A waterproof beauty

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The thing that’s changed least between the Xperia Z and Xperia Z1 is the external design. Though the new phone keeps the same 5-inch screen size and 1920 x 1080 resolution, it’s actually a little larger and heavier than the older model. For the 16 percent increase in weight, you gain a 29 percent bigger battery (now at 3,000mAh) and enough room to fit a new 20.7-megapixel Exmor RS camera sensor. Visually and in day-to-day use, however, you’ll struggle to tell the difference between the two Xperias. Both are flat, rectangular slabs with glass on the front and back. Both feature machined aluminum power buttons on the side, and both look utterly gorgeous when set against the sea of plastic you usually have to wade through in your local phone store.

While the design is mostly undisturbed, the Xperia Z1 does have a few tangible improvements to offer. Firstly, there’s now a one-piece aluminum frame inside the handset that forms its skeleton and makes it that extra bit more rigid. Secondly, Sony has improved the Z1’s water resistance and no longer needs the annoying flappy cover protecting the headphone jack. Thirdly, and this will be important to shutterbugs eyeing the Xperia Z1 as a prosumer’s cameraphone, the new handset includes a two-stage shutter button that works well.

A less happy distinction that I found between the two phones was a series of scratches that collected on the glass back of the Z1, an issue that I didn’t have with the original Z. I can’t imagine Sony is using a less durable material in the newer model, but keep in mind that the Z1’s scratch resistance isn’t on the same level as its water and dust resistance.

As gorgeous and sophisticated as the Xperia Z1 may look, it also carries on the unfortunately awkward ergonomics of the Xperia Z. Nothing is fundamentally broken, but the perfectly rectangular shape and large size just never sit comfortably in the hand. Even with its imperfections, I still much prefer the Xperia Z1 over its most direct competitor, LG’s G2, which tries to reinvent smartphone ergonomics with a weirdly positioned power button.

The Z1 is right up to speed in the spec wars