Sony launches Xperia Z1 for Rs 44,990, SmartWatch 2 in India

Sony today launched its new smartphone Xperia Z1 with a 20.7 megapixel camera in India. The price is lower than the recently launched Galaxy Note 3 and the Xperia Z1 is priced at Rs 44,990. The smartphone is waterproof and dustproof as well and will be available in India from today.  Sony is also offering 8GB free data plan for first two months to Vodafone users. Sony’s brand ambassador Katrina Kaif was also present at the launch. Sony also announced that the Sony SmartWatch 2 will be available from October in Indian stores. Unlike the Galaxy Gear, this watch is compatible with all Android 4.0  and above phones and is priced at Rs 14,990. Sony had launched the phone at the IFA in Berlin. The phone has a 5-inch full HD screen and has 2GB RAM and 16 GB memory. It runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and also has support for a MicroSD slot up to 64 GB. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core 2.2 Ghz processor, 3000 mAh battery and supports 4G LTE. The front camera is 2 megapixel. [caption id=“attachment_1117187” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Sony Xperia Z1 is seen in this photo. AP[/caption] The phone has an aluminum frame. But it’s the rear camera, with 20.7 megapixels, that is the show stopper. This is the USP of the phone and according to Sony it has three times “clear image zoom” with zero loss of image quality. It has Sony’s G Lens with F2.0 and wide angle 27mm. It also has 1/2.3-type Exmor RS for mobile CMOS image sensor which is a high sensitivity sensor capturing details and crisp images, even in low-light conditions. Some software features of the camera are: • Social live which will let users broadcast recording live from Xperia Z1 to Facebook. • Info-eye which will give users information on landmarks or items which are captured by them using the smartphone. • Timeshift burst ensures that the Xperia Z1 takes 61 images in 2 seconds. Users can then scroll around and choose the best image. • AR effect which lets users create customisable animations. Sony says it has also opened up its camera software and is encouraging developers to add even more functionality to it. The Xperia Z1 will come in black, white and purple colours. Sony also launched the new smart lens called QX100 and QX10 lenses which can be put onto the Xperia Z1 and other Xperia phones via a lens module. The prices for lenses are Rs 24,990 for QX 100 and Rs 12,990 for QX10 in India Once you do that, it converts your phone into a regular compact camera. The lens connects with the phone via WiFi. Overall, the smartphone doesn’t look too different from other Sony Xperia phones, except for the 20.7 megapixel camera and the new camera features.