14 DAY TRIAL // As expected, Japanese handset maker Sony Mobile has just released the previously teased Xperia Z1 f, which is basically the smaller version of Xperia Z1.
As XperiaBlog points out, the smartphone is only available in Japan through NTT Docomo. However, the Xperia Z1 f or a slightly different version of the Japanese branded Xperia Z1 mini is expected to be launched next month at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2014.
According to the latest hearsay, Sony plans to follow Samsung’s example and release mini versions of some of its most important handsets.
The Xperia Z1 is one of the most popular Sony smartphones this year, which is why the Japanese company thinks it will help boost its profit and market share by launching a much smaller successor.
The NTT Docomo variant of Xperia Z1 mini comes with the same Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system, but is likely to be upgraded soon to Android 4.4 KitKat just like its bigger brother.
Unlike the original Xperia Z1 that boasts a generous 5-inch capacitive touchscreen display, the Xperia Z1 f sports a much smaller 4.3-inch display that supports HD (720p) resolution and features shatter proof and scratch-resistant glass.
Most of the hardware specs have been kept the same, which means that the Xperia Z1 f comes equipped with a powerful 2.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, an Adreno 330 graphics processing unit and 2GB of RAM.
It is also worth mentioning that the smartphone packs 16GB of internal memory, which can be further expanded via microSD memory card (up to 64GB).
Other highlights of the Xperia Z1 f include IP55/IP58 dust and water resistance, 2300 mAh Li-Ion battery, LTE support, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity.
Last but not least, there’s also an impressive 20-megapixel photo snapper on the back that features autofocus, LED flash and full HD (1080p) video recording. A 2-megapixel front-facing camera is included as well.