There's no denying that the Xperia Z is a great-looking device but the fact that it also stands up to water and dust better than pretty much every high-end smartphone is impressive as well. Often times, our precious high-end devices can't take a spillage or anything of the sort but, Sony are changing that. Now, there's word that Sony are readying yet another high-end smartphone that will feature water and dust protection with the Xperia ZR.

Given a model number of C550X and a codename of Dogo, the Xperia ZR is said to feature the following specs:


4.6-inch 720p Display

1.5 Ghz Snapdragon S4 Pro Quad-Core CPU

2GB of RAM

8GB of Storage with microSD support

13MP Exmor RS Camera

2,300 mAh

IP55/IP58

So, while these aren't the best specs in the world it's that IP55/IP58 that could make this a smartphone to watch. That's a step-up from the Xperia Z's protection rating and it's leagues ahead of the Galaxy S IV and the HTC One when it comes to protection. With such a high rating, you could submerge this device at a depth of a 1.5m for up to 30 minutes.

Of course, building a smartphone that can resist the elements brings with it some compromises, and in the form of the Xperia ZR, that means an overall thicker device that would easily be 10mm or more. It's also not going to be anywhere near as sleek and sexy as the Xperia Z and closer to the look and feel of the Xperia ZL. The 720p display is also a step down but, at 4.6-inches it'll be crisp and clear.

Sony seem to be the only smartphone manufacturer pushing this sort of protection in their phones and when you think about, why shouldn't they? Often we tend to keep our smartphones somewhere in the region of 24 months and you'd like to think that your smartphone could keep up with the spills etc. Sony are delivering this sort of protection without too much compromise either. Sure, this isn't going to be the champion of drop tests but it'll survive trips to the beach, messy children and anything everyday life could throw at it.


[Source: Xperia Blog]