First press shot of Sony Xperia Z surfaces ahead of its CES launch

The Sony Xperia Z, which was earlier codenamed C660X Yuga, makes its presence felt yet again. This time it has surfaced in the form of a press shot by @evleaks on Unwired View, sporting a gigantic 5-inch 1080p display. The Xperia Z shows a skinned Android version, known to run on Jelly Bean; it flaunts a new set of on-screen navigation keys. Falling into the high-end Sony-branded phone category, it is expected to be unveiled at CES this year at Sony’s conference on January 7. However, looking at the CES leaks already making rounds, we may know much more about the phone before its launch.

Sony Xperia Z...coming soon (Image Credit: Unwired View)

Some other reported specs of the Xperia Z are a 13 megapixel camera and quad core processors. But the key selling point of the device is believed to be the 5-inch screen with a 1080p resolution that sports 443ppi. It also features the OptiContrast technology, which is usually found in Sony televisions. However, earlier report also points out that though the screen shows good colour reproduction for multimedia apps using the Sony Bravia engine, other apps don't fare as well. Viewing angles are lower and the backlight is visible in the black areas of pictures. Measuring about 139 x 71 x 7.9 mm, this Xperia device has also put in thought at rigidity and robustness as it is said to support Ingress Protection (IP) rating of IP55 and IP57, making it both dust and water resistant.

The spec sheet of the Xperia Z will also show some other basic features such as Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi on the a/b/g/n networks, LTE and a microSD slot. Also, C660X Yuga is said to support SDXC format cards, effectively pushing the maximum memory card size up to 128GB.
The Xperia Z has been making headlines right from November last labelled with its codename. Earlier reports revealed that it would be integrated with a 1.5GHz processor and 2GB RAM. Then we also heard about the device sporting a back glass panel. Now, this would put it in line with other devices with glass back panels like the iPhone 4/4S and Google’s Nexus 4. The advantage of having a glass back is that it makes the design of the smartphone really good. However, there are many disadvantages that can outweigh that sole feature. Having a glass panel at the back makes the handset susceptible to cracks and damages. One will need to be extremely careful while handling this device.

As predicted by industry experts, the year 2013 could truly be “a year of the smartphone” and 1080p displays could be the next fad among manufactures to deliver high-class viewing experience and usability.