New Sony Xperia Tablet, HP Spectre Notebook: Ultra-Thin and Versatile

by Nathan Eddy

With an Intel Core i5 Processor, full HD touch-screen display, 4GB LPDDR3 system memory and a 128GB solid-state drive (SSD), the Spectre x360 convertible notebook carries at starting price of $899.99. The price jumps to $1,149.99 for the Intel Core i7, full HD touch-screen, 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD model, while the top-of-the-line 512GB SSD model retails for $1399.99. HP is also offering accessories such as an HP Premium Leather Sleeve to protect the device and an Active Pen for handwriting and taking notes.

The HP convertible, which sports a Quad HD (2,560 by 1,440) display, features built-in Panel Self Refresh (PSR) technology, which means images on the screen are held in place, allowing sections of the PC to shut down when nothing on the screen is moving. This helps reduce the battery drain that a bright display can cause. In addition, the touch-panel is optically bonded to the display, which is designed to increase brightness and pull the pixels up to the surface of the display.

The Spectre x360’s main feature is a hinge that contains a set of three spiral gears, which allows users to move between various configurations, depending on how they’re using the device. The Spectre x360 can switch between four different modes, including a stand mode for viewing entertainment, a notebook mode for work, tent mode for touch-screen usability like games or presentations, or tablet mode for when you’re on the move.

HP has improved WiFi performance on networks and across a wide range of wireless access points for the Spectre x360 by tuning the wireless driver, which comes with 801.11ac wireless capabilities as well as 802.11a/b/n. In addition, it has a new antenna slot design at the top of the display for 2.4GHz and 5GHz tuning in every mode, and it has both a full-size HDMI and DisplayPort 1.2 compatible ports.

The Xperia Z4 tablet is a 10.1-inch, 2,560 by 1,600 pixel device, which sports a Snapdragon 810, 64-bit octa-core processor and features the company’s trademark waterproof technology, scratch-resistant glass with anti-fingerprint coating, a front-facing 5.1-megapixel camera and a rear-facing 8.1-megapixel camera.

Users can dock the tablet to the Bluetooth keyboard accessory, securely protect all their confidential documents or connect to a printer or projector; or with PlayStation 4 Remote Play, users can switch from your PS4 console to the tablet and take gaming to another room. Just connect the Xperia to a home WiFi network and play games using the DualShock 4 controller.

The Xperia Z4 has a 5.1-megapixel front camera with a 25mm wide-angle lens, as well as an 8.1MP rear-facing camera, and features Exmor RS for mobile to reduce noise levels in low-light conditions. Another feature is Live on YouTube, which lets you broadcast personal events as they happen live through the Website, and users can also get friends’ responses right on the screen and keep the conversation going in real time.

Users can deploy one-touch connectivity to play music from the Xperia Z4 tablet on any near-field communication (NFC)-enabled speaker or headset. In addition, Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE HX) technology lets users upscale low-res songs to near high-resolution sound quality. It refines and restores heavily compressed MP3 and AAC files to deliver full-range audio, while High-Res Audio reduces distortion and noise at wider frequency ranges.

With a durable tempered glass front and a smooth frame, the ultra-thin Xperia Z4 weighs just 389 grams (WiFi only) and is just 6.1mm thick. The tablet has been certified with the highest waterproof and dust-tight rating in a mobile device—an Ingress Protection rating of IP65 and IP68. So, if things get messy and the tablet gets splattered, users can just run it under the tap to clean it. Just make sure you don’t put it in salt water, and keep all the ports firmly closed.

Microsoft’s portable, wireless keyboard, which is designed to work with Android and Windows devices like the Xperia Z4, Spectre x360 and even Apple devices, sports a durable, spill-resistant keyset and fabric, and users can simultaneously pair it with any combination of two compatible devices and switch between them with one touch. The keyboard will be generally available in July 2015 for the estimated retail price of $99.95 at the Microsoft Store and various other retailers.