Product Sony Xperia Z1
Website Sony Mobile
Specifications 5in 1080x1920 441ppi multi-touch Reality display, quad-core 2.2GHz Qualcomm MSM8974 processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage with microSD expansion up to 64GB, 20.7MP rear camera, 2.2MP front camera, GSM/3G/4G, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, DLNA, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean mobile operating system, IP57 certified water and dust resistant, 144x74x8.5mm, 169g
Price TBC, around £580 SIM-free
LAUNCHED AT IFA 2013 in Berlin just last week, the Sony Xperia Z1 is arguably the firm's most impressively specified smartphone to date, featuring a 5in full HD 1080p touchscreen, a quad-core 2.2GHz processor and Google's Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean mobile operating system.
Like its predecessor the Xperia Z - which was launched not too long ago at CES in January - Sony's latest smartphone is also water resistant, meaning it can be dunked in up to 1.5 metres of water for up to 30 minutes.
The Xperia Z1's standout feature is perhaps its 20.7MP rear-facing camera, although unlike the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and despite rumours saying otherwise, it is not capable of shooting Ultra HD 4K video. However, Sony has got one up on its rivals with the unveiling of two snap-on lenses, the QX10 and the QX100, transforming the handset - and other smartphones - into a full-on camera device.
Design
The Xperia Z1 looks similar to its predecessor, the Xperia Z, echoing the design of Sony's high-end TV sets. Like the Xperia Z, we'd have to say that the Xperia Z1 one of the most stylish looking smartphones on the market today. Its glossy glass-coated casing, although prone to picking up fingerprint smudges and especially scratches, looks and feels to be of premium quality, thanks to its casing that's constructed from a single piece of aluminium with a gunmetal finish. The resulting design looks smooth, elegant and robust.
Working our way around the Xperia Z1 clockwise from the top right corner, there's a microSIM slot, a power button, a camera shutter button, a speaker, a MicroSD card slot, a microUSB charge port and a headphone jack.
Although it will be available in black, white and purple when it launches, our Xperia Z1 review model, although it was standard black, still revealed a unique design, especially when compared to the iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S4, which probably would fail to turn heads in the street - unlike the Xperia Z1. Have a look at our hands-on video to see the Xperia Z1 close up.
Although it looks good, the Sony Xperia Z1 isn't particularly comfortable to hold. Boasting measurements of 144x74x8.5mm, it's not a huge device, but we found that its angular casing made it hard to grip and also made it hard to reach certain icons on the screen when selecting options from the bottom to the top. This is due to the Xperia Z1's width, which means that your thumb has to extend further to select on-screen prompts at the top or bottom of the display.
The Xperia Z1 is also IP57 certified. Unlike many of its rivals in the market, the Xperia Z1 is resistant against dust and water. Sony claims that this certification also means that the Xperia Z1 is scratch-proof. However, we can't say that this is the case. From just being in our pockets for a short while, taking it in and out, the device had acquired a few surface scratches. For those who buy the Xperia Z1, we'd suggest applying the protective screen covers, which are included, as soon as possible.
Next: Build, display and performance.
No comments:
Post a Comment