Sony Xperia Z1 to launch on Rogers, Bell and TELUS in mid-October

Sony Canada has just annouced via CNW that their new flagship the Xperia Z1 will be made availble on Canada's "Big Three" carriers. This places the Xperia Z1 to go head to head with the cream of the crop of smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One, LG G2, Motorola Moto X, and Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

We aren't surprised to see the Xperia Z1 hit Rogers and Bell given that they both carried the Xperia ZL and Bell just released the Xperia Z but we are surprised to the Z1 hit TELUS as they aren't a traditional partner with Sony. This is probably part of Sony's plan for more widespread market availability to battle other OEM's flagships.

Here are a refresher of the specs of the Xperia Z1: a 5-inch 1080p Full HD Triluminos display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Processor clocked at 2.2GHz, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage expandable via microSD, a huge 3000mAh battery, IP55 and IP58 water and dust resistance, and of course the aforementioned 20.7 Megapixel f/2.0 1/2.3" Exmor R Camera.

Check out the full press release after the break.

Power and Smartness in a Premium Smartphone Sony Xperia® Z1 Smartphone Coming to Canada in October 2013

• Combines the very best of Sony's technology in a slim, waterproof and beautifully designed Android smartphone

TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2013 /CNW/ - Sony Mobile Communications ("Sony Mobile") today introduced that the Xperia Z1, a premium waterproof1 smartphone that combines the very best of Sony's technology with a unique and groundbreaking camera experience, will launch in Canada with multiple carriers including Bell, Rogers and TELUS inmid-October 2013.

"Xperia Z1 delivers Canadians a powerful and sophisticated waterproof masterpiece crafted from premium metal and glass as we bring unforgettable experiences to life for our customers," said Tim Hernquist, Vice President of Marketing for North America, Sony Mobile Communications. "By bringing the power of Sony to the smartphone we are setting a new standard for premium smartphones."

Capture compact digital camera quality pictures and video

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 a similar level of quality and performance as a conventional compact digital camera in a slim, waterproof smartphone.

Independent testing has confirmed that Xperia Z1 provides the best overall image quality of all leading Android smartphones². 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.

Enjoy more than just taking photos and videos with a smart, social camera

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 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^TMaugmented reality technology.

Imagery on a smartphone screen has never looked so real

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 outstanding, 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.

Beautiful design with high power and performance

Xperia Z1 also includes all of the features consumers have come to expect of a Sony smartphone. It combines 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 different angles.

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 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.

Out of the box entertainment with Sony's media applications and technologies

Xperia Z1 integrates PlayMemories Online³, 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.

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 as well as a two-month free trial of Sony's Music Unlimited⁴ streaming service plus ten games from PlayStation Mobile.

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 key specifications

• Dust-resistant and waterproof (IP55 & IP58), with acclaimed OmniBalance design featuring durable tempered glass and solid one-piece aluminium frame
• 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.
• Xperia Camera Applications such as Social live which broadcast to Facebook. More applications will be available to download from Sony Select.
• Qualcomm Snapdragon™800 quad-core 2.2 Ghz processor, 3000 mAh battery, 4G LTE
• Memory: RAM 2 GB, Flash memory up to 16 GB, Expansion slot microSD™ card, up to 64 GB.
• Xperia Z1 will launch on Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean).
• Available in black, white and purple colour variants.  Check with your carrier for colour availability at launch.

1	In compliance with IP55 and IP58, Xperia Z1 is protected against the ingress of dust and is waterproof. Provided that all ports and covers are firmly closed, the phone is (i) protected against low pressure jets of water from all practicable directions in compliance with IP 55; and/or (ii) can be kept under 1.50 metre of freshwater for up to 30 minutes in compliance with IP58. The phone is not designed to float or work submerged underwater outside the IP55 or IP58 classification range that may lead to your warranty will being void.
2	Based on consumer research conducted by Strategy Analytics conducted on 23rd August 2013
3	Subject to market availability
4	Sony Entertainment Network services are subject to availability by region. Please visit www.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com for more details. Additional fees may apply
	Also the number of tracks available from this catalogue varies by country and may be fewer than stated.

About Sony Mobile Communications

Sony Mobile Communications is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation, a leading global innovator of audio, video, game, communications, key device and information technology products for both the consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, computer entertainment and online businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be the leading electronics and entertainment company in the world. Through its Xperia™ smartphone and tablet portfolio, Sony Mobile Communications delivers the best of Sony technology, premium content and services, and easy connectivity to Sony's world of networked entertainment experiences. For more information:www.sonymobile.com

Legal
1) Facts and features may vary depending on local variant. 2) Operational times are affected by network preferences, type of SIM card, connected accessories and various activities e.g. playing games. Kit contents and colour options may differ from market to market. The full range of accessories may not be available in every market. 3) Icons displayed are for illustrative purposes only. The homescreen may appear different in your product. Some features may not be available in your country or area.

Sony, make.believe, WALKMAN, WALKMAN W logo, Sony Entertainment Network, PlayMemories Online, Exmor RS, G Lens, BIONZ, SmartAR, BRAVIA are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Corporation. Xperia, TrackID are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Mobile Communications AB.  PlayStation is a trademark or registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment.  Snapdragon is a trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. Facebook is a trademark or registered trademark of Facebook, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved. All terms are subject to change without prior notice.

Additional information regarding trademarks may be located on our website at: www.sonymobile.com/global-en/legal/trademarks-and-copyright/

Source: CWN