Sony continues to churn out Xperia products on an accelerated six monthly cycle to try and grab market share. The latest batch of devices include update to its flagship Xperia Z smartphone, introduces an 8in tablet and more smartwatch devices.
Xperia Z3 smartphone
Sony hasn't made drastic changes to the Xperia Z3 handset. It's an on-going refinement of the existing Z2 handset, which is one of the best Android handsets on the market.
The firm uses the same 5.2in display size with 1920 x 1080 resolution.
Sony has resisted the temptation to use a 2k or 4k screen - choosing to stick with full HD for battery life purposes, because at this size users will not receive a substantial benefit.
Z3 Compact
If the 5.2in screen is too big for you - Sony has introduced the Z3 Compact.
This handset retains many of the same high-end specifications as the bigger brother with the key difference being the smaller 4.6in 720p display.
There's a claimed maximum brightness of 600cd/m2 brightness, which would make the Z3 the brightest screen on the market, overtaking the iPhone 5s (515 cd/m2).
Sony was one of the first manufacturers to make a premium device with a comprehensive waterproof rating. The Z3 retains an IP65/68 protection rating - so it's dust and waterproof. It's powered by a 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and has 3GB of RAM.
Tweaks have been made to the chassis. The Z3 features rounded corners with a nylon cap to protect the device on impact.
Despite having the same 20.7-megapixel count, Sony switched to a 25mm lens to provide wider angle, improve its SteadyShot feature and cut down on noise.
Interestingly, Sony claims to have improved battery life over its predecessor despite using a smaller 3,100mAh battery pack and keeping the screen the same size at 5.2ins. The firm claims a two-day battery life, stating the latest version of the 801 processor is more power efficient and that it's also developed an as-yet unnamed technology, which allows the screen to "remember" what was on display and reload content by drawing less power.
The Z3 will also be the first smartphone to be able to stream full PlayStation 4 games via Wi-Fi. A November update will allow users to sync up their PS4 controller and play games through the cloud.
Z3 Compact tablet
With the success of small the iPad mini and the Nexus 7 tablets, Sony has introduced an 8in Android tablet.
Key features include a display with 1920 x 1200 resolution, 3GB of RAM as well as 16GB of internal storage with support for micro SD cards up to 128GB.
With a weight of 270g, thickness of 6.4mm and an IP65/68 rating, Sony is claiming this is the "world's slimmest and lightest waterproof tablet".
Z3 SmartBand Talk
Sony is offering a full blown Android Wear device in the form of the SmartWatch 3, but the more compact SmartBand Talk is the more intriguing of the firm's smartwatch range.
It's not as flashy as other smartwatches on market - but it has a beautiful design and costs 160.
Sporting a 1.4in E-ink screen (288 x 128), the device weighs 26g. It's got a silicon band, which fits snugly onto the wrist and like the rest of the Xperia range is waterproof/dustproof (IP68). Sensors include an accelerometer, and altimeter so you can monitor daily activity.
Bluetooth 4 and NFC is integrated into the device, allowing the SmartBand Talk to connect to Android KitKat 4.4 devices. It's also possible to control the watch using voice commands and answer phone calls when the watch is paired up with a phone.
Sony representatives claim this would be used for those quick 5 - 10 second calls, the ones when someone calls to ask your ETA and you reply that you're just around the corner.
The E-Ink display allows users to get up to three days of battery life and the device takes less than 60 minutes to recharge. So it should outlast all its bulkier rivals with their Amoled displays.
