Mobile Technology

Sony's dives in with smaller, more waterproof Xperia ZR

Sony's dives in with smaller, more waterproof Xperia ZR
The Xperia ZR is waterproof to 1.5 meters
The Xperia ZR is waterproof to 1.5 meters
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Sony's Xperia ZR has a 4.6-inch display
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Sony's Xperia ZR has a 4.6-inch display
Xperia ZR's OptiContrast panel reduces reflections even in bright sunlight
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Xperia ZR's OptiContrast panel reduces reflections even in bright sunlight
The Xperia ZR STAMINA function improves standby battery life by turning off apps when the screen is off
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The Xperia ZR STAMINA function improves standby battery life by turning off apps when the screen is off
The Xperia ZR is only
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The Xperia ZR is only
The Xperia ZR can take images and videos underwater
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The Xperia ZR can take images and videos underwater
The display has a resolution of 1280x720 pixels
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The display has a resolution of 1280x720 pixels
Detail of the Experia ZR showing the camera key
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Detail of the Experia ZR showing the camera key
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The Xperia ZR comes in a choice of case colors
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The Xperia ZR comes in a choice of case colors
The Xperia ZR meets IP55 /IP58 dust and water resistance standards
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The Xperia ZR meets IP55 /IP58 dust and water resistance standards
The Xperia ZR is waterproof to 1.5 meters
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The Xperia ZR is waterproof to 1.5 meters
The Xperia ZR is intended for users who don't want to worry about a bit of splashing at poolside
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The Xperia ZR is intended for users who don't want to worry about a bit of splashing at poolside
The Xperia ZR and charger
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The Xperia ZR and charger
The Xperia ZR's one-touch feature allows it to pair with other devices at a touch
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The Xperia ZR's one-touch feature allows it to pair with other devices at a touch
The Xperia ZR has a 13-megapixel camera
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The Xperia ZR has a 13-megapixel camera
View gallery - 15 images

In the unpleasantness stakes, dropping your smartphone in a bucket or water is right up there with bread landing butter-side down – only much more expensive. Sony has unveiled its Xperia ZR that, if it lives up to expectations, will mean you’ll not only be able to drop it in the pond, but take high-definition videos while doing so.

The Xperia ZR follows on from the Xperia Z, and boasts a slightly smaller display (4.6-inches to the Z's 5-inches) that features improved contrast and anti-glare properties. The Xperia ZR is IP55 and IP58 compliant, making it both dust and water resistant, with Sony claiming it can withstand being submerged in 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. It also has a dedicated camera key that allows you to take pictures or video underwater or if the screen is locked.

The Xerpia ZR’s 13-megapixel camera has a 16x digital zoom and takes high definition images and videos using Sony’s “Exmor RS for mobile” image sensor with HDR (High Dynamic Range), which takes images at different exposure levels and then it combines them into one optimized image. There’s also noise reduction and a burst mode that takes 15 images at a time.

The Xperia ZR has a 13-megapixel camera
The Xperia ZR has a 13-megapixel camera

Measuring 10.5 mm thick and weighing 138 grams (4.8 oz), the Xperia ZR runs on Android 4.1 and is powered by a 1.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon chipset (APQ8064 + MDM9215M) with Adreno 320 graphics. The 4.6-inch HD Reality Display powered by the Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 has a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels and uses the OptiContrast panel, which reduces reflections and creates a seamlessly black surface when the phone is turned off.

The phone comes with 8 GB of internal storage – 4.6 GB of which is user accessible – and a micro SD memory card slot, while a STAMINA mode improves battery standby time by shutting down apps when the screen is off and starting them up again when the screen is switched back on. There's also a one-touch function that uses Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to pair the phone to other NFC-enabled devices, such as speakers, headphones and televisions, by simply touching the phone to the device.

The Xperia ZR will be available worldwide in coming months. Pricing is yet to be announced.

The video below introduces the Xperia ZR.

Source: Sony

View gallery - 15 images
2 comments
2 comments
Lewis M. Dickens III
Steve sure started something.
Being water proof is an awfully nice feature.
Using a pair of 5.01 tactical pants, I did the wash at the local laundromat. When I pulled the clothes out at the end of the rinse and spin dry cycles there in the bottom of the tub was my iPhone 4 staring up at me all sparkling clean.
So I threw it in with the clothes in the gas fired tumble dryer and checked on it after 20 minutes and threw it back in and pulled it out at about 35 minutes... awfully hot.
It was dead so I took it to the local repair geeks. They said that they would open it up and let any interior water dry out. Checking back the next day they said that it worked for a little while in the morning and then stopped so I paid them the $25 and took it home and decided that maybe it needed charging so I plugged it in.
Several hours later it chirped and started running and we haven't looked back since and that was about 5 months ago.
But having waterproof be a design feature is actually a better idea.
Bill
Arjan Wiegel
really??? An iphone in the washing machine AND dryer and it survived? I've seen phones die from a 1 second drop in a bowl of water. Immediate corrosion of copper contacts was the cause. Or is an iphone really made from gold internally?