Sony introduced the Xperia Tablet Z on Monday, touting its thin form factor and powerful components at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Sony has been in the tablet market since 2011, when it introduced the Android-powered Tablet S, but the company now seems to be making a more serious play.

Google canceled its New York press event Monday due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast, but that didn’t stop it from announcing its new Nexus 10 tablet, along with the Nexus 4 smartphone and Android 4.2, an update to Jelly Bean. A step up in size from the Asus-made Nexus 7, released in July, the Samsung-made Nexus 10 will be available beginning Nov. 13.

Google could be poised to roll out new Nexus tablet offerings at next Monday’s press event in New York City. The search giant is also likely to introduce a new smartphone, the LG Nexus 4, powered by Android 4.2. The timing of the event is certainly interesting, as it comes later on the same day that Microsoft is holding a Windows Phone 8 event in San Francisco.

Sony on Wednesday launched the Xperia Tablet S at the IFA consumer electronics show in Germany. It’s the second generation of the Tablet S, and it continues its predecessor’s positioning as both a tablet and a universal remote control. However, the Xperia Tablet S is slimmer than its predecessor.