Updated: Sony Xperia Z Ultra price and release date revealed

Sony has revealed the Xperia Z Ultra, a huge-yet-thin smartphone that’s packing enough beefy specs to pre-emptively bring the fight to the likes of the unannounced Samsung Galaxy Note 3. And given what it’s packing beneath its slick innards, the Galaxy Note 3 should have something to worry about.

Super-thin, Super-fast, Super-smart

The 212g Xperia Z Ultra is the world’s thinnest smartphone with a full HD display, measuring in at just a tad thicker than the non-HD Huawei Ascend P6, at 6.5mm thin. It has a giant 6.4in full HD display featuring Sony’s own Bravia Triluminous display technology which provides a larger range of natural colours and its X-Reality engine can upscale standard YouTube videos, adding extra pixels to improve the quality.

Not only that, but thanks to what we’re assuming is some form of secretive tech witchcraft, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra’s screen will work with any regular pen or pencil, meaning you’ll always have a stylus at hand.

The Sony Xperia Z Ultra is also the first phone in the world that will land with Qualcomm’s powerful Snapdragon 800 processor (the one that supports 4K video and 7.1 virtual surround sound), along with 2GB RAM to power Android Jelly Bean 4.2.

An 8MP rear-facing camera with facial recognition for easy Facebook tagging is coupled with a front-facing 2MP camera for video calls while 16GB of expandable storage and NFC are thrown in for good measure.

The Xperia Z Ultra also has a large 3,000mAh battery to power all that delicious screen real estate along with the same Stamina mode found in the Xperia Z which will hopefully deliver on its promise of increasing standby duration by four times.

Too big to handle? Sony has you covered

If the ludicrous size of the Sony Xperia Z Ultra isn’t enough to put you off making phone calls (it should be) then you can always get Sony’s newly announced Smart Bluetooth handset which you can use to make and receive calls as well as stream music/listen to the radio. A much more sensible option, unless you like being stared at.

Wet ‘n Wild

The Sony Xperia Z Ultra also packs the same waterproof smarts as its smaller Xperia Z brother, meaning it can survive a dip or too without flickering off to an untimely death.

The Sony Xperia Z Ultra will hit the shops on September 12th for a smidge under £600 SIM-free, according to online retailer Unlocked-Mobiles, with either a Black, White and purple paint job. Stay tuned for our full review to see if this behemoth can knock the HTC One off Stuff’s Top 10 smartphone list.

About

Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.