On July 24, we were in downtown Toronto to see a quick demo of the Sony Xperia Z.
As a followup to the Xperia ZL that Sony Mobile released earlier this year, the Xperia Z doesn’t differ too much from its older sibling, but the key difference is that it’s water-resistant.
It can withstand water, liquids like pop or beer, and even sand.
“The Xperia Z is water-resistant for 30 minutes, up to about a meter of water,” says Farhad Esmail, director of marketing at Sony Mobile Communications Canada. He adds that many people have suffered water-related mishaps, prompting Sony to release a phone that can keep functioning, even after disaster strikes.
“Obviously it’s something that a lot of people face, whether it be dropping your phone in the sink while you’re washing your hands, sitting there and having you spill a drink on it while you’re at a restaurant, or if you’re at the beach and you manage to get it dusty in the sand.”
The Xperia Z is mostly consumer-focused, but Esmail says it may be useful for SMBs looking for a basic work phone.
“You’ve got a brilliant five-inch screen and a 13-megapixel camera, but for all you SMBs, obviously it’s important to make sure you’re connected on email, your calendars, and everything else that lets you connect to your corporate environment,” he says.
Within Canada, the phone will launch exclusively with Bell Canada Enterprises Inc. at the end of the month. The phone comes with a one-year warranty, but details on pricing have not been released.