Sony officially unveils the Xperia Z1 at IFA 2013 event

Sony officially unveiled their Sony Xperia Z1 at their IFA 2013 event in Berlin today. Hitting the market with a one piece aluminum frame, fully waterproof, and a 20.7 MP camera, Sony describes the Xperia Z1 as a “watershed moment in Sony’s history.” Sony is clearly focusing on the camera functions of the device with the 20.7 MP camera augmented by “clear image” zoom technology that Sony says will provide 3x zoom with no loss of clarity. Other software enhancements are included like Social Live, an app that lets users “broadcast” to Facebook automatically; Info-eye, an app that will enable users to snap a pic then get info delivered automatically about the subject of the picture; Timeshift burst which takes 61 images in two seconds, some of them even occurring before the button is pressed, so users can pick from the very best image; and AR Effect which adds special effects to images. Sony indicates the SDK for the camera is open and developers are already working on new apps.
The Xperia Z1 is scheduled to launch later this month in Germany, France, the U.K., Canada, the U.S., and Japan, though no details about carriers are available yet. Along with the Xperia Z1, buyers will have access to a new, cloud-based service from Sony, PlayMemories Online, for storing photos and videos and syncing them with other devices. Storage will be unlimited.
Sony also mentioned some related accessories for the Xperia Z1 during their presentation, like the new QX10 and QX100 attachable lenses for smartphones, and the Smart Watch 2 and Smart Image Stand.
Be sure to check back here at TalkAndroid for additional details as they become available throughout the day and continuing coverage of IFA 2013.