Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet vs Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 LTE Specs Comparison

From all Android tablets across the market, in my opinion, i think Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet is the only Android tablet that deserves to be the true challenger for iPads, of course in terms of design and build quality.

I know that there are also some Android tablets that also use similar aluminum materials just like the iPad.

(Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet vs Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 LTE Specs Comparison)

However, the premium level of iPads is not just about its aluminum material, but it’s more than that.

It has the great build quality, thin and cool design, the strong endurance of its chassis especially when dropping to the ground and the most importantly, it is convenient when held in such long hours. And i think, Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet has almost all of these elements.


Besides Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet, there’s actually one other Android tablet that in my opinion also looks really premium and expensive just like the iPad. And that is Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro series.

The design of this tablet series actually takes some design cues from Samsung GALAXY Note 3 phablet, especially with its 3 fake elements – from faux leather, fake stitching and fake metal trim all over the bezels.

This is actually the reason why today i’m really excited to bring up these 2 tablets from Sony and Samsung in my next comparison review.

I believe it’s interesting to explore not just about the design of these 2 tablets in this review, but also the entire aspect of them, like their performance, cameras, software, UI, battery life and many other more.

Well, if you’re also interested to learn more about my comparison between these 2 devices, as well as my take on their gaming performance and experience, then here you go, my comparison review between Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet vs Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 LTE.


From the entire aspect of all Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro tablets, i think it’s quite obvious that these devices are hugely inspired by Samsung GALAXY Note 3.

And that can be seen clearly even the design of this tablet series, which take some design cues of that Note phablet – like the faux leather case, fake stitching on the rear-side and of course, the fake metal trim all over the bezels.

Unlike Samsung GALAXY Note 3, this tablet series doesn’t come packed with the S-Pen stylus, despite being made as a productivity device.

However, there are still many great things to appreciate from this tablet series – in this case, the 10.1-inch model of Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro.

Just like the Note Pro variant, this tablet also ships with the same 2.5K display, 8MP rear-facing camera, a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor along with Adreno 330 GPU (for the LTE model), 2GB of RAM and some other similar specs of Note 10.1 tablet.

In fact, the only thing that makes it different with Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 are actually its Magazine UI and of course the absence of S-Pen stylus.

If Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 is made by Samsung as a simple productivity tablet, then Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet, on the other hand, is made by Sony as a pure media-consumption device and of course, a gaming tablet.

And that clearly shows by its hardware specs that are ‘on the same level’ with many other flagship tablets on the market right now, including the iPads.

So basically, this Sony’s device – as well as Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 LTE – will be great for playing games. And that doesn’t take genius to guess about that.

Snapdragon 801 processor (Snapdragon 800 processor on Tab Pro 10.1) and Adreno 330 GPU are currently one of the best processors and GPUs in today’s standards.

So with this hardware package, both of these devices are just great for gaming. But we’ll get more on that later.

But the questions remain, between Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet and Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 LTE, which one that deserves to be the best gaming tablet in this comparison review?

Which one that is a so much better tablet in the entire aspect?

Is it worth it to buy any of these tablets, especially for playing heavy 3D games?

Well, hopefully we’re about to find out more about the answers of these questions at the end of this review. So be sure to stick around!


As mentioned above, when it comes to design, Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 LTE is actually not a huge departure from Samsung GALAXY Note 3 phablet, or in this case, the 10.1-inch model of GALAXY Note.

As a matter of fact, this Tab Pro 10.1 tablet is hugely inspired by the same looking design of Note series in 2014 – especially the 3 ‘fake’ elements, from faux leather case, fake stitching and fake metal trim all over the bezels.

I personally really like the design of this tablet – even when i firstly saw it on the 3rd-gen Note phablet. It makes it look really elegant and suitable to use for professional career people, especially adult ladies.

Sony Xperia Z2

Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 LTE

Similar just like Samsung tablet, Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet is also not a huge departure from the predecessor.

It has that sharp looking design all over the corners, there is the metal trim around the size (but much darker) and the entire part of this tablet is dominated by dark black color, which blends perfectly with the display and also the dark-themed Xperia UI.

Between these 2 tablets, i think both devices look really elegant and they have the premium level of iPad. However, if i had to choose, i think Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet looks slightly superior here than Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 in terms of design.

I mean, i really like how this tablet is dominated with dark matte finish all over the place, not to mention, it also has the IP58 certification that allows this device to swim inside the water for 30 minutes. And this is something that you cannot be found on Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1.

Back to Top

Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet LTE

Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 LTE

4G LTE Micro-SIM 439 g (Weight) Released 2014, March 10.1 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen, 1200 x 1920 pixels, (~224 ppi pixel density). 16M colors Triluminos display X-Reality Engine 3 GB RAM Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400 Qualcomm MSM8974AB Snapdragon 801 Chipset Adreno 330 GPU Android OS 4.4.2 KitKat microSD card slot for up to 64 GB 16 GB of Internal storage 8.1 MP rear-facing camera, autofocus 2.2 MP front-facing camera NFC Java MIDP emulator GPS HTML5 Browser IP58 certified: dust proof and water resistant over 1 meter and 30 minutes Non-removable Li-Po 6000 mAh battery Talk time (multimedia): for up to 13 hours Music play: for up to 188 hours

LTE (Micro-SIM) Released March 2014 477 g (Weight) 10.1 inch Super clear LCD capacitive touchscreen, 2560 x 1600 pixels, es (~299 ppi pixel density) Samsung TouchWiz UI Memory Card slot microSD for up to 64 GB 16/32 GB Internal storage 2 GB RAM GPRS, Wi-Fi 802.11 Bluetooth, Infrared port, microUSB v2.0 8 MP rear-facing camera with LED flash 2 MP front-facing camera (1080p@30fps video recording) Android OS 4.4 KitKat Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400 Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Adreno 330 GPU HTML5 No Radio GPS Java MIDP emulator White, Black Colors Non-removable Li-Ion 8220 mAh battery Talk time (multimedia): for up to 10 hours Music play: for up to 147 hours

On the sector of hardware, i think both devices are strong equally. However, if compared side-by-side against each other, it’s pretty obvious that Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet looks much shinier than Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 in terms of spec sheet.

It may only use full HD 1920x1200 pixel resolution on its 10.1-inch display – as opposed to the 2.5K display on Samsung’s tablet, but the rest of its specs are more superior than the ones found on Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1.

First of all, as mentioned above, it’s equipped with a 10.1-inch display sporting the full HD 1920x1200 pixel resolution, a quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, Adreno 330 GPU, 3GB of RAM, 8.1MP and 2.2MP cameras back and front, microSD card slot for up to 64GB, NFC, Android 4.4.2 KitKat, IP58 certification, 6000mAh battery and some other standard features.

But even so, the entire specs of Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 are actually still on the same page with Sony’s device.

It comes with a 10.1-inch display sporting the 2.5K resolution (2560x1600 pixels), a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor (compared to Snapdragon 801 on Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet), Adreno 330 GPU, 2Gb of RAM, 8MP rear-facing camera with LED flash, 2MP camera on the front, Android 4.4 KitKat, microSD card slot for up to 64GB, a huge 8220mAh battery and some other standard features.

Not to mention, there’s also Magazine UI on its platform.


If there is one sector that makes Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 more superior than Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet, then it’s definitely its display.

Its 10.1-inch display are sporting the 2.5K resolution (2560x1600 pixels), as opposed to the full HD 1920x1200 pixel resolution found on the 10.1-inch display of Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet.

So when it comes to sharpness, it’s no brainer that Samsung’s device is just far better more superior than Sony’s tablet. However, it’s not just on paper actually, but also in the real life implementation.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 may not yet use the Super AMOLED technology on its screen – just like the one found on Samsung GALAXY Tab S series -, however, the display of this tablet still looks gorgeous not because it has the sharpness, but its display also has great viewing angle and outstanding color saturation (but not overly well-saturated just like Super AMOLED display).

The text looks readable even from far distance, the image looks crisp, the colors look popping out and everything that you throw on the screen looks just gorgeous and delivers an eye-pleasing experience to users.

But that’s actually the same thing that you can find on the display of Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet. This tablet actually brings such huge improvements especially on its display compared to Sony Xperia Z Tablet – the predecessor.

If you haven’t known already, the screen of the previous-gen model is really mediocre at best. It has bad viewing angle, the colors look washed out and it’s just not worth it with its high price point – which also happens on the Sony Xperia Z smartphone.

But impressively, Sony manages to address some of the flaws – especially on the screen – on Sony Xperia Z Tablet and then make it up to this Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet. Its screen now looks sharp and more vibrant, it has great viewing angle, the colors look well-saturated and popping out.

Long story short, the screen of Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet is the ‘perfect’ version of Sony Xperia Z Tablet.

So even if this tablet only sports full HD resolution on its display, i believe it already looks really sharp and crisp, and more than great for most of users.


Through Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro series, it’s really obvious that Samsung is trying to do something different especially with its software and UI.

So compared to the usual GALAXY devices with TouchWiz UI, this Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 comes pre-installed with the one called “Magazine UI” that brings a complete overhaul to the design layout (especially) and also the entire look and features on this device.

Magazine UI actually kind of reminds with the Live-Tile-based Metro UI on Microsoft Surface tablets. it’s dominated by box-shaped Live Tiles all over the homescreen, which can be set with news feed, calendar, Twitter updates or even widgets.

This really contradicts with the Xperia UI on Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet. The UI of this tablet is actually still on the same track with the UIs of all Sony Xperia devices – even the smartphones.

So it’s still dominated with dark-themed live wallpaper, Sony’s usual icon pack and skins, cool visual presentations on pre-loaded apps and of course, the other standard features of stock Android 4.4.2 KitKat.

I think the most prominent feature found on this device is definitely its multiwindow/floating-app mode, which allows users to float some apps like video player, browser, music player, calculator or gallery at the same time on the screen.

Back to Top
Actually, both Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 and Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet are equally powerful for playing games. And that’s not that hard to guess because both devices are powered by the same Adreno 330 GPU – which is more than adequate to handle even the latest games on Google Play Store.

However, if compared side-by-side, i think Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet is slightly more superior than Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 because it comes with the latest-gen Snapdragon 801 processor, plus much bigger 3GB of RAM, as opposed to the Snapdragon 800 processor and 2GB of RAM inside Samsung’s tablet.

But basically, with any of these tablets, you can play any kind of games and even the latest most graphically demanding titles like Modern Combat 5 or GTA San Andreas – all in buttery smooth performance and of course, in full graphics.

So if you choose either Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet or Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1, both of these devices are more than great as a gaming tablet. But playing games on Samsung’s device is probably much better because it has a much higher-resolution 2.5K display.

So the experience of playing games on this device is just a lot better than on the Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet.


When it comes to camera, i think it’s not hard to guess that both of these devices are just great for taking photos or recording videos.

And that’s not shocking because either Sony and Samsung have been known for their expertise in making devices with great cameras – especially the flagship models.

I know i cannot tell you which one of these devices that’s capable to take much better and sharper looking images or videos, but if you’re really into photography, you’ll make no mistake if you decide to buy any of these 2 tablets.

Your hobby of photography will be well accommodated by the 8.1MP and 8MP rear-facing cameras on Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet and Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 respectively. No argue about that.

But if i had to choose, i probably would go with Samsung's tablet simply because i know that most of flagship devices from Samsung have great quality cameras.


Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 is powered by a huge 8220mAh battery, while Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet is equipped with a smaller 6000mAh battery.

This is probably due to the fact that Samsung’s tablet is sporting a much higher-resolution display than Sony’s device (2560x1600 pixels VS 1920x1200 pixels).

However, according to GSMarena, the 6000mAh battery inside Sony’s tablet has the promised battery life of 13 hours for talk time (multimedia) and 188 hours for music play.

On the other hand, a larger 8220mAh battery inside Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 apparently is only capable to give 10 hours for talk time and 147 hours of music play.

This probably happens because – besides using a lower-resolution display -, Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet actually also has this battery saving technology on its new improved Triluminos display.

So even with a smaller battery capacity, this tablet is still more than capable to last much even longer than the larger 8220mAh battery of Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1.

However, when deployed with some heavy intense tasks without resting the screen at all – like for watching HD movies in marathon or playing games in the row -, of course any of these tablets could only survive in just around 5 to 7 hours screen-on time, maybe more maybe less than that.


So in my final conclusion of this comparison review, i think it’s quite impressive to see how Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet – with its lower-resolution display – is able to survive in the battle against a flagship tablet from Samsung.

On paper, people usually think that Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 with its 2.5K display looks more superior than Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet.

But that’s probably wrong because in the whole aspect, it’s actually Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet that looks more superior on many sectors than Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1.

First of all, despite using lower resolution, the full HD display of Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet actually brings a lot of goodies that probably cannot be found on Samsung’s device.

The screen of this tablet is actually a far improvement than the one on predecessor – Sony Xperia Z Tablet. It now comes with X-Reality Engine and Triluminos technology.

Not to mention, there’s also the battery saving mode that makes it more efficient with the use of battery life. I’m not saying that the display of Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 as mediocre compared to Sony’s tablet.

Well, that’s just so WRONG because the screen of this Samsung’s device still looks much sharper and has amazing color saturation. But if compared to the display of Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet – especially with all of its technology – i think Sony’s tablet has a slight superiority than Samsung’s device.

The other things that make Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet better overall than Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 are its cameras, design, build quality, processor, RAM, UI, features and of course, its IP58 certification that surely blows Samsung’s tablet out of the water.

Their gaming performance is actually ‘on the same level’ especially given the fact that they both are powered by the same Adreno 330 GPU.

However, when it comes to experience, i think Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet with the latest-gen processor and latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat is a much better offering than Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1.

But even so, between the 2, i still think that both Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 and Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet are equally great, especially as media-consumption or even gaming tablets. So it’s just a matter of personal preference of each user actually.

I mean, if you’re looking for a decent quality productivity tablet, then Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1 can be a great option here.

However, if you’re in the search of a pure media-consumption and gaming device, then Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet is definitely your best shot here. Both tablets are great. Both tablets are awesome.

Have any question? Leave your comment here!