Gadgetory

Apple's iPad is an excellent product but it's not the only high-end tablet out there today we're putting two of the iPads tablet competitors head-to-head I'm Michael Fisher this is PocketNow and this is Sony Xperia tablet Z versus Microsoft Surface RT though aesthetically similar at first glance the tablet Z and the surface RT really couldn't be more different one is a lightweight and water-resistant but otherwise conventional Android tablet the other is a metal covered Windows hybrid that tries to straddle the line between tablet and notebook despite these differences they're currently priced identically so let's put them side-by-side to see how they stack up in hardware software and a few tests notes on their faces the sixteen by nine Surface RT and sixteen by 10 tablet Z almost look like they might have come from the same Factory it's mainly the branding that sets them apart until that is you get down to table level and start talking thickness at nine millimeters thick the Microsoft tablet is over two millimeters beefier than the Sony device and it's 680 gram mass means it's much heavier than the 495 gram tablet z the surface RT also tends more often to be cool to the touch on account of its magnesium casing and that combined with its added heft makes the RT feel like it can take a pounding but despite its petite frame the tablet Z also feels quite durable it's soft touch back feels great in the hand and it's IP 55:57 and IP 5x ratings means the tablet Z beats the surface in water and dust resistance where the surface really shines from a build perspective is its ability to transform into something more resembling a notebook computer than a tablet it's reinforced kickstand is sturdy and satisfying to deploy propping the device up at an angle for desktop use and the surface currently ships with either a touch cover or a type cover to serve as a keyboard when open and a screen protector when closed and this cover snaps on magnetically like the power cable while the tablet Z supports any number of keyboard peripherals and third-party kick stands the surfaces inclusion of both of these into the purchase price thanks to a currently running Microsoft promotion give a much more complete feeling you feel like you're getting more for your money with Microsoft's product out of the box that warm and fuzzy feeling takes a hit though when powering up the displays for the first time a Microsoft calls the surface Artie's 10.6 inch 1366 by 768 panel a clear type HD display but it's 148 PPI pixel density doesn't lead to the clearest text we've ever seen on a tablet that's certainly true up against the 1920 by 1200 display on the tablet Z which is smaller at 10.1 inches but much sharper at 224 PPI it's possible Microsoft was planning for a display you'd use while sitting further away and in keeping with the surface Artie's dual role as an ultrabook standin but no matter how far away you'd get you'll probably notice the density sacrifice of the artis screen Sony's panel with its added saturation thanks to the Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 is the clear winner here other factors cancel each other out or don't depending on your priorities the tablet Z offers an IR transmitter for remote-control duties but the surface RT counters with a full-size USB port the tablet sees 8 megapixel main and 2 megapixel front cameras beat out the surfaces poultry duo of 1 megapixel shooters but the surface RT comes in a pricier 64 gig version while we're still waiting on Sony to offer a tablet Z with more than 32 gigs of onboard memory but both tablets though feature a microSD slot for more versatile expansion and of course there's the matter of the power plant behind all the software the tablet Z runs on a quad-core Snapdragon s4 pro at 1.5 gigahertz whereas the surface RT gets it zoom from an NVIDIA Tegra 3 at one point 3 gigahertz each tablet features 2 gigs of ram and each draws power from a non removable lithium polymer battery 6,000 milliamp hours in the case of the slim Sony tablet and a bit over 8500 milliamp hours inside the heavier surface the difference on the software side is night and day but there's a lot of familiarity on both sides the tablet Z's Android build is heavily customized but underneath the Sony tweaks it's still Android 4.1.2 similarly this surface is running an OS instantly familiar to anyone who's used a Windows Phone and it weaves in a new gesture driven interface that takes some getting used to but becomes second nature after a short time underneath that futuristic UI is a desktop familiar to most people who've used a Microsoft computer anytime in the last decade really with this legacy comes challenges on both sides as we mentioned in our tablet Z review Android running at the 10 inch form factor has a serious problem in terms of optimized apps while some apps have been modified for the larger canvas many more have not and they remain stretched out versions of smartphone titles running on a big screen sometimes forcing a user into portrait mode which is just absurd that's a problem similar but not identical to the challenges seen on Windows RT on the surface which also requires its own full screen apps to be written for the larger display which platform will serve you better in terms of apps will depend on which titles you regularly rely on we've found a few tablet optimized titles on the surface that haven't been optimised for large-scale Android but there are examples of the opposite as well the surface offers the illusion of added functionality with the faux Windows 8 desktop but as we've said before this offers less utility than it initially appears and given its limitations it feels a lot more like a stopgap than a legitimate operating environment if you're using the surface pro with full Windows 8 well that's another story it's actually quite useful then but if you're using the surface RT you'll probably spend most of your time in the modern UI Start screen a good thing as it's much more touch friendly ultimately the software question comes down to a comparison of two very different and rapidly changing ecosystems if you're dependent on Google's portfolio of services either of these will serve you satisfactorily but if you want to be able to run your G services outside of a browser the tablet Z is the better device if you're an Outlook user who wants access to office and other Microsoft centric titles obviously the surface RT will serve you better tablet cameras are arguably not meant to be used as point-and-shoot cameras but there are always some folks out there who don't care what they look like and you know what good for them but with the surface you'll always know when such a person has you in his or her sights because of the LED camera on indicator a nice touch or a big disappointment depending on whether you're a creep the tablet Z doesn't have such an LED but it's 8 megapixel sensor is far larger than the one on the surface the Z also offers more shooting modes and tweaks via Sony's excellent viewfinder software which you'll need the out of box settings don't result in great photos in any sense of the word but at least they're better than the surfaces frankly awful offerings indoors outdoors good light bad light it doesn't seem to matter the Z delivers mediocre pictures at best and the surface generates photos straight out of 2004 again you're probably not shopping for a tablet based on its optics but even the more tablet focused features like the front-facing camera or document scanning features aren't bound to work as well on the surface as they do on the tablet Z considering the Microsoft engineers went to the trouble of specially tilting the surfaces camera module to account for desktop use a very nice touch it's a shame the camera itself is such a disappointment compared to the Sony product both tablets feature pretty small speakers but Sony's long experience in the audio field gives it the edge here where it uses some software tricks to deliver sound that's richer and fuller than the surface RT is muted output that said neither of these is going to win any awards for quality or amplitude well you might be able to take the tablet Z in the shower you won't be able to hear Spotify over the noise the surface redeems itself somewhat in terms of battery life the 2500 milliamp hour difference in battery size is a useful metric here because each tablet runs at 3.7 volts allowing for a direct comparison there are other factors like processor and software that affect battery life of course and sony has built some excellent power management software like stamina mode into the tablet Z but at the end of the day in our testing the surface RT just lasts longer in normal use and that speaks nicely to the road warrior in us these tablets tell totally different stories and they're both priced as premium products so it's important to understand those stories the surface RT feels like so much more it's a metal transformer that full out into a serviceable ultrabook replacement and it looks and feels incredibly good while doing it it also lasts longer on battery on the downside in trying to be more than just a tablet it compromises in significant ways its OS is more limited than it first appears it's heavy and it packs a truly awful set of cameras the tablet Z while attractive is more confining it stays much truer to its tablet roots it runs just like any other full-sized Android tablet on the software side and the hardware while waterproof and beautiful and portable and all those good things is still just a tablet nothing more it doesn't even come with headphones or a doc in the box so if you want that added raw functionality that the surface RT provides and you're willing to put up with the compromises required to get it go with the Microsoft product if instead you're looking for a more conventional google centric tablet experience in a gorgeous casing that's also water and dust resistant the tablet Z will be the better ride for you either way you go you'll be spending as much as you would to pick up a low-end iPad though so make sure you know what you want before you pull the trigger folks we have so much more on the sony xperia tablet z the surface RT the surface pro and about every other smartphone and tablet you can think of at pocketnow.com and on our youtube channel page here so please subscribe so you don't miss future videos follow us on social media leave us a like if you did enjoy the video and drop a comment down below if you have a response thank you very much for watching and we'll see you next time