Sony Xperia Z Ultra reviews, update (Last update 12/7/2013): The specs of Sony’s flagship has garnered positive reviews. No surprise as it sports a 6.4-inch display and Qualcomm’s newest brand of chipset. Based on reports, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra is quite a contender in the ranks of the heavyweights like Samsung, HTC and Nokia devices.

This is the first phablet that the Japanese company is putting out and will walk that thin line between expensive smartphones and tablets. The screen comes in at a whopping 6.4 inches with one of the best processors in the market today, Qualcomm Snapdragon 800.

According to Tech Spot, the design is centered on a 6.5mm thick size that is still slimmer than the Galaxy S4. Users will like the different concept of having glass both on the front and back of the phone although this means more fingerprint smudges. The front speaker and microphone in the device are discretely tucked away in some small lines leaving for a lot of space for the Sony, NFC and Xperia logos on the minimalistic design.

Tech Spot further states the device has concealed microUSB on top and a dock connector that is magnetic. On the right, users will have a 3.5mm headphone jack, micro sim slots, power button and the up-down volume rocker.

Another quality that consumers are going to love is that it is waterproof claims Tech Spot. The device is supposed to be water resistant to a depth of 1.5 meters for up to half an hour. As much as this is a plus in case you drop your phone in water, it does not mean that one can operate the touchscreen underwater.

In addition to being waterproof, the device’s 6.4 inch 1080p display will have smartphone users gawking says Tech Spot. Sony has fully optimized on their cost-friendly e-IPS TFT LCD panel that you find on a majority of the expensive smartphone displays. Users who watch movies, love images and play games will be very satisfied with the 344 pixels per inch (PPI) despite Tech Spot claiming that the color will not be as good as the Galaxy S4’s super AMOLED. The Z Ultra however wins when it comes to outdoor use in terms of clarity and legibility.

Another interesting factor about the touchscreen from Ultra Z is that you can use any conductive material on it. This includes even your normal graphite pencils. You do not receive a stylus with it but considering you can use anything, you do not need one claim Tech Spot.

A quick search on Amazon shows the Sony Xperia Z Ultra, unlocked, available at an average price of $500-550.