Sony Outs its Xperia Z1, Brings 2 New Point-and-Shoot Quality Lenses

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The Sony Xperia Z1, mainly referred to as Honami in its pre-launching days has finally gone official. The camera is basically an Xperia Z at its heart but has a monumentally better camera.
To begin with, the display on this cameraphone is of 5 inches, having a Full HD resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. The display is scratch-proof and the phone itself comes with IP58 certification, meaning you can even shoot underwater videos.
Under the bonnet, you get a quad-core SnapDragon 800 processor alongside Adreno 330 graphics and 2 GB of RAM. The OS running is the latest Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.
The main attraction of the package is undoubtedly the camera at the back. It shoots 20.7 megapixel photos and 1080p Full HD 1080p videos at 30fps. The 1/2.3 inch Exmor RS sensor with f/2.0 aperture is 70 percent larger than most phones, yet keeps the phone amazingly thin at just 8.5mm. Sony’s own G Lens technology and BIONZ image processors are used. There’s also a 2 megapixel Full HD camera at front.
For connectivity, the phone comes with NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, dual-band Wi-Fi, microUSB 2.0, USB-OTG and 4G LTE.
The battery capacity is 3000 mAh. The phone will be launched later this month in White, Black and Purple flavors for an unspecified price tag. The Z1 will have as many as 62 accessories by the end of the year.
Here are the full specs of the “Honami”:

• Customized Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
• 5 inch display with resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels
• 8.5mm thick
• 170g heavy
• 2.2Ghz Krait 400 CPU with quad-core SnapDragon 800 SoC and Adreno 330
• 2 GB RAM with 16 GB expandable storage
• 20.7 megapixel camera with Full HD1080p videos at 30fps
• 1/2.3 inch Exmor RS sensor, Sony G Lens, f/2.0 aperture, BIONZ Image Processing
• 2 megapixel 1080p front-camera
• NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, dual-band Wi-Fi, microUSB 2.0, USB-OTG, 4G LTE
• 3000 mAh battery
• Available in White, Black and Purple

Considering the fact that Nokia won’t be making smartphones under its own brand after sometime, the Xperia Z1 will probably be the best cameraphone of the future, if its just as good as advertised.

Attachable Lens-Style Cameras: CyberShot QX100 and QX10

One of the things which makes phones like the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S4 great is the unmatched number of accessories that they support.
The Xperia Z1 can pair with two high-quality lenses, something which most phones can only hope for.
Another thing worth nothing is that these lens-style cameras come with their batteries, microSD/Memory Stick card slots, stereo mics, Image Processors and of course, the lens. They connect with the phone via NFC or Wi-Fi.
The QX100 is the better of the pair and comes with a 1 inch Exmor RS Sensor, Carl Zeiss Optics, BIONZ Image Processor, up to 3.6x Optical Zoom and Stabilization. It takes photos of 20.2 megapixel resolution and does 1440 x 1080 videos at 30fps. It will cost $499.
The QX10 is the more cheaper of the two. Having an 18.2 megapixel camera with Exmor RS Sensor and 1/2.3 inch lens, it has up to 10x Optical Zoom, much more than that of its elder brother. It also takes 1440 x 1080 videos and is available for a much more easier-to-swallow price of $250.
One thing which both these lenses share is their own controls, i.e. zoom scroller and shutter. And while these accessories are made primarily for the Xperia Z1, they can work with virtually any other Android or iOS device. Now that’s amazing, isn’t it?