In a very rigid cardboard box we find the tablet, a micro-USB to USB cable, and a USB charger ... and that's it! No anti-noise headphones or even storage pocket. In this price range, it's a little petty.
It is very light, the lightest of the market, almost the weight of a paperback - and its size allows it to fit in a jacket pocket. In fact it looks more like a reading light (and its high-contrast display makes reading very enjoyable ebooks) that a tablet Classic (iPad and Nexus are in 4: 3 against 4:10 p.m. for the Xperia z3 - this which is a problem when duplicating the screen on a TV in MHL / HDMI Choosing this format guides the tablet to multimedia use. can watch a video in 16: 9 without loss and have the Android virtual keys bottom of the screen without loss of image.
Sony has deliberately focused its tablet to portable use "all-terrain" favoring the charging time on the raw power.
Strength, lightness and tightness of the tablet go along with a charge of battery life unequaled to date: Stamina Mode (endurance), the battery can take up to 60 hours in normal use! In fact, she can hold 2d 19h without recharging or in common use, including some games. Standby, it consumes almost nothing. The tests of the AnTuTu benchmark among the best tablets on the market today, and 3D games running on max settings without slowdown or heating to at least 40fps for an hour (tested game: Perfect Inning MLB) with less than 10% decrease battery.
After it is clear that 2015 will be the year of 64bits procs, but for now we have the best performance / consumption market, and the latest apps and games run smoothly and load in seconds thanks to the quad-core and 3GB of Ram.
The only "bug" the design seems to be the micro-USB / HML protected by a sealed cover just waiting to break, it is placed so that regardless of the orientation of the tablet have the cable in their hands. Both for reading and playing, it's pretty painful. The presence of the magnetic jack on the optimal location seems to indicate a marketing stunt to buy this accessory. So not great on that shot.
On the tablet side is a slot that hides a MicroSD slot, the reset button (yellow, to press with a pen tip in case of crash of the tablet - which has not yet happened) and a slot for a micro Sim card compatible 4G (unavailable on the model tested). So I installed a 64GB MicroSD card, recognized and formatted easily.
Android KitKat prohibits write access to SD card. To overcome this drawback (to be solved in Lollipop) Sony preinstalled File Commander, a file manager, which overrides this limit and allows for example to copy to your SD card from a network drive or USB key (with the with a suitable cable that also can connect eg a mouse).
In the backup settings, you can also transfer your media files from internal memory to the SD card in one click to make space. The camera also records photos and videos directly on the SD card if you choose this option.
Another software bug appears with a MHL HDMI connection to a TV: duplicating the tablet screen, the TV picture appears compacted by passing 16:10 to 16: 9. Video apps like Netflix and BS-Player have an option to compensate for this distortion. If the problem does not arise with Chromecast ratio that converts on the fly.
We also deplore the complete lack of Android Help file. For each problem, we must look on the web, often in English.
If we regret the absence of infrared port (to make a universal remote), the tablet is equipped against an FM tuner for listening to the radio offline, provided only connect an earphone to the antenna. Even so you can adjust the audio output to the speakers for hands-free listening.
They also deliver a very clear sound, not the quality of a pair of speakers audiophile course, but for listening music and podcasts in satisfactory conditions. We appreciate the native support for audio HQ.
GPS is fully implemented, there also can be dispensed internet and GSM: the WiFi only tablet works perfectly connectionless and there are GPS apps with maps completely free on the Play Store.
Side camera, it is not shattering: 8Mpx without flash (again, the battery is preferred) and 2.2Mpx front, behind the Xperia smartphone Z3. By cons to edit photos taken with his smarphone, the Triluminos FullHD screen will wonder, even if the colors are a bit too saturated (a feature of Sony screens since the famous Trinitron CRT).
Note that the tablet does not offer video broadcasting 4x only 1080p standard. On 8 "we will not see the difference, but if we cast a 4x giant screen, it can become a problem in the coming years.
Small detail: one can make a screenshot by simultaneously pressing and holding the on / off button and volume down.
In short this is a very nice tablet, very pleasant to use, fast and efficient, solid and do not heat, with some details that annoy some but not all attributable to Sony.
A globetrotter tablet that emphasizes versatility and load duration on raw performance (but who nevertheless are still top ranking), with all-terrain qualities such as lightness, strength and duration supported.
This is a tablet that will compete directly with the iPad Mini from Apple and is within the same ranges of features and prices. If you put off the latter, see the next to the last Lenovo Yoga which half the price, offers a nifty also well balanced configuration for its price.
Accessories not supplied tested and compatible with the design:
- Chromecast for broadcast on a TV HD.Google Chromecast HDMI WiFi Multimedia Key
- USB / MHL powered 5-pin to HDMI. Pure ² - 4 meters flexible Full HD Micro USB MHL to HDMI Adapter Cable HDTV 1080p - 7.1 digital audio adapter 8 channel as EIA2UHUN - HTC ONE - Samsung Galaxy Note N7000 / i9220 / Galaxy S2 i9100 / LTE / Samsung S2 more I9105P / Gal ...
- Micro-USB adapter cable male to female USB (for USB stick, mouse, etc.). Delock micro B male USB cable to USB 2.0 A female angled 11 cm
- Storage pouch: Case Logic Case TNEO108K Universal Neoprene Tablet 6-8 "Black
