Sony has announced at CES 2014 that an upgraded version of the Xperia Z1 smartphone called Xperia Z1S will be available in the U.S. from January 13th. This is good news, because Xperia Z1 has made a huge splash in various countries around the world.
The announcement came during the CES 2014 conference held in Las Vegas, and has been well received by tech junkies keeping a close eye on the event. Fans of Sony will remember that it was during previous CES events that models like the Xperia Z were shown off. Though predecessors didn’t gather nearly as much buzz as the Z1S already has.
Tech Specs
At its core, the Z1S is very similar to other models on the market from other brands, in the higher end category of phones. It runs on a Snapdragon 800 quadcore processing chip, carries 2GB of RAM, and a 3,000mAh battery. It has 32 GB of storage, with a microSD port for expanding that an additional 64 GB.
The screen is 5″, so they aren’t trying to make a play for the “phablet” trend we saw a lot of during the summer and fall. Probably a good move on their part, as that fad seems to be dying out quickly. It is a basic high definition display of 1080p.
Like the Xperia Z, it is waterproof, and even comes with an open waterproof headphone jack. That feature alone has always made this series highly desirable to the clumsy, careless types (i.e. me), who are likely to drop the phone into a swimming pool or bathtub.
But what sets this phone apart is a feature that the previous model also had: the 20.7 megapixel camera. They have made some upgrades, with the new Sony G Lens, and the sensor inside is larger than other mobile phone cameras. Basically, it has the same power and abilities as the standard digital point-and-shoots that you would buy. Only most of those waver between 13 – 16MP, so in many ways this is better.
If you are worried about price, you have reason to be. It will cost about $600 when it launches on January 13th. But T-Mobile, the phone’s primary carrier, will offer a financing plan that will cut that down to small monthly payment. Which might be the better option for people who are leery about discounts based on two year contracts.
I am excited to see where this phone goes. It is nice to see Sony sticking with their standard practice of backing up their products with good hardware and features, rather than running on a gimmick like so many other brands.
Source: Sony Mobile
