Announced bright and early in Japan today is the Sony Xperia Tablet Z that we've been hearing about. As you'd expect, this 10.1-inch Android 4.1 tablet features the same design language as its smartphone counterpart, but it's what's inside that really sells this device: a Qualcomm 1.5GHz quad-core APQ8064 processor, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, a 10.1-inch 1,920 x 1,200 screen (with Mobile Bravia Engine 2), an 8.1-megapixel Exmor R camera, NFC, LTE (MDM9215M radio), microSD expansion and Sony's very own "S-Force" virtual surround sound technology. Amazingly, these are all packed tightly into a 6.9mm-thick, 495g-heavy body which not only takes a huge leap from the retiring Xperia Tablet S, but it also beats the Toshiba Excite 10 LE that was once the champion in both fields. That's right, Sony now has the world's thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablet! Oh, and did we mention that the Tablet Z is both waterproof and dustproof as well? We'll update you guys once we get hold of info on pricing and availability.

Update: For those wondering, Blog of Mobile says this new tablet packs a 6,000mAh battery, which is actually a tad smaller than the Excite 10 LE's 6,690mAh cell. Hopefully Sony's power management will bring its tablet up to about the same mobility performance.