Sony has announced yet another water- and dust-proof Android smartphone. The Xperia ZR has a 4.55-inch Reality display but share many of the features as the Xperia Z and Xperia ZL. If we just focus at the hardware specifications, the Xperia ZR looks like a Xperia T with a waterproof housing. They have the same 4.55-inch Reality display with a 720 x 1280 HD resolution. But Xperia ZR is a little larger something that must be caused by the extra water and dust sealing. Xperia ZR has the same quick 1.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor which we also find in Xperia Z.
Sony Xperia ZR has got a slightly better water protection than Xperia Z. The IP-Code is now IP55/58 which means that the phone can be immersed in depth deeper than 1 meter. Sony has tested the phone down to 1.5 meter for 30 minutes.
The external buttons seems familiar. We have got the power key and the volume keys. One thing we missed with the Xperia Z was the lack of a dedicated camera shutter key. It is nice to see that Sony has added one on the Xperia ZR.
You will not find a docking station included in the sales package, but a new Charging Dock DK28 should be yours for an extra 50 Euro. We would recommend anyone choosing the Xperia ZR to buy this dock. The water protection has its price. The protective covers must be removed each time you want to use headsets via the 3.5 audio plug or the USB or MHL cable. This hassle is gone if you are using the Charging Dock
Sony Xperia ZR will, like its bigger brother Xperia Z, run on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
Sony Xperia ZR highlights