Sony India Launches 20.7-Megapixel Camera Smartphone Xperia Z1 and SmartWatch 2

The Indian arm of consumer electronics giant Sony launched the much-awaited camera centric smartphone Xperia Z1 and the water-resistant second generation SmartWatch 2 in the country, today.

The 20.7-megapixel camera phone Xperia Z1 is priced ₹44,990, whereas the water-resistant SmartWatch 2 holds a price-tag of ₹14,990, which is considerably cheaper than Samsung's Galaxy Gear (₹22,900) that was launched on 17 September. Sony reportedly said that the smartphone would made available at retail stores across major cities in India from today itself and that the SmartWatch 2 will hit stores in October. Along with the smartphone and smartwatch, Sony also launched lens accessories QX and QX110 for ₹12,990 and ₹24,990, respectively.

Online retailer, Flipkart has begun taking pre-orders for Sony Xperia Z1 for ₹43,499, whereas other e-commerce websites Saholic and Home Shop 18 have just list the new smartphone as 'Coming Soon'.

Sony Xperia Z1:

Sony Xperia Z1 flaunts a 5.0-inch full HD (1920x1080p) TFT TRILUMINOS display with 'X-Reality for Mobiles' picture engine and boasts of a stunning pixel density of 441 ppi (pixels per inch).

In terms of hardware, it packs a 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 series quad-core processor paired with Adreno 330 graphics engine. It runs on the Android v4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS with 2GB RAM, that provides smooth performance while multi-tasking and playing processor intensive 3D and motion-based games. It ships with 16GB inbuilt memory which can be expanded up to 64GB via the microSD card slot.

The star attraction of Xperia Z1 is its camera specifications. The smartphone's superior 20.7-megapixel camera features the company's exclusive patented camera technology - G-Lens, BIONZ image processor and ½.3-type CMOS Exmor RS image sensor.

The Japanese company has loaded multiple camera tools to enhance the user's photography experience. Among its features are:

• Time-shift burst mode: It enables the user to snap a staggering 61 pictures in two seconds. Users can then scroll back through the photos and pick a perfect picture to save.
• Social Live: Once the user activates this mode, he/she can broadcast live video on social platforms like Facebook.
• Info-Eye: This Intuitive visual search feature will come in handy to globe trekkers. If the user snaps an image of an object or a landmark, the phone automatically gives related information.
• AR Effect: This application enables the user to edit as well as add custom-made animation to a photo to make it funny via the 'SmartARTM' augmented reality technology.

Like all its high-end Xperia siblings, Xperia Z1 too boasts of water-resistant and dust-proof IP55/IP58 certifications. People can also snap pictures under five-feet of water for close to 30 minutes.

Sony SmartWatch 2:

This Sony gadget is touted as world's first android-compatible smartwatch with One-touch NFC feature. It sport a 1.6-inch transflective LCD display with 220x176p resolution and boasts of an amazing battery life. It can last for seven days under low-usage and run three to four days if used normally.

One striking feature of Sony's new smartwatch is that it is compatible with all Android smartphones running on v4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or later versions, a big advantage over the exorbitantly priced Samsung Galaxy Gear which is only compatible with a few high-end Galaxy devices.

The new smartwatch hooks to the smartphone via NFC and allows users to check call logs, SMS/MMS or email, access Facebook and Twitter feeds. It also ships with Weather, Calendar, reminder notifications apps. Another notable feature is that the SmartWatch 2 comes with IP57 water-resistant certifications.

Key specifications of Sony Xperia Z1:

Key specifications of Sony SmartWatch 2: