Sony hopes for smartphone success in 2013 as it launches the Xperia Z at CES 2013, a premium-looking device with non-shatter tempered glass construction.
While sleek (just 7.9mm thick) and non-rubberised, the Xperia Z has an unlikely claim to fame-- it meets military specifications IP55 and IP57, meaning it is dust resistant and survives under 1m of water for up to 30 minutes.
A 5-inch TFT Reality display handles 1920 x 1080 resolution (at 443 dpi) while a quad-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, Adreno 320 graphics and 2GB RAM power the device. An improved Bravia Mobile Engine 2 augments colours and contrast on videos and images.
The device is also the first to carry Sony's own Exmor RS sensor, allowing it to capture HDR video via 13MP rear-facing camera.
The OS of choice is Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) although a 4.2 upgrade is in the works.
Completing the package is NFC connectivity, allowing users to connect the device with NFC-enabled Sony speakers, headsets and TVs.
Also announced for "select markets" is a smaller (but identical internally) variant of the Xperia Z-- the Xperia ZL. Sony gives no mention which markets these are, but Europe does show preference for smaller devices than beyond the pond...
Both Xperia Z and ZL will be available from Q1 2013.
