google-site-verification=rELuVVyS5Y8o0Ezst8ITY3su3PIT5khzDgo-anRp4o8 Waterproof Wonders: Sony Xperia ZR vs Sony Xperia Z: ~ Tech Senser - Technology and General Guide

28 May 2013

Waterproof Wonders: Sony Xperia ZR vs Sony Xperia Z:

The Sony Xperia ZR is the latest handset to hit the Android smartphone market taking water resistance to the next level. It also boasts a generous helping of innovative features first seen on the firm’s flagship of 2013, the
Sony Xperia Z.

Sony has confirmed that the Xperia ZR will be released sometime during the second quarter of the year, and it certainly sounds like an impressive proposition that has what it takes to stand out from other high-end handsets and cheap mobilephones.

Calum MacDougall, director of Xperia marketing, said: “The Xperia ZR pushes the boundaries on where and how consumers can use the full potential of their smartphone. By combining Sony’s leading camera technology with the highest level of water-resistance, you will never miss another moment.”

But, marketing spiel aside how does the Xperia ZR really stack up against its bigger brother, which reportedly clocked up more than 4.5 million sales just 40 days after its release?

Features and Specification Xperia ZR VS Xperia Z

Design

The Xperia ZR is smaller and chunkier than the Xperia Z but the firm has gone to great lengths to make its latest offering even more water resistant. The Xperia ZR, which is also dust proof, can be fully immersed in up to 1.5 metres of fresh water for up to 30 minutes.

Features and Specification Xperia ZR VS Xperia Z

Unfortunately the Xperia Z has a much lower compliance grading meaning it can’t be used at the same depths. Sony also claims that the Xperia ZR can take HD videos and shots while under water, functionalities which were missed on the Xperia Z.

Display

It’s clear from the specs alone that the Xperia ZR’s display doesn’t match the impressive quality seen on the Xperia Z’s screen. Although there’s only a few millimetres difference in terms of screen size the biggest change comes with the Xperia ZR’s resolution of 323ppi.

Sony Xperia ZR vs Xperia Z:

This is significantly lower than that of the firm’s flagship, which means that while image and video quality is good, results aren’t anywhere near as crisp and vibrant as those seen on the Xperia Z. However, the Xperia ZR does come with an innovative feature in the form of ‘prediction filter’ which senses where your finger’s going to navigate to next across the display.

Camera

Both handsets house a 13 megapixel camera packed with a raft of functionality, but it’s a different story on the front-side of the handset. The Xperia ZR only has a VGA camera, a huge step down from the 2 megapixel offering on the Xperia Z.

While self portraits and video calling are of great quality on the Xperia Z these features won’t work under water. This time round Sony has also included a dedicated camera button which is a welcome addition to the handset, making it even easier to capture shots when you’re on the go or submerged in water.

Memory

When it comes to choosing the perfect smartphone the amount of memory a device has is more important than ever due to the increasing number of files and apps many users store on them.
A downside of the Xperia ZR is the small amount of internal storage, exactly half of the 16GB which is available on the Xperia Z. That said a microSD slot sits on board both handsets to expand memory up to 32GB.

Verdict

The Xperia ZR may not pack in the same high-end specs found on the Xperia Z, but enhancing its water resistant qualities really brings this handset in to its own. As well as being rugged and durable it’s bursting with some fantastic features that make it perfect for the more adventurous types really looking to make a splash with their new smartphone.

Sarah Hazelwood

About the Guest Author:

Written by of Dialaphone, home to all the latest smartphones and handset reviews.