Gadgetory

hi this is Bryan Bennett for seen it and right now we're taking a first look at the Sony Xperia Z ultra Google Play edition now before I dive into what this smartphone can do i have to say man this phone is massive with a capital massive it is one serious slab of mobile machine with its humongous 6.4 4-inch display the Z ultra proves its moniker is no mere marketing boast at least in the physical size Department it's gigantic footprint borders on the comical and pushes the phone tablet hybrid category to unheard-of dimensions frankly it manages to dwarf other devices which until just recently I thought of as positively gargantuan that includes the HTC One max Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and even the once king of mobile girth the samsung galaxy mega Sony though does its best to minimize the impact of the z ultra's dimensions the phone has an extremely thin chassis which gives the device a shockingly flat appearance this coupled with the z ultra's glass construction angular shape and dark black colors helped the device achieve a very sophisticated and elegant look the major distinguishing feature of the xperia z ultra Google Play edition however is its software while not a true Google Nexus device the phone runs a squeaky clean version of Android 4.4 KitKat with all the bells and whistles that go with it that includes a smarter sharper looking interface google now notifications and advanced search plus access to the company's vast catalog of digital content apps and services also this device costs six hundred and forty nine dollars and is sold directly through the google play store in the u.s. unlock the xperia z ultra Google Play edition is also designed to support gsm cellular networks and 4G LTE for fast mobile data inside the z ultra's components are the same as its global predecessor just like it's more worldly doppelgänger the xperia z ultra GPE is powered by a state-of-the-art quad-core snapdragon 800 processor paired with two gigabytes of ram there are 16 gigabytes of internal memory and a microSD card slot for extra expansion the only physical controls are on the right side a silver circular power button and trim volume bar also here is a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack to meet its water resistant rating the z ultra's ports are all buttoned up under protective flaps as well the handset can survive submersion at a depth of 5 feet for up to 30 minutes on the back is the phone's main 8 megapixel camera and flash be warned though like many of Sony's current Xperia phones the Z ultra smooth glossy surface is a grease and fingerprint magnet I'm Brian Bennett for cnet and you've just taken a first look at the Sony Xperia Z ultra Google Play edition be sure to check out our full review