Sony Xperia Z Ultra Phablet Is World’s Slimmest Full HD Smartphone

Sony has announced its intention to enter the phablet market with the Sony Xperia Z Ultra, which the company claims is the world’s slimmest full HD smartphone.

The Sony Xperia Z Ultra has a 6.4-inch HD display enhanced by the company’s expertise in televisions, while it is also waterproof and dust resistance to IP55 and IP58 levels. It is just 6.5mm thick and weighs 212 grams.

The smartphone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with 2.2 GHz quad-core CPUs, while it also features NFC and LTE connectivity, allowing it to interact with the Sony Smartwatch 2, which Sony also announced today.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra

The design of the Sony Xperia Z Ultra is similar to that of the Sony Xperia Z and Sony Xperia Tablet Z, and it will be available in three colours, white, black and purple, when it is launched in the third quarter of 2013.

The phablet is being touted as a business device due to the fact that the screen is compatible with any pencil or selected stylus, while Sony has also included a ‘robust’ security architecture that protects both corporate and personal data.

There is also support for multiple accounts and more business applications will be made available in future software updates.

Like its stablemates, it will also have the full range of Sony applications, and Battery STAMINA mode, which improves the standby time by up to four hours by powering down applications when the phone is not in use, but still issuing notifications.

Phablet and smartwatch

“Delivering the sizable ‘phablet’ form factor favoured by Samsung, the 6.4-inch screen of the Z Ultra certainly caters to the ‘all-in-one’ desires of those looking for a powerful and complete tablet experience, without compromising on the traditional calls and messaging that a smartphone provides,” said Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch.

“The Z Ultra’s premium looks and slick design could win over quite a few consumers, but the all-important network price points will dictate whether Sony’s comeback can continue unabated.”

Notifications can also be viewed on the Android-powered Sony Smartwatch 2, which the company describes as a second screen for a smartphone. The waterproof smartwatch also features a number of standalone applications and is also waterproof and dust-resistant.

“Just as exciting is Sony’s SmartWatch 2, stealing a march on the competition – pipping both Apple and Samsung to the post – and bringing a connected experience to Android smartphones,” added Doku. “The ability to answer calls, texts and read e-mail from the wrist may seem a novelty but, with the aluminium SmartWatch 2 steeped in Sony’s unique sense of style, this attractive piece of wearable technology might become as much a fashion statement as it is a timesaving gadget.”

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