On Monday, the swarming tablet market witnessed a new addition - the Sony Xperia Tablet Z, which was released quietly by Sony, via a press release on Sony Mobile website's Japanese edition.

The launch of the Xperia Tablet Z by Sony comes after a somewhat rough 2012 for the company; especially as the year largely had Samsung leading the mobile devices arena with its Galaxy line of handsets and tablets, and Apple continuing its worldwide dominance with its new iPhone 5 and iPad versions.

However, with the release of the Xperia Tablet Z, Sony has started the year 2013 with a new entry into the highly-competitive tablet arena. Going by the new Sony tablet's images and specifications posted by the company on the Sony Mobile website, the Xperia tablet Z will be a 10.1-inch Android-based tablet, which boasts a `Retina Display' that has chiefly been designed for offering improved high-definition images.

Some of the other impressive specifications of the barely 6.9mm-thick Sony Xperia Tablet Z include a 1.5-GHz, quad-core processor; and an 8-megapixel rear-side camera, which is capable of making automatic adjustments to optimum settings when pictures are clicked in dim light.

According to Sony's claims, the Xperia Tablet Z will be a water- and dust-proof device, with a high-end fit and finish. Thus far, Sony has not made any disclosure about the cost of the tablet, which - to be available in black or white color options - will initially be launched only in Japan.