Sony's Xperia Z1 finally made its official debut at IFA 2013 in Berlin earlier this month, and at the time the company said that its new flagship would begin rolling out around the globe later in September. Well, it's now later in September, and the Xperia Z1 is indeed available for purchase, just as Sony promised.
The Xperia Z1 first landed on the virtual shelves of GSM Nation this past weekend and is now available from Negri Electronics as well. Both retailers are selling an unlocked, 4G LTE-enabled version of the Xperia Z1 that goes by the model number C6903. The unit supports LTE 800/850/900/1700/1800/1900/2100/2600MHz, meaning that it'll work with both AT&T and T-Mobile's networks here in the U.S.
One of the Z1's tentpole features is its 20.7-megapixel rear camera, which includes a 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS for mobile CMOS image sensor, G Lens with 27mm wide angle lens and f/2.0 aperture and Sony's BIONZ image processing tech. Sony has been known to focus on its mobile cameras in the past, but the company clearly wanted to go all-out on the Z1. That 20.7-megapixel rear shooter isn't the only high-end feature of the device, though, as it also packs a 5-inch 1080p display, 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor and 3000mAh battery.
There's no word yet on when or if Sony's Xperia Z1 will make its way onto a U.S. carrier, so it's nice to see that the unlocked model is available for purchase from a couple of different online retailers. And thanks to the cornucopia of HSPA and LTE bands that are supported by the Z1, this unit should play nicely with most GSM carriers in the States.
If you're ready to give the Z1 and its 20.7-megapixel shooter a try for yourself, you can find "Add to Cart" buttons waiting for you at both GSM Nation and Negri Electronics. And if you're still on the fence, you're in luck! Aaron just posted an unboxing of the Xperia Z1 that you can view to learn more about the device and see it in action before opening your wallet. The clip is embedded below.
