Sony's CES press conference packed the Las Vegas Convention Center, with journalists from all over crowding around Sony's booth to try and catch a glimpse of the company's latest products.
After being nearly trampled to death by the mobs of people and having tripped twice over the same camera tripod, I finally found a seat where I could watch the action unfold. While the main focus of presentation was Sony's new line of 4K televisions, the company also introduced a new flagship phone that has some notable features, like a super-high-resolution display, an impressive camera, and water resistance.
Sony's latest smartphone offering, the Xperia Z, seems like an extremely good looking handset, if my brief hands-on time with it is any indication. This Android-powered smartphone boasts a 5-inch, 1920 by 1080 display that is sharper than the one found on the HTC Droid DNA, and it uses a new version of Sony's Mobile Bravia engine that is supposed to boost contrast and make colors pop.
The Xperia Z also features a 13-megapixel camera. I snapped a few quick shots with the Xperia Z after the press conference wrapped up, and I was really impressed by the quality of the images it captured. Photos taken in the dark convention center had very little noise to them and looked as if they were shot using a high-end point and shoot camera. This is partially due to the phone's mobile Exmor RS sensor, which Sony says lets you take better looking photos in poorly lit environments.
Another notable feature? The Xperia Z is water-resistant to a degree, and it can survive being submerged in a meter of water for up to 30 minutes. So if you're one of those people that likes to Facebook while you shower...well, there you go. Joking aside, this sounds like a godsend for anyone who's ever dropped their phone in a puddle--or worse.
The phone has the latest quad-core Qualcomm processor and comes with 2GB of RAM. The Xperia Z ships running Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), and it'll come in white, black, and purple (the purple one being the best, of course).
There's no word on availability or pricing at this time, but Sony says it's aiming to launch the phone the first quarter of this year.
For more blogs, stories, photos, and video from the nation's largest consumer electronics show, check out our complete coverage of CES 2013.
