Sony has announced Xperia Z Ultra Smartphone – a waterproof Android smartphone with a 6.4in screen (16.3cm) that can also take underwater pictures and video.
The firm is pitching the Xperia Z Ultra as being the slimmest large-screened handset on the market.
The firm says it intends for the device to challenge Samsung’s dominance of the jumbo-sized handset sector.
According to a study by consultants Transparency Market Research, Samsung accounted for 70% of the overall “superphone and phablet” market in 2012 thanks to the popularity of models including the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2.
Earlier this year, it added the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Mega – a 6.3in-screened handset – to its line-up. Sony already offers a 5in handset of its own, the original Xperia Z, which it unveiled in January.
The Xperia Z Ultra follow-up was unveiled at the Mobile Asia Expo in Shanghai. The new device will go on sale in China, Indonesia and Singapore in July and August, and then in Europe from September.
Waterproof Xperia Z Ultra Smartphone
Sony claimed the handset, which has a 6.4-inch screen, has the biggest display and is the thinnest large-screen smartphone on the market.
The Xperia Z Ultra is 6.5mm (0.26in) thick – only slightly deeper than the thinnest device on the market, Huawei’s Ascend P6.
“In the large-screen segment at the moment most consumers are looking at the Galaxy Note. Now we can offer something that is really distinct: a stronger screen, greater portability, waterproofing and something different around the stylus and the pen.”
Sony is not alone in seeking to erode Samsung’s lead. Over recent months Huawei has announced the the 6.1in Ascend Mate; ZTE the 5.7in Grand Memo; Acer the 5.7in Liquid S1; Asus the 6in FonePad Note; and Lenovo the 5.5in Ideaphone K900.
Mr MacDougall said Sony intended to compete against these by promoting the Xperia Z Ultra’s “premium” features rather than trying to match or undercut the Chinese and Taiwanese firms’ prices.
Waterproof Xperia Z Ultra Smartphone Features
Other features of Xperia Z Ultra are listed below:
- 6.4” Full HD TRILUMINOS™ Display for mobile powered by X-Reality™ for mobile engine for the ultimate big screen entertainment experience
- Ultra slim, waterproof and dust-resistant (IP55/IP58) durable design
- Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 800 processor with 2.2 GHz quad-core CPUs and 4G LTE for fast performance
- Write and sketch with any pencil and selected stylus or pen (capacitive stylus or metal pen with tip diameter over 1mm)
- Full accessory ecosystem for premium entertainment and one-touch connectivity
- Battery STAMINA Mode for outstanding battery life – offering up to 11 hours talk time or 120 hours of audio playback
- 16 gigabytes of internal storage with support for 64GB microSD cards
- An 8 megapixel rear camera
