Press Release: Sony introduces Xperia™ Z1 – a stunning waterproof smartphone with a groundbreaking camera experience

Sony introduces Xperia™ Z1 – a stunning waterproof smartphone with a groundbreaking camera experience

• Combines the very best of Sony’s technology in a slim, waterproof and beautifully designed Android smartphone
• True compact camera performance through combination of Sony’s award-winning “G Lens”, large 1/2.3-type 20.7MP “Exmor RS for mobile” CMOS image sensor and “BIONZ for mobile” image processing engine   
• Innovative suite of Xperia Camera Applications that deliver unique experiences including live social broadcasting
• Immersive viewing experience via Sony’s TRILUMINOS^® Display for mobile and X-Reality^TM for mobile
• Discovery of online and offline content through the integration of Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited with Sony’s media applications
• Premium and exclusive out of the box entertainment offer from Sony Entertainment Network
• Unrivalled ecosystem of accessories and companion products

 

 

4^th September 2013, IFA, Berlin – Sony Mobile Communications (“Sony Mobile”) today introduces Xperia Z1, a premium waterproof smartphone that combines the very best of Sony’s technology, entertainment and wide range of companion products with a unique and groundbreaking camera experience. Xperia Z1 will launch globally from September 2013.

“Xperia Z1 represents a significant milestone for Sony in our continued efforts to deliver unforgettable experiences to our consumers,” said Kunimasa Suzuki, President and CEO, Sony Mobile Communications. “Not only by bringing the power of Sony to the smartphone and through close collaboration with our partners but by setting a new standard in premium smartphones.”

The world's leading camera in a smartphone

The elegant, 5” Xperia Z1 is the latest addition to Sony’s premium Z series of products and brings Sony’s proven world-class technologies to the smartphone like never before - including the very best of Sony’s camera expertise. Xperia Z1 features Sony’s award-winning “G Lens” with a 27mm wide angle and bright F2.0 aperture, custom made large 1/2.3-type CMOS image sensor Exmor RS for mobile with 20.7MP and a BIONZ for mobile image processing engine. The combination of these technologies delivers the same level of quality and performance as a conventional compact digital camera in a slim, waterproof smartphone. Indeed, independent testing has confirmed that Xperia Z1 provides the best overall image quality of all leading smartphones¹. This means that Xperia Z1 captures beautiful, sharp and bright images even in lowlight conditions. High shutter speeds and 3x clear image zoom also prevents shots from being blurred while enabling them to be captured at distance.  

Innovative suite of Xperia Camera Applications

Xperia Z1 takes the conventional camera experience to a whole new level by including an innovative set of Xperia Camera Applications that deliver new experiences. Applications at launch include:

• Social live: Broadcast precious moments live from Xperia Z1 to Facebook and get your friends’ comments right on your screen.
• Info-eye™: Innovative visual search function that provides related information on landmarks and on items such as books or wine simply by capturing them with the camera.
• Timeshift burst: Capture the perfect shot every time - Xperia Z1 takes 61 images in 2 seconds - a second before and after pressing the shutter - so you can scroll back and forth to find the perfect image.
• AR effect: Overlay a selection of fun, customizable animations to create pictures using Sony’s SmartAR^TM augmented reality technology.

This experience is supported by a robust ecosystem of established and up-and-coming developer partnerships who are working to create Xperia Camera Applications. Many more apps will be available through the Sony Select recommendation store after launch.

Beautiful design with high power and performance

Xperia Z1 also includes all of the features consumers have come to expect of a Sony smartphone. Its stunning looks combine Sony’s acclaimed OmniBalance design with premium materials and precision engineering in a slim waterproof and dust resistant smartphone (IP55 & IP58). A solid one-piece aluminium frame with tempered glass on the front and back ensures beauty and durability as well as a consistent viewing experience from any angle.

Xperia Z1 features the fully integrated Qualcomm^® Snapdragon™ 800 processor with 2.2 GHz quad-core CPU and 4G LTE to provide a seamless connected entertainment experience, industry leading battery performance and amazing speed. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor features the latest GPU and dual ISP for incredible graphics, 3D games and videos. The Xperia Z1 also includes a 3000 mAh battery for a high battery performance. Sony’s Battery STAMINA Mode automatically turns off functions to save power when you don’t need them and restarts them when you do.

Incredible out of the box entertainment with Sony’s media applications and technologies

Xperia Z1 integrates PlayMemories Online², a cloud-based image and video service that is integrated into the Album application. A new ‘All Sync’ feature enables users to instantly auto-upload all of their photos without storage limitation³.  

Sony’s “WALKMAN” and Movies applications are also included and provide access to more than 22 million songs on the “WALKMAN” app through Music Unlimited and more than 150K movies and TV series on the Movies app through Video Unlimited² from Sony Entertainment Network.

Thanks to the inclusion of Sony’s BRAVIA TV technology, Xperia Z1 features Sony’s unique TRILUMINOS Display for mobile, creating a wider palette of rich natural colours for an immersive viewing experience. It also includes X-Reality for mobile - Sony’s intelligent super resolution technology which analyzes each image and optimizes the quality to deliver super sharp videos. Xperia Z1 also brings Sony’s audio expertise to play with Sony’s ClearAudio+ which automatically optimizes the audio experience without the need to adjust individual settings.

Xperia Z1 comes with an incredible entertainment offer that includes five great movies plus an exclusive movie access pass to the digital release of Sony Pictures’ summer blockbuster Elysium as well as a two month free trial of Sony’s Music Unlimited⁴ streaming service plus much more.

Xperia Z1 also features a new application called TrackID^TM TV⁵ that enhances your TV-viewing experience. It lets users search, share and explore information from broadcasted TV shows such as cast & crew, biographies, filmography or show related Tweets.

Unrivalled ecosystem of companion products and smart accessories

Xperia Z1 is supported by an ecosystem of innovative companion products and accessories. All are underpinned by Sony’s one-touch functions with NFC technology which will number approximately 100 compatible products by the end of the year including TVs, headphones, audio speakers, tablets, and more. Key products include:

Companion products to enhance the camera experience

• QX10/QX100: High-performance ‘lens-style’ cameras designed for mounting on smartphones and operated through the smartphone screen – a perfect partner for the Z1.

· Smart Imaging Stand IPT-DS10M: An intelligent accessory that helps Xperia Z1 detect smiles and capture special moments without the need to hold the handset

· Smartphone Tripod SPA-MK20M: A versatile tripod perfect for extra stability when taking pictures or capturing video

A host of other companion products and smart accessories that enrich your smartphone experience.

·   SmartWatch 2 – Use as a second screen for Xperia Z1. Read messages, handle calls, easily access notifications – all from your wrist. Trigger the Xperia Z1 camera shutter. Download other camera apps to enhance the Xperia Z1 experience. Sony is working closely with developers for even more optimised apps

·   SBH52 Smart Bluetooth Handset – Splash proof wireless audio accessory that enables you to listen and talk without taking out your smartphone.

·     MDR-10BT NFC headphones and SRS-BTS50 wireless speaker - New, high quality NFC enabled headphones and wireless speaker.

·         SmartTags NT3 – Create a unique experience for your tag and share with a friend via NFC.

·         Continually update the experience over time with the Bluetooth Music Receiver BM10 – stream music and audio from Xperia Z1 to your home Hi-Fi system

·         Miracast Wireless Display IM10 – Mirror your smartphone display on your HDTV or projector

Xperia1 key specifications

• Sony’s “G Lens”: A lens with F2.0 and wide angle 27mm as well as 3x clear image zoom.
• BIONZ for mobile: Image processing engine with the algorithm from Sony’s leading digital compact cameras. It ensures pictures have less noise, fast auto-focus as well as high stable images for video shooting, preventing shots from being blurred.
• 1/2.3-type Exmor RS for mobile CMOS image sensor with 20.7MP: high sensitivity sensor capturing huge amounts of detail for sharp, crisp images, even in low-light conditions.
• Dust and water-resistant (IP55 & IP58), with acclaimed OmniBalance design featuring durable tempered glass and solid one-piece aluminium frame
• Qualcomm Snapdragon™800 quad-core 2.2 Ghz processor, 3000 mAh battery, 4G LTE
• Xperia Camera Applications such as Social live which broadcast to Facebook. More applications will be available to download from Sony Select.
• Memory: RAM 2 GB, Flash memory up to 16 GB, Expansion slot microSD™ card, up to 64 GB.
• Available in black, white and purple colour variants

¹ Based on consumer research conducted by Strategy Analytics conducted on 23^rd August 2013

² Subject to market availability

³ If an image exceeds 1920 pixels along its longest plane (either width or height), it will automatically be resized to 1920 pixels.

⁴Sony Entertainment Network services are subject to availability by region. Please visit www.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com for more details.

Also the number of tracks available from this catalogue varies by country and may be fewer than stated.

⁵ TrackID™ TV is available in DE, UK, FR, JP and US

Press Release: Introducing Xperia™ Z –the best of Sony in a premium smartphone

Press Release

Introducing Xperia™ Z –the best of Sony in a premium smartphone

Full HD 5” Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 for super brightness and clarity

Sony’s media applications deliver rich user experiences and instant access to entertainment services

Easy and fast One-touch functions to wirelessly share music, photos and videos across devices

New stand-out Sony design with water and dust resistance

January 7th 2013, Las Vegas, USA – Sony Mobile Communications (“Sony Mobile”) today introduces its new flagship Android smartphone, Xperia Z. With a 5” Full HD 1080p Reality Display, Snapdragon™ S4 Pro quad-core processor, 13 megapixel fast-capture camera and 4G LTE, Xperia Z has all the specifications expected from a premium smartphone. On top of this, it brings the best of Sony’s unique technology, content, design and connectivity to deliver rich user experiences. Xperia Z will launch globally in Q1 2013.

“With Xperia Z, we are bringing over half a century of innovation in TV, imaging, music, film and gaming to create a superphone experience that truly stands out,” said Kuni Suzuki, President and CEO, at Sony Mobile Communications. “With great specifications, Sony’smedia applications, One-touch functions and outstanding battery life, Xperia Z is well positioned for leadership in the smartphone market. By putting smartphones at the heart of our strategy, Sony is enabling people to create, enjoy and share content and experiences like never before.”
Intelligent Sony Technology

Xperia Z’s razor sharp Reality Display, powered by Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2, brings Sony’s long-standing TV expertise to the smartphone and delivers an immersive viewing experience with super brightness and clarity. The smartphone shares capabilities with Sony digital cameras and features Exmor RS for mobile, the world's first image sensor with HDR (High Dynamic Range) video for smartphones. HDR technology gives clear images agains strong backlight, so users can capture razor sharp pictures and videos whatever the conditions.

Xperia Z also includes Battery STAMINA Mode that can improve the standby time by four times or more* by automatically shutting down battery-draining apps whenever the screen is off and starting them up again when the screen is back on.

Discover, enjoy and share entertainment with Sony’s media applications and One-touch functions
Sony media applications offer a consistent entertainment experience across a range of Sony devices. Pre-loaded on Xperia Z, the “WALKMAN”, Album and Movies apps, enable discovery of on-line and off-line content through a single access point with new ways to enjoy and share that content. The “WALKMAN” application provides access to all your downloaded music, a library of 18 million songs to explore from Music Unlimited and Facebook social integration. The Movies application gives consumers access to over 100,000 movies and TV series from Video Unlimited while the Album application enables easy access to Facebook friends’ photos as well as browsing photos by location.**

One-touch functions enable consumers to easily share music, photos and videos from their smartphone to an array of NFC-enabled Sony devices, including speakers, headphones and now TVs. With the new BRAVIA TV, also announced today, simply touch Xperia Z to the remote control of the TV to instantly enjoy your photos and videos on the big screen.

Two additions to Sony’s range of NFC-enabled headsets were also introduced today, theStereo Bluetooth™ Headset SBH20 and the Wireless Headset DR-BTN200M. Touch Xperia Z to either headset and begin listening to tracks instantly.

Stand-out design and durability
Precision engineered with premium materials, Xperia Z introduces a unique OmniBalance design with subtly rounded edges and smooth reflective surfaces on all sides. Despite its slim 7.9mm body, Xperia Z is highly durable with tempered glass and anti-shatter film on the front and back, as well as the highest levels of dust and water resistance*** (IP55 and IP57) found in a premium smartphone.
In selected markets, a design variant of Xperia Z – Xperia ZL – will also be released in Q1 2013. Xperia ZL delivers the same immersive entertainment experiences as Xperia Z but in a smaller form factor.

Xperia Z and Xperia ZL will launch on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) and will be upgraded to 4.2 shortly after launch for the latest Android user experience.
Key features for Xperia Z

5” 1080 x 1920p full HD Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 213MP Fast Capture camera with Exmor RS for mobile, HDR video, Superior Auto and Noise Reduction to effortlessly capture razor sharp pictures and videos in any conditionsDust and water resistant (IP55 & IP57) with a durable glass display1.5 GHz asynchronous quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor with 2GB RAMBattery STAMINA mode improves standby time by at least 4 times

Xperia Z specifications

*All services mentioned in this document may not be available in every market.
Colours
Black
Purple
White
Facts
Size: 139x71x7.9 mm
Weight: 146 grams
1.5 GHz Qualcomm APQ8064+MDM9215M Quad Core
Adreno 320
Google™ Android™ 4.1 (Jelly Bean)
Camera
13MP
16x digital zoom
Auto focus
Burst Mode
HDR for both picture and video
Face detection
Flash/Pulsed LED
Flash/Photo light
Front-facing camera 2.1MP (1080p video)
Geotagging
HD video recording (1080p)
Image stabiliser
Object tracking
Picture Effect
Quick Launch
Red-eye reduction
Scene recognition
Self-timer
Send to web
Smile shutter
Sony Exmor RS™ for mobile image sensor
Superior Auto
Sweep Panorama
Touch capture
Touch focus
White balance
Music
3D Surround Sound (VPT)
Album art
Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
ClearAudio+
Clear bass
Clear Phase™
Clear stereo
Dynamic normalizer
PlayNow™ service*
SensMe™
TrackID™ music recognition*
“WALKMAN” application
xLoud™ Experience
Internet
Bookmarks
Google Chrome™
Google Play™
Google™ search*
Google Voice™ Search*
Google Maps™ for Mobile with
Street view and Latitude™*
NeoReader™ barcode scanner
Pan & zoom
Web browser (WebKit™)
Communication

Call list
Facebook™ application*
Google Talk™ application*
Noise suppression
Polyphonic ringtones
Speakerphone
Twitter™ integration*
Messaging

Conversations
Email
Google Mail™*
Handwriting recognition
Instant messaging
Multimedia messaging (MMS)
Predictive text input
Sound recorder
Text messaging (SMS)
Voice input
Design

Auto rotation
Face Unlock
Gesture input
IP55 and IP57 (dust and water resistant)
On-screen QWERTY keyboard
Sensor on Lens Display
Screenshot capturing
Touch screen
Wallpaper
Wide color gamut
Entertainment




3D games
Media browser
Motion gaming
PlayStation™ Certified
Radio (FM radio with RDS)
Sony Entertainment Network*
TV launcher
Video streaming
YouTube™*
Organiser

Airplane mode
Alarm clock
Calculator
Calendar
Contacts
Document readers
eCompass™
Infinite button
Notes
Setup guide
Stopwatch
Tasks
Timer
Connectivity

3.5 mm audio jack (CTIA)
aGPS*
Bluetooth™ 4.0 wireless technology
DLNA Certified®
GLONASS*
HDMI via MHL support
Media Go™
Media Transfer Protocol support
Micro USB support
Native USB tethering
NFC
PC Companion
Throw
Screen mirroring
Synchronisation via Exchange
ActiveSync®
Synchronisation via Facebook™
Synchronisation via Google™
Synchronisation via SyncML™
USB charging
USB High speed 2.0 support
Xperia™ Link
Wi-Fi™
Wi-Fi™Hotspot functionality
Display

16,777,216 colour TFT HD Reality Display with Sony
Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2
1920x1080 pixels
5.0 inches
Shatter proof sheet on scratch-resistant glass
Memory
2 GB RAM
Up to 16 GB*
microSD™ card, memory card slot (supporting up to 32GB)
Networks
Regional variants covering:
LTE
UMTS HSPA+
GSM GPRS/EDGE

Battery life
Talk time GSM: Up to 11 hrs**
Standby time GSM: Up to 550 hrs**

Talk time UMTS: Up to 14 hrs**
Standby time UMTS: Up to 530 hrs**
Standby time LTE: Up to 510 hrs**

Music listening time: Up to 40 hrs
Video playback time: Up to 5.5 hrs

Battery: 2330 mAh minimum

**Values are according to GSM Association Battery Life Measurement Technique. Battery performance may vary depending on network conditions and configurations, and phone usage.
In the kit
Xperia™ Z, embedded battery, Sony MH-EX300AP headset, charger, micro USB cable for charging, synchronisation and file transfer, and user documentation

Press Release: Sony Mobile Communications Announces New Leadership

Sony Mobile Communications Announces New Leadership

Kunimasa Suzuki named new President and CEO and

Bert Nordberg to become Chairman of the Board

LONDON, UK - April 4, 2012 - Sony Mobile Communications today announced that Kunimasa Suzuki has been named President and CEO of Sony Mobile Communications, effective 16 May 2012, and Bert Nordberg, currently President and CEO, will step down from the leadership of the company.  Bert Nordberg will become Chairman of Sony Mobile Communications' board.

As announced by Sony Corporation on 27 March, Corporate Executive Officer and Executive Vice President, Kunimasa (Kuni) Suzuki, will assume responsibility to oversee planning and design of all Sony's consumer products and services, with the aim of strengthening horizontal integration and enhancing the user experience across Sony's entire product and network service lineup.  His responsibility includes overseeing the mobile business that Sony has identified as one of its core electronics business areas, including smartphones, tablets and PCs.

"Kuni has a vast experience in product planning and management in the information technology and mobile product business, as well as experience of cultivating business in emerging markets," said Kazuo Hirai, President and CEO of Sony Corporation.  "He is a strong leader and the right person to oversee Sony Mobile Communications as we establish a new business structure as 'One Sony'  intended to reinforce and accelerate our overall business management."  

 "Bert Nordberg has done an outstanding job in transforming Sony Ericsson, now Sony Mobile Communications, from a feature phone to a smartphone company," continued Kazuo Hirai. "I have enjoyed working with Bert and I would like to thank him for his vital contributions over the years, and I am glad that he will become the Board's chairman to support Kuni and the management team of Sony Mobile Communications during these critical phases of the company's integration with the wider Sony Group."

"During my years with Sony Ericsson and now Sony Mobile Communications, I've seen the mobile industry change at a rapid pace.  We've shifted the company from feature phones to a smartphone company, and established Xperia(TM) as the Sony smartphone with consumers and operators around the world,"  said Bert Nordberg, outgoing President and CEO of Sony Mobile Communications.  "Sony is a content, electronics and entertainment powerhouse and it has been a pleasure being part of the Sony team during both the joint venture and through the transition of becoming Sony Mobile Communications."

"Sony has identified digital imaging, game and mobile as the three core pillars of its electronics business, and smartphones are a cornerstone of this strategy," said Kunimasa Suzuki, Corporate Executive Officer, Executive Vice President of Sony Corporation. "I look forward to working more closely with our global operator customers and everyone at Sony Mobile Communications to drive the company's business and bring outstanding connected entertainment experiences to consumers around the world."

From 16 May 2012, Kunimasa Suzuki will assume the role of President and CEO of Sony Mobile Communications in addition to his role as Corporate Executive Officer, Executive Vice President of Sony Corporation.  Kunimasa Suzuki will be based in Lund, Sweden and Tokyo, Japan.  

Yoshihisa (Bob) Ishida will continue to serve as Deputy CEO and Kristian Tear will continue to serve as  Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Sony Mobile Communications.  

- ENDS -