The Sony Xperia Z is the company's most serious Android smartphone to date, with a 1.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU, 5-inch 1080p HD display, 13.1-megapixel camera with 1080p HD recording, 2,330 mAh battery, and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with Sony's Timescape UI.  The phone itself is gorgeous, with an industrial look and glass all around.  Xperia Z isn't available in the States just yet (here's to hoping for an Xperia TL soon!), but it can be purchased unlocked from Negri Electronics for around $750 with shipping.

Sony has the software ecosystem and hardware needed to be successful against the global heavyweights - the question lies in whether they can ink carrier distribution agreements in the United States.  This phone needs to be launched on Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile.