edge in the middle area. This makes it still easy to reach while using the tablet.

On the opposite side, we have the magnetic charging port. Beside it is the microSD card slot hiding under a flap so as to seal the ports and make the entire device water-resistant.

Finally, the 3.5mm audio jack is conveniently-placed on the side of the top-right corner. As you can see, the sides are adorned with a non-glossy metal accent which gives it a more premium look and feel.

We’ll be preparing a full review of the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact so stay tuned. Meanwhile, do you have anything specific you want to know while we do our review? Sound off in the comments section below.

Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact specs:
8-inch Full-HD (1920×1080) IPS LCD display, 283ppi
Shatter proof glass, Triluminos, X-Reality
Qualcomm MSM8974AB Snapdragon 801 quad-core CPU
Adreno 330 GPU
3GB RAM
16/32GB internal storage
up to 128GB via microSD
8.1 megapixel rear camera
1080p video recording @ 30fps
2.2 megapixel front camera
4G LTE, HSPA+ (optional)
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
NFC
Bluetooth 4.0, A2DP
FM Radio w/ RDS
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
4500mAh Li-Ion battery
Android 4.4.4 KitKat
IP68-certified (dust proof, water resistant)
213.4 x 123.6 x 6.4 mm
270g
Price: Php31,990USD 545INR 46,213EUR 519CNY 3,970