Sony Unveils The Xperia ZR, This Little Number Let's You Take Underwater Photos And Videos up to 5 Feet [Video+Photos]

Everyone loves it when new phones are unveiled, even though they are just the usual, by the numbers Android ones. Thankfully, the newest smartphone to be unveiled by Sony is not part of that parcel. In reality, it's actually rather nice.

Named the Sony Xperia ZR, or the Xperia A SO-04E in the event that you happen to reside in Japan, the device itself is pretty awesome to look at, just similar to all of Sony's smartphones released these days. The sweetness is significantly more than skin deep though, and the ZR is waterproof up to 5 feet, which makes it scuba-safe.

If you have the nerve to take your mobile phone into the ocean with you, then you will have the ability to film both HD movies and photos in glorious HDR due to its 13MP camera and Exmor RS image sensor. This translates to amazing 1080p video. Under water. With a mobile phone.

The Xperia ZR really comes to life in the specifications section beyond that camera, too. Sony has equipped the ZR with a powerful Snapdragon S4 Pro four-core 1.5GHz processor, 2GB of memory and most of the radios you'd expect including NFC and LTE. The device runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. This is now rather outdated.

All of this is behind a 4.6" display with 720p resolution which includes an OptiContrast OLED screen with BRAVIA technology and promises to lessen glare even if in direct sunlight. That is clearly a bold claim, so we will take that with a pinch of salt until proved otherwise. Still, that is what it promises.

To be able to show the unit off, and the four colors it is going to be for sale in, Black, Blue, Pink and Cyan, the Japanese corporation has released two ads showing the latest device in all it's glory, among which features the smartphone being useful for a quick shot of underwater filming in a swimming pool. We're uncertain we would wish to take the device down to the nearest swimming pool for fear of it being dumped, but you get my drift of the concept!

Sony's mobile phones took a big spin recently, the Xperia ZR appears to carry on that trend, particularly if you are a supporter of the waterproof mobile phone's idea and we must state, it is one attractive mobile phone. There's a lot of competition on the market nowadays though, even though this one really is  alone when it comes to smartphones you can go swimming with!

You can follow me on Twitter, add me to your circles on Google+ or Subscribe to me on Facebook or YouTube. You can also check my Everything Tech blog or my Computer Fixed UK website to keep yourself updated with what is happening in the ever-changing world of technology

Apple Takes 5th Place in Expanding Chinese Smartphone Market

In the first quarter of 2013, Apple's iPhone sales were enough to garner 8 percent of China's smartphone market, according to a new analysis from Canalys (Computerworld). Apple had fallen to sixth place in China for the third and fourth quarter of last year, but increasingly aggressive pricing tactics in the market grew sales last quarter.

Apple still trails chief rival Samsung by a large margin in the country. Samsung strengthened its already strong position in China last quarter, increasing its share from 17.7 percent to 20 percent.

Yulong Computer, Huawei, and Lenovo were the smartphone manufacturers ahead of Apple but trailing Samsung. Apple and its South Korean rival were the only two foreign companies to make the top 10 Chinese smartphone vendors. Domestic producers accounted for roughly 68 percent of Chinese smartphone sales.

With 82 million smartphones sold in the quarter, China is now by far the world's largest market for the devices. In terms of sheer numbers, China's market is more than thrice the size of the U.S., which saw 27 million units shipped in the quarter. The comparative weakness in terms of purchasing power of the average Chinese consumer, though, means that the market is most open to lower cost handsets.

Given its penchant for offering a wide array of phones from low-level to premium, Samsung is particularly suited to address the Chinese market, as evidenced by its strong position there in spite of its foreigner status.

Apple, meanwhile, has seen increasingly strong quarters in the market, despite some cultural obstacles along the way. Apple is thought to be preparing to debut its iPhone on the country's largest carrier. Many observers are uncertain of how successful the iPhone maker can be in the country, though, without a cheaper version of its smartphone to offer consumers.

China's smartphone market grew 156 percent in a year-over-year quarterly comparison. Each of the last five quarters has seen the Chinese market expanding at more than 100 percent year-over-year. China passed the U.S. in terms of active iOS and Android devices in February.

 [Source]

You can follow me on Twitter, add me to your circles on Google+ or Subscribe to me on Facebook or YouTube. You can also check my Everything Tech blog or my Computer Fixed UK website to keep yourself updated with what is happening in the ever-changing world of technology