Xperia Z1 Honami Release Date News: Available Unlocked, Price Varies

Those looking to buy the latest smartphone in Sony's Xperia lineup are in luck: the newest flagship device in lineup, the Xperia Z1 (formerly known as the Honami), is now available unlocked from several online retailers.

Sony had preivously stated it was aiming for a late September release date for the device, and it looks like the company delivered. Currently, two different retailers are offering the smartphone, but the pricing is different for both. GSM Nation is currently offering the device for $749, while Negri Electronics is selling the smartphone for $786.50. Both retailers are offering the C6903 model of the Xperia Z1, which is 4G LTE version of the smartphone. The new smartphone will work on LTE 800/850/900/1700/1800/1900/2100/2600 MHz, which means the device will work fine on AT&T and T-Mobile. Of course, if users do not want to pay for the unlocked version of the device then they may want to wait and see what service providers will carry the phone, however, Sony has not announced any carriers for the device yet.

The Sony Xperia Z1 is one of the more impressive smartphones available on the market, with the centerpiece its huge 20.7-megapixel camera with a 1/2.3-inch Exmor CMOS image sensor, a Sony G Lens with 27mm wide angle lens, A Sony BIONZ image processor and a f/2.0 aperture. The device is powered by a 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor with 2GB of RAM and a 3000mAh battery. The display for the smartphone is a 5-inch Full HD 1080p model, which will come in handy for displaying the photos taken with the device's impressive camera.

While Sony is just releasing the Xperia Z1 to the United States, the device had already been available in several international markets such as the U.K. and India. Despite the Xperia Z1 just beginning to roll out in America, the eventual successor for the device, the Xperia Z2 (also called Avatar) has already been the subject of many different rumors. Sony has yet to confirm the existence of the Z2, so any and all rumors about the device must be taken with a grain of salt, but much of the speculation agrees that the device will sport the same camera as the Z1, and will launch sometime around CES 2014.