Sony has just announced two new Xperia smartphones at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The new Sony Xperia Z1S will be a variant of last years Xperia Z1, but it will be exclusive to T-Mobile here in the US. The second device announced from the Japanese giant is the Xperia Z1 Compact. This is considered a “mini” version of their flagship Xperia Z1.
Sony continues to unleash stellar flagship devices once again with the new Xperia Z1S. This new model is the follow up to last year’s Sony Xperia Z. Like the Xperia Z, the new Z1S will be exclusive to T-Mobile here in the United States, and will feature full IP58 waterproofing this time around compared to last year’s IP57 Xperia Z. This translates to the device can be submerged in water for up to 30 minutes at depths of no more than five feet.
(image courtesy of Sony)
The new Sony Xperia Z1S will feature Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and sport Sony’s custom skin on top of it. The skin from SOny is one of the nicest on the market, and is not overly obtrusive like TouchWiz from Samsung. Under the hood Sony has packed the device with a 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 chip, along with 2GB of RAM. Sony has packed the Z1S with a 5-inch full-HD Triluminos display powered by Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2. In terms of imaging the Z1S sports one of the best cameras on the market with a 20.7-megapixel Exmor RS sensor, and BIONZ image processor engine and pulsed LED flash.
The Sony Xperia Z1S will be available exclusively from T-Mobile on January 22nd, with pre-orders starting on January 13th. The device can be purchased all up front for $528, or $22 per month for 24 months with $0 down. The launch timing also works perfectly for JUMP customers who picked up the Xperia Z exactly 6 months ago.
Sony’s second device unveiled at CES 2014 follows the path of Samsung, Apple and HTC, by unveiling a “mini” version of their flagship device. However, Sony has out done their competitors by giving the device the same powerful processor and imaging capabilities found on the Xperia Z1/Z1S. The 20MP camera and Snapdragon 800 processor are all on board on the new Z1 Compact.
The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact features a 4.3-inch Triluminos HD (720×1280) display with X-Reality for Mobiles. It comes with 16GB of inbuilt storage which is further expandable up to 64GB with the help of microSD card. The Xperia Z1 Compact sports a 2300mAh battery with STAMINA mode and is waterproof and dust-proof smartphone.
(image courtesy of Sony)
Like Apple’s iPhone 5C, the new Xperia Z1 Compact comes in a variety of bright flashy colors. The Xperia Z1 Compact will come in color options of white, black, lime, and pink. No official price or release date has been announced yet from Sony, but an international release is planned for next month. I assume the handset will cost much less than the flagship Z1/Z1S due to the smaller and cheaper 720P screen that Sony is using. Sony has not announced any US arrival date or carrier deals, but did say the device will be a global device.
Source: Sony
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