Xperia Z1: Waterproof and high-powered, with a lot of megapixels to boot

Sony's newest phone, the Xperia Z1, will launch later this month. 

|
Reuters
Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai presents a new Sony Xperia Z1 smartphone at IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin, Sept. 4, 2013.

If you're a sailor or a surfer – or simply a coffee drinker with shaky hands – it may be worth checking out the sleek new Sony Xperia Z1, which was unveiled by Sony reps today at IFA Berlin

Like its predecessor, the Xperia Z, the Xperia Z1 is waterproof, this time with a hefty IP58 rating – meaning, according to the IP rating chart, that the device "is suitable for continuous immersion in water." (The 8 refers to the waterproofing; the first digit, the 5, refers to its dust-resistant abilities. A 5 score means that "ingress of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with the satisfactory operation of the equipment.") 

Sony is clearly aiming at the high end of the market here: The Xperia Z1 gets the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS, a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a big battery, 4G LTE connectivity, and a 5-inch HD display. But Sony is focusing most of its marketing might on the 20-plus megapixel camera and its wide angle 27mm f/2.0 G lens. It's almost National Geographic-worthy, that shooter. 

But how does this waterproof little wonder feel? Well, CNET's Andrew Hoyle got his hands on one of the Z1 handsets, and he says it very much resembles the original Xperia Z. 

"There are differences, though," he writes. "Chief among them is the aluminum band that now wraps around the edge. It's milled from a single piece of metal that Sony reckons makes it stronger. It certainly makes it more comfortable to hold. The previous model had a bit of a sharp edge to it, but the rounded metal on the Z1 feels much nicer, not to mention more luxurious." 

Look for the device to launch this month

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
Real news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.
What is the Monitor difference? Tackling the tough headlines – with humanity. Listening to sources – with respect. Seeing the story that others are missing by reporting what so often gets overlooked: the values that connect us. That’s Monitor reporting – news that changes how you see the world.

Dear Reader,

About a year ago, I happened upon this statement about the Monitor in the Harvard Business Review – under the charming heading of “do things that don’t interest you”:

“Many things that end up” being meaningful, writes social scientist Joseph Grenny, “have come from conference workshops, articles, or online videos that began as a chore and ended with an insight. My work in Kenya, for example, was heavily influenced by a Christian Science Monitor article I had forced myself to read 10 years earlier. Sometimes, we call things ‘boring’ simply because they lie outside the box we are currently in.”

If you were to come up with a punchline to a joke about the Monitor, that would probably be it. We’re seen as being global, fair, insightful, and perhaps a bit too earnest. We’re the bran muffin of journalism.

But you know what? We change lives. And I’m going to argue that we change lives precisely because we force open that too-small box that most human beings think they live in.

The Monitor is a peculiar little publication that’s hard for the world to figure out. We’re run by a church, but we’re not only for church members and we’re not about converting people. We’re known as being fair even as the world becomes as polarized as at any time since the newspaper’s founding in 1908.

We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”

If you’re looking for bran muffin journalism, you can subscribe to the Monitor for $15. You’ll get the Monitor Weekly magazine, the Monitor Daily email, and unlimited access to CSMonitor.com.

QR Code to Xperia Z1: Waterproof and high-powered, with a lot of megapixels to boot
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/Technology/2013/0904/Xperia-Z1-Waterproof-and-high-powered-with-a-lot-of-megapixels-to-boot
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe