Compared to its predecessor, the Sony Xperia Z, the latest Xperia Z1 is a bigger and more ostentatious version, sporting a faster processor, flashier camera and a hardier metal casing. Nevertheless, as far as the design and software is concerned, both the devices are somewhat similar.

The Sony Xperia Z1 is not only waterproof and dust-proof, but the device's USB, microSD, and micro SIM ports are all concealed under tight rubber stoppers, which can be popped open with just a fingernail. In addition, the power button is also positioned on the right side of the device, rather than being located on the top right side of the smartphone.

The phone has an aluminum casing, with rounded edges to render a gentler, colder feel. The front as well as the rear of the phone seems to be made of glass, while the sides are made of hard plastic. The sides reach over the phone's glass face by little over a millimeter and it acts as a shock absorber in case the handset gets dropped.

However, the Xperia Z1 features the 5-inch screen with a full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, similar to that of the Xperia Z. In addition, both the devices have the same 2GB of RAM. On the other hand, the Z1 comes with more powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core 2.2GHz Krait 400 processor.

The 20.7-megapixel camera balances the phone's 1080p display, offering sharp and quick outdoor shots. However, the quality of indoor shots suffers owing to of the absence of a flash. The issue can, however, be somewhat fixed by updating to Android 4.3.

The Xperia Z1 is packed with numerous additional features and services and the users have to sign-up to avail them, or agree to disclaimers and agreements. The Music Unlimited service is one such feature that always reminds the user to key in credit card details to activate the product.

In general, the Z1 is definitely an upgrade from the Xperia Z vis-à-vis the camera and the processor speed.