SO-04E
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Sony Xperia ZR announced, allows underwater photography down to five feet of depth (video)
Sony's ratcheted up its water-resistant device tech a notch with the launch of the Xperia ZR, a new 4.6-inch, 720p Android smartphone that's waterproof to 1.5 meters (5 feet). Sony boasts that its new device will let you film your snorkeling adventures in full HD quality, with HDR in both video or 13-megapixel stills thanks to the Exmor RS image sensor -- there's also a dedicated camera button like the one on the Xperia ZL. The handset packs a Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core 1.5GHz CPU, 2GB RAM, LTE, NFC, Sony's Walkman album and movie apps and a notable OptiContrast OLED screen with Bravia tech to reduce glare "even in bright sunlight." There's no word yet on pricing or availability, but as soon as we hear more, we'll try to prep you ahead of that next beach-bound holiday. Meanwhile, you can check the galleries, PR and video after the break for more. Update: As Xperia Blog found out, the Xperia ZR is actually the international version of Japan's upcoming Xperia A SO-04E -- the one we saw popping up in the FCC database.%Gallery-188096%
Sony Xperia A hits the FCC with 5-inch screen and removable battery
Many have suspected that Sony wasn't done with its 2013 high-end phones just because the Xperia Z and ZL were shipping. As of today, that's more than just speculation: a once-rumored Xperia A has swung through the FCC for approval as NTT DoCoMo's SO-04E. The filing is unusually detailed for a device that isn't official, showing a 5-inch, 1080p handset that maintains Sony's OmniBalance look while including a removable, 2,300mAh battery that we haven't seen in the Z or ZL. The manual also has the Android phone sharing the Z's 13-megapixel camera, 16GB of built-in storage and LTE, although mum's the word on any upgrade to the Snapdragon S4 Pro. Sony hasn't confirmed what we're seeing, but we may not have long to learn the full story when NTT DoCoMo is revealing its summer mobile lineup on May 15th.
