Pictures of Sony's newest tablet, the Xperia, leaked yesterday on German tech website Mobiflip. Though there is no word yet on a release date, the slideshow appears to have been aimed at readying Sony's employees for an upcoming product launch.

The new cousin of the Sony Vaio maintains the beveled back of the manufacturer's previous tablets, but the pictures of the new model a keyboard/cover similar to that of the Microsoft Surface.

The branding of the tablet is also a change, as the electronics company has decided to release the new portable device as a part of its Xperia mobile line. This represents a departure from Sony's previous Tablet P branding.

Unlike the Microsoft Surface, though, the Xperia tablet will run on the Android operating system. The new model will maintain its size of 9.4 inches, keeping it in league with larger tablets such as the iPad, and will include upgraded processors as well.

The new tablet will also be thinner and lighter than its predecessor, and has a unique advantage that may attract buyers. The Sony Xperia tablet is splash-resistant, so those who prefer a larger-format tablet might be swayed toward the Xperia since its waterproof design means that users can take it more places without as much risk.

The Verge prices the upcoming Sony Xperia Tablet at $449 for the lowest amount of storage, which is competitive with the iPad, but other tech reporters have declined to speculate, as the leaked internal slideshow did not mention the cost of the item.

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