The Sony Xperia Z Android phone.
Sony will release its flagship Xperia Z Android phone in Australia on Wednesday 20 February, it was revealed today.
The company sent an invitation to Australian technology media today for an event in Sydney to launch the 4G-capable device, which will also "showcase Sony's suite of one-touch devices enabled by NFC technology".
"Sony Mobile invites you to an intimate lunch to launch the new Xperia Z smartphone," reads the invitation.
First announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last month, the Xperia Z is Sony's new flagship Android phone for 2013. Unlike most previous Sony smartphones, there appears to be a genuine buzz about this device. The phone features a 5in full HD 1080p display, a 13-megapixel camera and is both water and dust-resistant.
Sony promises the Xperia Z can be submerged in water for up to 30 minutes without any issues. The phone is rated at IP55 and IP57 standards for dust and water resistance.
Sony will launch the Xperia Z with Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) but the company has promised it will be upgraded to the latest 4.2 version "shortly after launch".
Other features include a 2330mAh battery with a software feature called "Battery Stamina mode", which prevents applications from running when the screen is locked, a 13-megapixel camera that can record HDR (High Dynamic Range) video and a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor.
The Sony Xperia Z will launch in Australia in March 2013 on Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Telstra has already published a "register your interest" Web page for the Xperia Z, but no pricing has been announced.
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