Sony Xperia Z3 goes official at the IFA 2014, features and specs detailed

The eagerly awaited Sony’s next flagship smartphone, the Sony Xperia Z3 has been unveiled by the company at its IFA 2014 press event. In line with its official strategy, the Japanese tech major has introduced its next flagship the Xperia Z3 just six months after its predecessor, the Xperia Z2.

Apart from the Xperia Z3, Sony also officially released the Xperia Z3 Compact, Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, the Xperia E3, Sony SmartWatch 3 and the SmartBand Talk as expected.

Here’s all you need to know about the new Sony Xperia Z3:

Design:

As we know, Sony has adopted the OmniBalance design theme for its Xperia Z series since the introduction of Xperia Z smartphone. Sony believes that a smartphone must be “easy to use no matter how you hold it, and beautiful from any angle.” The Xperia Z3 also confirms to this design but has a slightly rounded frame. It has durable tempered glass front and rear panels, and high quality aluminium frame with nylon corners for additional protection.

The Sony Xperia Z3 looks slimmer and more stylish. It has a smaller frame of 146 x 72mm (against 146.8 x 73.3 of Xperia Z2) and is thinner at 7.3mm (versus 8.2mm of Xperia Z2 ) and it weighs 152g, a good 11g less than the Xperia Z2 that weighs 163g. Its bezels are also thinner.

The handset has a dust and waterproof design with IP65/68 rating. The device is available in four color options – two new colors silver green and copper apart from the standard Black and White.

Hardware and Specs:

Specs of the Sony Xperia Z3 are more or less same as those of Xperia Z2 with Sony sticking to Full HD resolution screen and Snapdragon 801 but higher clocked. There are several upgrades though. However, the battery is 3100mAh, a slightly lower capacity as compared to the 3200mAh battery of the Xperia Z2, perhaps to fit inside the smaller frame. Although according to Sony, the battery life has been extended and will last for 2 days under normal use and more with stamina mode.  The Xperia Z3 will also have a 32GB version apart from the normal 16GB one.

Let’s have a look at the specs:

• 5.2-inch, 1080 x 1920 pixels, 424 ppi pixel density, IPS LCD Triluminos display, Live Color and X-Reality Engines, shatter- proof glass, multitouch up to 10 fingers.


• 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm MSM 8974-AC Snapdragon 801 and Adreno 330 GPU


• 3GB RAM, 16GB/32GB internal storage, microSD card slot supporting up to 128GB


• OS Android 4.4.4 KitKat


• 20.7MP auto focus main camera with Exmor RS sensor, 25mm wide angle G Lens and LED flash, 4K video capture with SteadyShot image stabilization


• 2.2MP front camera, supports 1080p video recording


• 4G LTE support


• IP65/68 certified for water and dust resistance


• 3100 mAh non-removable battery with STAMINA mode


• GPS/GLONASS, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB ports

Sony Xperia Z3 will be available in dual-SIM version in some regions. The phone will support Cat 4 LTE speeds of up to 150 Mbps. The handset is capable of communicating with Sony PlayStation 4 console through its PS4 Remote Play. You can use the Xperia Z3 as a remote screen for the PS4 games or play the games on the phone’s screen. The handset also has Sony’s Walkman software for high-resolution audio. It has DSEE HX audio upscaling for low quality audio. It also features front speakers with S Force Front Surround giving out loud and clear music.

Release date and pricing:

Sony has said that the Xperia Z3 will be launched globally sometime in autumn this year, so it might be released in September-end or October 2014. The company has not yet declared its pricing.

Sony Xperia Z3 goes official at the IFA 2014, features and specs detailed