Last year, Sony introduced a smartphone called the Xperia ZR that offered decent specs and was completely waterproof. It seemed a novel concept at the time since waterproof devices tend to be treated as niche devices not worthy of the latest and greatest in phone hardware. Since then, though, Sony has been making waterproofing more or less a standard feature in its phones which, for anyone that’s lost a phone due to water damage, is likely welcome news.
In 2014, it seems Sony is continuing this trend with its new U.S. flagship Android smartphone, the Xperia Z1s. Building on last year’s flagship, the Xperia Z, the Z1s will be available exclusively from T-Mobile, at least initially. It is available to pre-order now with full availability slated for later in the month.
Like past iterations in the ‘Z series,’ the Z1s sports a slim, yet durable, build while of course boasting IP58 waterproofing. The phone also features a five-inch, full HD Triluminos display with the X-Reality mobile picture engine, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor clocked at 2.2 GHz and a 3,000 mAh battery.
"As a waterproof smartphone complete with the best of Sony's technology, Xperia Z1s breaks the mold of not only what you can do with a smartphone, but where you can take it," said Ravi Nookala, president of Sony Mobile Communications U.S., in a statement. "Building on the momentum of the successful partnership for the launch of Xperia Z, T-Mobile's shared vision of delivering an uncompromised mobile experience makes them the perfect exclusive partner to bring Xperia Z1s to the U.S."
The coolest part about the Z1s is that it features a pretty capable camera, specifically a 20.7 megapixel shooter that boasts Sony’s G Lens with an f2.0 aperture, an Exmor RD mobile image sensor and the BIONZ mobile image processing engine. Coupled with its waterproof build, this makes the Xperia Z1s something of the ideal vacation phone.
Edited by
Cassandra Tucker 
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