Sony Xperia Tablet Z coming to the US for $499, shown off at MWC

The Xperia Tablet Z, the tablet companion of Sony’s flagship Xperia Z smartphone, is on display at the Mobile World Congress – Sony has announced that the tablet will be making its way stateside soon, with a price tag of $499 for the 16GB model and $599 for 32GB.

Sony has put a “premium on design” according to The Verge, who report that the world-beating 6.9mm thick tablet feels very sleek, and considering the amazing design and construction of the Xperia Z, it isn’t a surprise that the tablet has gotten similar treatment. The tablet is also water- and dust-proof like the Xperia Z.

In terms of specs, the Tablet Z sports a 1200p 10.1-inch display (1920 x 1200 pixels), and is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset and 2GB RAM. There’s an 8.1-megapixel camera on the back and a 2.2-megapixel shooter on the front, with both cameras sporting Sony’s Exmor R sensor.

There’s also LTE and NFC connectivity, an IR blaster that goes hand-in-hand with Sony’s SideView TV app, and a 6,000 mAh battery. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean takes care of the software side of things, with an update to Android 4.2 coming after launch.

Sony didn’t give exact release dates, nor did they mention when the Xperia Tablet Z will make its way to markets outside the US, so we’ll have to wait for those important details. It’s certainly a beautiful and well-designed tablet, so here’s hoping people can get their hands on one as soon as possible.