By: Len Gatbonton-Amadora
It was a rainy Thursday morning in the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur and yet, spirits were high in anticipation of better things to come. Undoubtedly, the mood in the plush Mandarin Oriental Hotel was enthusiastic as media friends and bloggers from all over the Southeast Asia region gathered for the launch of the Sony Xperia Z1 just a few hours after it was officially unveiled in Berlin.
Sony Mobile Communications Corporate Vice-President and Head of Southeast Asia and Oceania, Matthew Lang gave an exuberant welcome speech as he shared with us what Sony has achieved. He accounted the company’s suceess through harnessing and leveraging on the power of Sony. He indicated that Sony has produced products that users are proud to use as these products possess the “leading edge technology, content, connectable devices using NFC , creative and intuitive applications”.
Another edge would be Sony’s contribution to “world’s first list” starting with the world’s first image sensor with HDR video for smartphones in the likeness of the Xperia Z. This was followed by the Xperia Tablet Z, the world’s slimmest and thinnest 10” tablet.
The Xperia Z Ultra is the world’s largest full HD smartphone display and the first to incorporate a Triluminous Display with X-Reality for mobile. But even with all these, Matthew Lang stressed, “there is much more to come” and definitely there was as Jason Smith, Sony Mobile Communication Director of Marketing Southeast Asia and Oceania introduced the Xperia Z1.
A combination of all that is best of Sony’s technology, sporting its iconic OmniBalance design, the Xperia Z1 (codename HONAMI) is a slim and gorgeous (not to mention waterproof) Android smartphone that stands out among all smartphones because of its avant-garde camera experience.
Such is promised as it features G Lens with 27mm wide angle and bright F2.0 aperture, 1 /2.3-type 20.7 megapixel “Exmor RS for mobile” CMOS image sensor and “BIONZ for mobile” image processing engine. All these, with experience further enhanced by Sony’s Triluminous Display and X-Reality for mobile.
The Xperia Z features cutting-edge camera applications namely:
- Social live – this allows the users to easily broadcast live from the smartphone to Facebook. Quite unique though is that users can view comments right on the screen.
- Info-eye – a search fuction that provides information on items or landmarks captured by the camera.
- Timeshift Burst – with a single shot, Xperia Z1 can take 61 images in 2 seconds. Users can scroll back and forth on those 61 images until a perfect image is found.
- AR effect – this allows users to overlay fun animations using Sony’s SmartARTM augmented reality technology.
Additional media applications for an unimaginable mobile entertainment are achieved through the Walkman Album and Movies app where users can explore online and offline content through a single access point. Incorporated in the media application is Bravia TV technology and Triluminous Display for mobile for a captivating experience.
“Companion” products and accessories were likewise highlighted in the event, further enhancing the Z1 experience.
- QX10 and QX100 – a “lens-style” camera that is mounted on smarphones.
- Smartwatch 2 – it can read messages, handle calls, access notifications and trigger Z1 camera shutter.
- SBH52 Smart Bluetooth Handset – a wireless audio accessory where users can listen, make and receive calls without actually having to take out the smartphone from ones pocket or bags.
- SBH50 Stereo Bluetooth Headset – a wireless headset that delivers excellent sound quality.
- SmarTags NT3
- Magnetic Charging Dock DK31
- Smart Imaging Stand IPT-DS10M
- Smartphone Tripod SPA-MK20M
Of course with an impressive line up of devices mentioned above, the day won’t be complete without trying them all out. Everyone seemed enthralled during the product “Show and Tell” hands-on session; more so during the “Experiential tour” where everyone had the chance to try out the amazing camera features of the Xperia Z1 as we toured around the city. But above all these, allow me to stress on Matthew Lang’s parting words, “The best of Sony is only going to get better” and that was what the day was all about.