Sony is apparently giving the Xperia Z1f an international launch. The Z1f is a high-end Android smartphone with a mid-size screen that launched in Japan last month. Sony is going to call it the Xperia Z1s, but it’s basically the same phone. The only difference looks to be the internal radios needed for the device to operate on cellular carriers across the globe.
The Sony Xperia Z1f is one of the first devices to match its larger screen cousins in the specs department, but have a smaller display. The Z1f is powered by a Snapdragon 800 SoC, 2 GB of RAM, and has the same 20.7-megapixel camera that is in the Xperia Z1. The screen is only 4.3-inches and the display resolution is only 720p. The Z1s should have the exact same specs as the Z1f.
A vocal segment of the smartphone community has been clamoring for devices with smaller screen sizes that keep the same high-end specs as similar large screen devices. The HTC One Mini and Galaxy S4 Mini provided the smaller screen and overall device size that some users want, but they also cut corners on specs. The Z1f doesn’t do that, and now international markets should be able to get their hands on the device in the form of the Z1s.
These three images were leaked XperiaGuide, along with some of the details about the Z1s. The above image shows the Dialer app interface. The top image shows us the the Z1s side by side with the Xperia Z1. A third image, below, shows us the Z1s with a white Z1 and a caption that states the Z1s will have the same Sony G Lens camera that is in the Z1.
The Sony Xperia Z1s should be available sometime in the first quarter of 2014, according to XperiaGuide. They don’t provide a more concrete time-frame for release. The device should be priced at 3600 Yuan, which converts to about $590. That price falls in line with current high-end devices. The phone is rumored to be announced at CES 2014, which kicks off in January. It will be available on Sony’s website as well as third-party retailers like Newegg and Amazon. If Sony’s track record in the U.S. is any indication, the Xperiz Z1s will not be available from any U.S. wireless carriers. Although we have heard rumor that it could be stocked by T-Mobile.