CES 2013: Sony Xperia Z

Straight off CES 2013, Sony have today announced the Xperia Z which we previously reported under its former codename the Xperia Yuga. The device is being dubbed by Sony as the most water resistant (IPX5/7) and dustproof (IP5X) phone on the market, making it a contender not only in the personal smartphone market space, but also industrially where conditions may vary, requiring durable smartphones that are less likely to break under hazardous conditions.


The Yuga will launch with Android 4.1 meaning its chances of receiving the next, yet to be formally announced android operating system (Key Lime Pie anyone?) are high with a typical cycle of two android updates per Xperia model.

Neither 16GB storage with expandable memory nor a 13mp camera are new to Sony's artillery of features, both featuring on the earlier Xperia T, however the Xperia Z impresses most with its combination of screen size touting an impressive 5 inches, 16m colour 1920x1080 reality display with Bravia Engine 2 and 1.5GHz Quad-core Qualcomm APQ8064 S4 Snapdragon processor with 2GB RAM all gearing towards a solid entertainment based 'phablet'.

Other features carried over to the Xperia Z include Playstation Certification with PSM, support for MHL (HDMI connectivity), Exmor RS, Walkman and many more, all of which can be found on Sony's specs page here.

Sony also announced two new audio accessories today, the Stereo Bluetooth Headset SBH20 and the Wireless Headset DR-BTN200M, each of which activate with the Xperia Z just by touching the phone to the accessories using NFC.

In terms of interface, returning Xperia users will be greeted with an almost brand new, and certainly fresh android overlay, focussing much more on retaining the qualities of Vanilla android whilst still making for an improved experience in areas such as launcher customisation (which contains 7... count them, yes 7 screens!) and app draw navigation as well as Sony's latest camera software, feature-full and sure to impress even the most camera savvy users out there.

In terms of a UK release schedule, Clove have pinned the Xperia Z for a March release at £528 (inc. VAT), with a more specific 1st March release coming from Phones4u. O2 appear to be most ahead of the game however, with a February release according to their Xperia Z product page, narrowed down to mid-february by the Carphone Warehouse. Vodafone have also stated they will be stocking the Xperia Z, but have yet to announce when and for how much.

EDIT: I'm not sure where 7 screens came from, I was certain I'd seen a video earlier in the day demonstrating 7 screens but since then cannot find anything else to suggest this, with all signs pointing towards the standard 5 screens. UPDATE: It looks as though the Xperia Z may support 7 screens after all, according to various photographs across the internet of the Xperia Z with anywhere between 3 and 7 home screens, and reports from users of the launcher of being able to specify how many launcher screens are present.

Sources: Sony (Xperia Z) Sony (Xperia T) Clove Pocket-Lint Engadget