Sony re-launches the Xperia Z Ultra as a wifi only tablet

The phablet become tablet will be significantly less expensive than the original

Craig Munro, Published 01/24/2014

Sony may only have the one Android tablet for sale at the moment (Xperia Tablet Z), but some quick changes to the huge Xperia Z Ultra phablet have made it into a pocket friendly tablet and effectively given the Japanese company a new product in the small tablet category.

The wifi Ultra features a 6.4-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) display, a 2.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 APQ8074 processor, Android 4.2, 32 GB of internal storage, a microSD slot (up to 64 GB cards), Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac wifi, and NFC.

Basically the new model is the same Z Ultra that was released in 2013, though Sony opted for a processor without a cellular modem, removed the SIM card slot, and upped the internal storage. The tablet is a little smaller than the 7-inch form factor that seems to be dominating the Android market, and offers both the design language and water and dust proofing that set Xperia products apart.

The wifi version of the Z Ultra goes on sale in Japan on January 24th. Prices start at US$506 but could be significantly cheaper if the gadget ever makes it to Europe and North America.