First Look: Sony Xperia Z1, 5-Inch Full HD Waterproof Smartphone With Enhanced Camera Experience

If you have been following us long enough, you might have noticed that regional-level product launches don’t usually take place in Malaysia. Yesterday was different though as Sony Mobile decided to host the Southeast Asian launch event for their new Sony Xperia Z1 right here in Kuala Lumpur, just hours after the device was officially unveiled at IFA 2013 in Berlin.

Previously codenamed as Honami, Sony claims that they have included the very best of their camera expertise into the new smartphone. Hence, one of the main highlight for the Xperia Z1 is its rear camera which utilizes a custom made 1/2.3-inch 20.7-megapixels Exmor RS sensor as well as a F2.0 27mm wide angle Sony G lens and BIONZ For Mobile image processing engine.

According to the company, the combination of all the tech that we mentioned above have resulted in level of performance and quality that are equal to conventional compact digital camera. In addition to that, Sony have also introduced the Xperia Camera Applications into the Xperia Z1 which includes apps such as Social Live, Info-eye, Timeshift-burst and AR Effect to further enhanced the photography experience on the device. Not to forget, the device also comes together with a 2-megapixels full HD front-facing camera.

There are still plenty of the new Sony Xperia Z1 for you to see after the jump, so click on the Read More link below to continue.

Weighing at 170 grams, the 8.5mm thin Xperia Z1’s exterior stays true to the OmniBalance design which is one of the signature traits of the whole Xperia Z family of devices. The design gives Xperia Z1 the premium look that it deserves but at the same time, it also made the device looked rather identical to other previously released devices in the Xperia Z series.

Underneath its tempered glass and aluminium chassis, the Xperia Z1 is equipped with a feisty Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 chipset which features 2.2GHz quad-core CPU and Adreno 330 GPU. The Android 4.2 smartphone is further strengthen by 2GB of RAM alongside 16GB of internal storage and the support for microSD card with storage of up to 64GB.

The device is also powered by a 3000mAh battery that offers up to 19 hours of 3G talk time. As expected from an Xperia Z series device, Sony has also made the Xperia Z1 dust resistance and is able to withstand being submerged under 1.50 meter of freshwater for up to 30 minutes – in compliance to the IP55 and IP58 ratings.

Another much touted feature of the new Sony Xperia Z1 would be its 5-inch 1920×1080 Triluminos display. With a pixel density of 441ppi, Sony stated that the Triluminos display offers wider range of colours which allows it to have richer and more vivid output. The display also works in hand with X-Reality image processing engine to further enhance its output on Xperia Z1.

Last but not least, the Sony Xperia Z1 also supports LTE networks (including Malaysia’s Band 7) and is built with NFC capability that allows quick connectivity with other NFC devices. While Sony have yet to reveal the Xperia Z1’s pricing for Malaysia, consumers can expect to see it in our market in the first week of October 2013 in black, white and purple.

To learn more about the new Xperia Z1, head on to www.sonymobile.com but do check out the rest of our hands-on photos with the smartphone taken at its Southeast Asian launch event yesterday.