The Sony Xperia Z is out in the United States, but another variant in the works allows underwater snapshots and HD video as far down as five feet.
The Xperia ZR is a slightly smaller, more rugged version of the Xperia Z. The display shrinks from 5 inches to 4.6 inches, but the water tolerance improves remarkably.
With its dedicated camera button, the Xperia Zr can take photos and HD video underwater for up to half an hour and can handle depths up to 1.5 meters.
"As well as being dust-resistant, this waterproof phone is IP55 and IP58 compliant, so you can keep it submerged in 1.5 meters of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. Combined with its dedicated camera key, the waterproof capabilities let you shoot videos in Full HD or snap pictures underwater, capturing the sharpest visuals. The camera key also allows you to shoot even from a locked screen," Sony said in a press release.
Sony says the Xperia Zr will launch sometime in the second quarter of this year, which we're already well into, so expect to see the ZR popping up in different markets later this month or next month.
No word on a price, but since the screen is smaller, it's likely the Xperia ZR will be either cheaper than the Xperia Z or the same price.
The Sony Xperia ZR features a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM, a 4.6-inch 720p display, a 13.1-megapixel camera with 1080p video, 16GB of internal storage and runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, though Sony has promised a quick upgrade to 4.2. It is waterproof down to five feet in depth and can take photos and HD video while submerged.
Check back for the latest information on the Xperia ZR as it becomes available.