Sony Unveils the 'Xperia Z Ultra' Phablet; 6.44" Display, Snapdragon 800 & More

[dgstorm]

For months now we have heard rumors about Sony's new entry into the "phablet" market. The original rumors dubbed it the Xperia ZU. In the end, that name was close. It is called the Xperia Z Ultra and that name sees to fit both its specs and its size. The display measures out to a whopping 6.44 inches, and the processor inside is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 running at 2.2GHz. Here's a spec breakdown:

• 6.44 inch 1080p Display with Triluminos and X-Reality Engine
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
• Android 4.2.2
• 4G LTE radio (with HD voice capabilities)
• 2GB of RAM
• 3,000mAh battery
• 16GB of on-board storage
• A microSD slot
• IP58-certified (water resistant)

As you can see, it has some intriguing new buzzwords attached to it. Below we have included a link to some cool videos showcasing the new superphone from Sony:

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/dr...peria-z-ultra-phablet-videos.html#post2441688

Here's the full press release below explaining things further,

“The new Xperia™ Z Ultra: The world’s slimmest and largest Full HD smartphone display*

June 25, 2013
25th June 2013, Mobile Asia Expo, Shanghai – Sony Mobile Communications (“Sony Mobile”) today introduces the next revolution in premium large-screen Android smartphone entertainment. The new Xperia Z Ultra is waterproof**, ultra-slim with a lightweight design so you can enjoy it anytime, anywhere. It’s the first smartphone ever to incorporate a Full HD TRILUMINOS™ Display for mobile powered by Sony’s latest X-Reality™ for mobile picture engine to deliver the most immersive viewing experience imaginable. Additionally, the Xperia Z Ultra will also feature the fully integrated Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 800 processor with 2.2 GHz quad-core CPUs, 4GLTE and HD voice to provide a seamless connected entertainment experience, industry-leading battery performance and amazing speed.

“The Xperia Z Ultra is the most exciting revolution in large-screen smartphone entertainment devices with both the slimmest and largest Full HD smartphone display* in the world that is second to none.” said Calum MacDougall, Director of Xperia Marketing at Sony Mobile Communications. “We’re already bringing the best of Sony technology and design across a range of premium smartphones and tablets, and now we are bringing this same premium offering to the large-screen smartphone segment, setting a new standard for others to follow.”

The world’s largest Full HD smartphone display*
Xperia Z Ultra features a 6.4” touchscreen Full HD display with Sony’s unique TRILUMINOS® Display for mobile, creating a wider palette of rich natural colours thanks to Sony’s BRAVIA TV expertise. The breakthrough technology includes X-Reality™ for mobile – Sony’s intelligent super resolution display technology which analyzes each image and reproduces lacking pixels to optimize quality for the sharpest videos. It analyses elements depending on the scene and adjusts them based on pattern, outline and colour composition. It also strengthens subtle patterns and accurately portrays their detailed feel, as well as reinforcing bold outlines. The large Full HD display has been optimised to experience at least 60%*** more of the screen than most other smartphones.

The world’s slimmest Full HD smartphone*
Xperia Z Ultra is supremely slim and lightweight with a beautifully crafted 6.5mm body and weighing just 212 grams for ultimate portability. Sony craftsmanship in design and attention to detail comes to the fore with clean lines and premium materials – the front and back are made of tempered glass, creating a seamless surface with the OptiContrast™ panel housed in an innovative solid metal frame which looks stunning from any angle. It features the same acclaimed OmniBalance design as Xperia Z and Tablet Z. The Xperia Z Ultra is available in a choice of black, white or purple colour finishes.

The only waterproof Full HD smartphone**
Xperia Z Ultra is both elegant and durable. With an impressive rating of IP55 and IP58, this smartphone isn’t only resistant to dust, but is waterproof** too – giving you the freedom to enjoy it anywhere. You can even film in Full HD underwater, taking your large-screen smartphone experience to a new level. The camera features “Exmor RS for mobile”, HDR for both photos and film, and Superior Auto mode automatically activates HDR and noise reduction when needed, so you’ll get stunning imagery even in challenging light conditions.

Ultimate entertainment experience
The Xperia Z Ultra is uniquely positioned to offer the ultimate big screen phone entertainment experience for watching movies, playing games, reading books and browsing the web.

Sony’s “WALKMAN”, Album and Movies media applications enable discovery of online and offline content through a single access point with new ways to enjoy and share that content.

The “WALKMAN” application leverages Sony’s audio engine and Facebook integration for sharing and discovering new music and is unique in that it provides seamlessly integrated access to all your downloaded music as well as access to a global library of over 20 million songs2 from Sony’s cloud-based subscription music service, Music Unlimited3.

The Movies application brings new intuitive ways to discover, manage and play movie content, together with easy access to an extensive library of blockbuster movies and the latest TV episodes from the Video Unlimited2 service.

The Album application provides seamless integration with the PlayMemories Online2 service, letting you access all your photos and albums from within the Album app instantly and easily, wherever you are. You can even set an automatic upload of your photos to the PlayMemories Online service to access and enjoy from any your favourite Sony devices.

The Sony Reader app2 provides seamless Reader store2 access so you can download and enjoy the latest bestsellers – it even lets you sync purchased books in popular formats and continue reading from same page.

Xperia Z Ultra will include an exclusive free entertainment content offer, including a free trial of the Music Unlimited2 service (subject to availability).

Ultimate performance with the world’s fastest smartphone processor****
The Xperia Z Ultra features the world’s fastest smartphone processor**** – the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with HD voice, that together with Sony´s audio Sony’s ClearAudio+ mode and Xloud loudness enhancement, delivers not just exceptional speed and performance, but also unsurpassed voice and audio quality.

Battery STAMINA Mode significantly improves the standby time of your smartphone by four times or more1 as it recognises when you’re not using your display and automatically turns off the functions you don’t need, while keeping the notifications you want. As soon as you press the power button to wake up your screen, everything is up and running again.

Built for business
The Xperia Z Ultra is the ideal business partner thanks to the super responsive screen with handwriting recognition which is compatible with any pencil and selected stylus or pen (capacitive stylus or metal pen with tip diameter over 1mm). . You can even write notes or sketches during calls so you’ll always be ready capture your ideas as they happen. The easy-toggle keyboard makes it ideal for one-handed input and multi-tasking, with small apps to help you improve productivity so you don’t lose time browsing between windows.

The robust security architecture safeguards both your corporate and personal data, with support for multiple accounts that are quick and simple to set up. Further business oriented applications will be made available in future as software updates, ensuring you get the best smartphone experience – whether for work or play.

Ultra connectivity
With one-touch functions you can instantly and easily share music, photos and videos from your smartphone to a wide range of NFC-enabled Sony devices, including speakers, SmartWatch, wireless headsets and TVs. There are several new and innovative accessories joining the range of popular connected devices.

The SBH52 is a dynamic Smart Bluetooth™ Handset that provides easy hands-free call handling with a single press, while leaving your smartphone conveniently in your bag. The OLED display conveniently lets you browse your call log, view text messages, and see who’s calling you. Use it as a quality stereo music headset to listen to your tracks or to the built-in standalone FM radio with RDS. Pairing and connecting is done simply by touching it to your Xperia Z Ultra or other NFC-enabled device. And it’s sleek, minimal design is splash-proof, meaning you can now use it anywhere, in any weather.

The latest generation of SmartWatch, the SmartWatch 2 SW2, helps you keep track of everything without taking your smartphone out of your pocket or bag. The SmartWatch 2 is a truly multifunctional digital watch and phone remote that lets you receive notifications, control your music, and connect with one-touch NFC to your Bluetooth™ headset for easy call handling. The water-resistant design makes it more versatile to use than ever and can be personalised with any standard watch strap. Use it as a standalone watch or with your smartphone. There are over 200 apps available for our first generation and with an open API we expect new applications will be developed quickly and easily for SmartWatch 2.

The Magnetic Charging Dock DK30 has an innovative magnetic pin that lets you place your Xperia Z Ultra snugly in the dock using one hand, either with or without the phone cover on. While your phone is charging, it stands at a comfortable viewing angle easily allowing you to keep watching your favourite movies even while charging.

The Xperia Z Ultra will launch globally from Q3 2013 (exact timing of availability will vary by market).

For all the latest news, views and info on Sony Xperia products, follow @SonyMobileNews on Twitter.

Download complete press kit

Download the press release as a PDF

Specifications
Xperia Z Ultra
6.4” Full HD TRILUMINOS™ Display for mobile powered by X-Reality™ for mobile engine for the ultimate viewing experience
Ultra slim, waterproof** and dust resistant (IP55/IP58) durable design
Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 800 processor with 2.2 GHz quad-core CPUs and 4G LTE for fast performance
Write and sketch with any pencil and selected stylus or pen (with conductive tip)
8 megapixel camera with “Exmor RS for mobile” sensor and HDR for videos and photos
Full accessory ecosystem for premium entertainment and connectivity
Battery STAMINA Mode for outstanding battery life
* Specifications verified by Strategy Analytics’ SpecTRAX service, as of 19th of June 2013 the Xperia Z Ultra is the slimmest smartphone with a Full HD display, for more information on Strategy analytics results go to: Sony claims - tested true - Sony Smartphones (Global UK English)

** As of 24th of June 2013, outside of Japan, the Xperia Z Ultra is the only waterproof smartphone with a Full HD display on global distribution. In compliance with IP55 and IP58, Xperia Z Ultra 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. Find out more Sony claims - tested true - Sony Smartphones (Global UK English)

*** Display area available compared to smartphones with a 5” display or smaller

**** Specifications of Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core 2.2GHz processor verified by Strategy Analytics’ SpecTRAX service as of 19th of June 2013, for more information on Strategy analytics results go to: Sony claims - tested true - Sony Smartphones (Global UK English)

1 Based on testing done with default settings, default accounts and applications for Skype™ and Twitter downloaded to the phone. The more applications installed, the bigger the effect of Battery STAMINA Mode.

2 Number of tracks available from this catalogue varies by country and may be less.

3 Sony Entertainment Network services are subject to availability by region. Please visit Digital Entertainment | Sony Entertainment Network for more details.”

Source: Sony

 

[johnomaz]

Wow, thats a hell of a phone right there.

 

[Narsil]

It's got a nice, large battery, and an SD slot.

Me likee. It's not going to tempt me away from the Galaxy Note line however, not as long as the Notes have a stylus and the rest don't.

 

[cybertec69]

Really, that is NOT a phone, but a Tablet with phone capabilities, seriously, how many of these do you think they will sell, not many, looks like some companies are going to extremes to get some attention. WOW just WOW:icon_eek:

By the way, I pre-ordered a dozen:icon_ devil:

 

[smalltowngirl13]

It's got a nice, large battery, and an SD slot.

Me likee. It's not going to tempt me away from the Galaxy Note line however, not as long as the Notes have a stylus and the rest don't.

It definitely has some nice features but hopefully we will see some awesome things in the Note 3 as well ...

 

[squeak]

I want one of these. I've been debating if i should replace my tablet or my phone first, so why kill 2 stones with one bird? but let's be serious, this will never come to big red.

 

[c.r.ayala]

Can you imagine if a "mini" with all these specs was to be released after? I'd jump on that so fast! this one is just a little too big for my taste but man this is literally the first phone to have just about everything i want spec wise! especially the waterproof IP ratings! I was hoping hoping the Xperia Z (not this ultra) would land on verizon but it didnt :/

 

[kodiak799]

Yeah, I'm leaning towards a tablet or mini for reading books. Not sure even a 5" phone screen would cut it, but I'm also not a fan of larger "phablets" that would be unwieldy for putting in the pocket or even taking calls. I think I'm looking for a 7", probably 8" mini. The larger tablets aren't particularly comfortable to hold for long periods for reading.

 

[Rhino94]

Can you imagine if a "mini" with all these specs was to be released after? I'd jump on that so fast! this one is just a little too big for my taste but man this is literally the first phone to have just about everything i want spec wise! especially the waterproof IP ratings! I was hoping hoping the Xperia Z (not this ultra) would land on verizon but it didnt :/

I have a feeling this will land on Verizon because of the 4G LTE. It also doesn't state its other radio compatibilities

 

[drunkclever]

I can not get pass the thought of forgetting the ear piece and walking around holding a "book" to my head.

Beamed from my Droid RAZR MAXX

 

[squeak]

I have a feeling this will land on Verizon because of the 4G LTE. It also doesn't state its other radio compatibilities

Don't all the major US carriers have 4G LTE as well as many carriers in other countries? I know Korea has 4G LTE. I sincerely hope you're right, because I would Love to own this phone. I'm just trying to be realistic.

 

[mountainbikermark]

Yeah, I'm leaning towards a tablet or mini for reading books. Not sure even a 5" phone screen would cut it, but I'm also not a fan of larger "phablets" that would be unwieldy for putting in the pocket or even taking calls. I think I'm looking for a 7", probably 8" mini. The larger tablets aren't particularly comfortable to hold for long periods for reading.

The phone is a little larger than my Kindle Paperwhite and it (the Paperwhite) fits fine in a dress coat chest pocket , cargo pants and khaki pants sized pockets without feeling heavy so I would think it's doable. I can't imagine making a phone call from my Kindle without an earpiece of some kind though. 4.3" of my Rezound is as big as I'm willing to have upside my head at this point. I just carry my Nexus7 sometimes and sync it to my phone for data, texts, calls, etc

Support Our Troops!!!
<><
A Rezound phone was used for this Tapatalk post

 

[kodiak799]

I mean, this device is awesome. And I'd have no problem talking on BT (eventhough most of the time I use my phone normally). The problem would be wearing that headset around constantly, or having to have it close by.

Tough trade-offs to make. The only solution is an expandable screen so we can have 4" when we want it to be a phone, and unfold/unroll to get 8"+ when we want a tablet.

 

[squeak]

I mean, this device is awesome. And I'd have no problem talking on BT (eventhough most of the time I use my phone normally). The problem would be wearing that headset around constantly, or having to have it close by.

Tough trade-offs to make. The only solution is an expandable screen so we can have 4" when we want it to be a phone, and unfold/unroll to get 8"+ when we want a tablet.

They showed a picture with this somewhere where a woman is talking into a handset type bluetooth device. She was holding it rather than wearing it.

EDIT: a quick google search revealed this: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Sony...all-companion-SBH52-Bluetooth-Handset_id44473 Pretty neat stuff.

 

[kodiak799]

They showed a picture with this somewhere where a woman is talking into a handset type bluetooth device. She was holding it rather than wearing it.

EDIT: a quick google search revealed this: Sony's huge Xperia Z Ultra comes with a small companion: SBH52 Bluetooth Handset Pretty neat stuff.

Definitely a different approach. But now it's like they've managed to make the smartphone basically useless (except for phone calls). And if you're relying on that handset, then why not just make a full-sized tablet, or at least something in the 7-8" range?

I guess what it boils down to is either go with two devices, or get a good BT headset with a 7-8" mini. Maybe I'll put something like that on my unlimited data plan, and then buy a second phone with like 1gig data (and unlimited minutes!) for the basics.