Getting a tablet is not as easy years back since a lot of companies have so far tried to offer their won tablet offering.

Apple's iPad is undoubtedly still the yardstick of most and companies such as Sony have come up with powerful and tempting alternative tablets that deserve a close look.

For its part, Sony offers the Xperia Z4, a tablet seemingly oozing with power, providing existing and potential owners a tablet that should be fit for high resolution gaming displays, audio and enhanced performance.

On the outside, the iPad 2 is of course more stylish though the Xperia Z4 is water-proof and dust resistant. Though the iPad 2 is heavier at 437 grams, it is slimmer than the Xperia Z4.

The Xperia Z4 offers a slightly larger display at 10.1-inches though such could not be that staggering when you think about the iPad 2's 9.7-inch screen. One thing going for the Xperia Z4 however is that it offers a better resolution (299ppi) compared to the iPad 2's (264 ppi).

For the processor, the Xperia Z4 relies on a Snapdragon 810 processor supported by 3GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage that is expandable up to 128GB via microSD card slot.

The iPad 2 is powered by a 64-bit A8X processor and M8X co-processor with 1GB of RAM and a choice in storage capacity ranging from 16GB, 64GB and 128GB. It doesn't offer provisions for external storage though.

There is hardly much to compare about the camera since both use an 8MP main camera. Up front however, the Xperia Z4 offers a better front-facing camera with a 5MP shooter compared to the iPad 2's 1.2 MP.

As far as battery life is concerned, the Z4 offers a battery that is good for up to 17 hours of use while the iPad 2 can only be good for up to 10 hours.

Rounding it up is the fact that both make use of different operating systems. The iPad 2 of course runs on iOS while the Xperia Z4 runs on Android. Depending on what a user would be looking for, such could be a difference.

So which is better?

If a user is impressed by specs, there is no doubt that the Xperia Z4 will win hands down. But if one takes into consideration style and the intent of having a tablet, the iPad 2 will still come out as preferred.

Hence, the Xperia Z4 does seem like an attractive tablet to consider over the iPad 2. But then again, it all boils down to brand-consciousness and of course the purpose of use, the usual things one ponders on before deciding which tablet is better.