Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet review – lighter than Air

KEYBOARD

Having enough battery life to work on the move is important, as the Xperia Z4 Tablet is being bundled with Sony’s new Bluetooth keyboard dock, the BKB50. Obviously, Android doesn’t offer the same kind of flexibility as Windows, but Sony has implemented a few clever tricks in its version of Android 5.0 Lollipop to help transform the OS into a viable desktop platform.

For instance, attaching the keyboard dock, which slots securely onto the tablet’s lower bezel, will prompt an additional row of customisable app shortcut icons to appear in the lower left corner of the screen in a similar style to the current Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 taskbar, to give you easy access to your favourite apps with the touchpad. You can also use the touchpad to scroll through the taskbar to access different apps or swipe between home screens, although we found the swiping action could be a bit jerky and temperamental.

^ The Xperia Z4 Tablet can be used as an Android-powered laptop as well, giving Google’s Chromebooks a run for their money

The keys themselves are a little cramped, so anyone with large hands may well end up pressing more than one key as you type. It’s certainly no Surface Type Cover keyboard, which is available for the Microsoft Surface 3, but the keys provide a good level of tactile feedback and Sony’s included several Android-specific keys to help make navigating the tablet that bit simpler. However, the mouse cursor was often quite sluggish when it first sprung into life, and, like most Bluetooth docks, it tended to turn itself off quite quickly if we didn’t use it for a couple of minutes, forcing us to tap a key and wait a few seconds before the cursor reappeared.

^ Click the arrow in the bottom left corner and you’ll find the Xperia Z4 Tablet’s app launcher, which makes it easier to open recent apps when using the keyboard

It’s not the slickest keyboard dock we’ve ever seen, then, but it’s definitely a useful tool for typing out emails or working on a Google Doc while you’re travelling. Coupled with the tablet’s amazing battery life, too, it’s certainly got the stamina to outlast most Windows laptops and tablets, including the Surface 3, so it’s an ideal companion for mobile workers.

CAMERA

On the back is an 8.1-megapixel camera, which uses Sony’s Exmor RS mobile sensor. On the whole we were very pleased with the images we took, as colours were bright and natural and there was a good level of detail on show. When zoomed in, however, we could see some obvious signs of noise-reduction and very busy areas weren’t quite as sharp as we would have liked.

^ Colours were clear and very natural, but detail was a bit lacking away from the centre of the frame

However, Sony’s Manual mode provides plenty of controls to help get the best out of your photos, as there are 17 individual scene selection modes, including HDR, night scene and anti-motion blur. Just bear in mind that selecting a scene type will prevent you from being able to adjust the white balance to suit different lighting conditions.

If you’d rather have a bit of fun with the camera, Sony’s numerous augmented-reality apps let you add in virtual objects and scenes into your photos, while Sound Photo records background noises to accompany each snap. You can also link the Z4 Tablet with other Sony devices, such as phones, other tablets and compatible NFC and Wi-Fi-enabled Sony cameras, to record or capture a scene from multiple angles simultaneously using the Multi-camera app.

CONCLUSION

With so many strings to its bow, the Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet is by far one of the best tablets we’ve seen. Its stylish design continues the legacy of predecessors, and its new desktop capabilities, high-resolution screen and industry-leading battery life blow the rest of the competition clean out of the water. It is very expensive and the keyboard dock could be a bit more polished, but if you’re after the ultimate Android tablet, there’s simply nothing else like it. It wins a Recommended award.