Sony Xperia ZR

SONY XPERIA ZR REVIEW

The Sony Xperia ZR has just been announced and it combines some of the best features of the Sony Xperia Z with a friendlier price tag. It should be out sometime in quarter 2 of this year (so by the end of June in theory) but to give you an idea of whether it’s worth waiting for here are our first impressions. The Sony Xperia ZR is a new phone from Sony. The company released their best smartphone in years in the form of the Sony Xperia Z and enjoyed the success that came with it, so it’s no surprise that they’re milking the Xperia Z name a bit by launching tweaked versions of the handset. So if you’re wondering what the specifications of the Xperia ZR are, when you can get your hands on one or what the price will be, read on. Waterproofing was a major feature and one of the biggest selling points of the Sony Xperia Z, so it’s no surprise that it’s made a return in the Sony Xperia ZR. This time though it goes one step further, letting you submerge the handset in fresh water for up to 30 minutes at a depth of up to 1.5 metres. You can even film in full HD 1080p while you’re down there. Salt water is a no go though, so stick to rivers and lakes. The Sony Xperia ZR also has a 13.1 megapixel camera which can shoot 1080p video at 30fps. It also shares a similarly premium metal and glass build to the Sony Xperia Z. Finally there’s also a 2300 mAh battery in the handset, which given the size and power of the device should be plenty enough to keep it going for a decent amount of time. With a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM the Sony Xperia Z has high end power, matching the Sony Xperia Z. It’s also got 8GB of built in storage, a micro SD card slot for up to 32GB more, NFC, 3G, Bluetooth 4.0 and runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, for an all round fairly complete package. If there’s a potential let down in the Sony Xperia ZR it’s the display. Not because it’s bad, since the 4.6 inch, 720 x 1280 Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 display is anything but. It’s just that it’s quite a step down from the display on the Sony Xperia Z, which at 5 inches with a 1080 x 1920 resolution is one of the best out there. To give a bit more perspective the Sony Xperia Z has a pixel density of 441 ppi, while the Sony Xperia ZR has a ppi of just 323. Still, it was inevitable that Sony would have to make some compromises with the Sony Xperia ZR if they wanted the Xperia Z to remain their top end handset. The Sony Xperia ZR is a very exciting phone. It might be the Sony Xperia Z’s little brother, but with enhanced waterproofing it’s actually a better device in some ways, particularly when coupled with the similar specs and cameras. The screen isn’t quite as good, but it’s still far from bad and some users may even prefer the slightly more pocket friendly size. Plus even if the screen is a bit of a disappointment, (a full hundred pounds cheaper than the Sony Xperia Z) we can forgive it.

SPECIFICATION & FEATURES

SONY XPERIA ZR PRICE

Price in USA $666

Price in UK £350

Price in EURO €479

Price in PAK Rs.48,000

Price in INDIA Rs.29,990