Sony Xperia ZR Lets You Shoot Full HD Videos Underwater

Sony's new Android smartphone, the Sony Xperia ZR, has a trait not often seen in today's high-range smartphones: it can be submerged 5 feet deep under water.

Its level of water resistance — IP55 and IP58 — is a bit better than Sony's current Android flagship, Sony Xperia Z, which is IP55 and IP57 compliant, meaning it can be submerged into 3.3 feet of water.

Bear in mind that, for both devices, this specifically means "fresh water," meaning you probably shouldn't take it with you for that ocean dive, but it's still a very nice feature to have, especially with the summer approaching.

As for the rest of the Xperia ZR's specs, they're the same as the Xperia Z: a 4.6-inch screen, 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 13-megapixel camera and 2GB of RAM.

The camera lets you shoot full HD videos, and the device's Exmor RS image sensor lets you take HDR photos and videos, all of which could result in some stunning underwater footage if you're not scared to get a little wet.

Sony Xperia ZR will become available globally (in black or white) in Q2 2013 at a yet-undisclosed price. 

by Stan Schroeder