Sony showcased at CES 2013 the Xperia Z and the Xperia ZL that should impress every spec-loving geek with one variant touted as the most dirt and water resistant smartphone ever. Both phones feature 5-inch 1920 x 1080 (1080p) screens built on the Mobile Bravia Engine 2, 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processors and 2GB or RAM, 16GB of built-in storage plus micro SD card slots for additional storage, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system, 13MP cameras that use Sony's new Exmor RS image sensor, NFC, and 4G LTE. With ports that have flaps to keep them watertight and a durable glass display, the Xperia Z is waterproof to three feet for up to 30 minutes and is dust resistant. The Xperia ZL is the slightly thicker version and is not waterproof although it has a bigger battery, a physical camera button, and an IR blaster that allows the phone to be used as universal remote control. The new phones are launching globally in the first quarter of the year.
What Else You Need To Know
- The Xperia Z and ZL also feature one-touch mirroring for sharing content to other Sony devices, and a "battery stamina mode", which claims to increase standby time by at least four hours.
Other sources
Has Sony finally crafted a flagship able to go toe-to-toe with the competition? Well, the Xperia Z exudes class -- and it's light.- Mat Smith, Engadget
Overall, both devices are pretty solid, but our one complaint would be that they seem a little thick. We’re not talking Lumia 920 thick, but we’d have liked a skinner profile on both the Z and the ZL.- Blake Stima, Into Mobile
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