By 
It looks like Sony’s really taking this “phablet” thing to the next level. The Sony Xperia Z Ultra may have launched as a ridiculously over-sized phone, but that also seems to have paved a way for it to relaunch as a moderately sized tablet. Sony has announced that they’ve ripped the cellular radios out of the Xperia Z Ultra, essentially giving you a 6.4-inch tablet.
That’s quite a bit smaller than the typical 7-inch minimum we like to think tablets should come in, but it could still be the perfectly-sized multimedia device for those who just want to watch some movies and play some games. Lack of cellular radios aside, it’s still the same old phone we’re used to.
It’ll have a 6.4-inch 1080p HD display, a Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, an 8.1 megapixel camera, Android 4.2 and more. It’s also waterproof, and is still being heralded as the world’s slimmest device that’s 6- inches or larger with an LCD display. All of it is said to come in at just under $500, though Japan is the only region guaranteed to get this thing at the moment. We’ll be looking to see if Sony has plans to launch it elsewhere at some point in the near future.
[via Sony]
Are we sure that it’s launching with 4.2 Jelly Bean? Mine has been on 4.3 for a month by now.
Agreed, sounds out of place.
I can only see this selling at $400 max….
This is Japan we’re talking about. Things (especially electronics) tend to be more expensive there than they would be in Western countries.
So when the ZU is a phone it’s ridiculous because it’s nearly the same size as a Nexus7, but now that it’s a tablet it’s quite a bit smaller? I guess over-dramatization exists even in tech writing.
Smaller than the standard tablets, larger than standard size phones.
I think a term should be developed for these devices. For cases just like these. What do you call it?
What about if this was a WiFi-Only 4-inch device? Then what is it called? An MP4 player? Is it still considered an MP4 player?
*sigh*
I think I’m just over-thinking this.
Don’t be such a detractor. They write well.
thats a bit pricey. what does it offer over a nexus 7 tablet? more compact size? not worth $300. what makes this more attractive as a over priced tablet than a phone? I mean if u are interested in 1 y not get the full function (with cellular radios) because it doesnt seem to be a huge price difference. y would u give up the radios for wifi only if u dont save a reasonable amount of $?
Nexus 7 @$230 >>>>> Sony Xperia Z Ultra @ ≈$500
I wonder how much the iPad mini sells for in Japan, maybe then this will be a competitive price.