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Sony's classy and durable Xperia Z (pictures)

For $99.99 down and 24 monthly payments of $20 after that, the Sony Xperia Z for T-Mobile offers a thin design plus a water- and dust-resistant chassis.

Brian Bennett
Brian Bennett is a former senior writer for the home and outdoor section at CNET.
Brian Bennett
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1 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

A screen that's big and bright

The Sony Xperia Z sports a huge 5-inch full-HD (1,920x1,080-pixel) LCD screen.
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2 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

Dark and mysterious

In keeping with the Sony Xperia Z's all-black monolithic design, the back face of the phone is dark and almost featureless.
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3 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

Trim and sophisticated

Despite its high level of durability, the Sony Xperia Z manages to keep an ultrathin profile. Show here on the phone's right edge is the circular power button and the volume bar.
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4 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

A stealthy Micro-USB port

On the Sony Xperia Z's left side sit a Micro-USB port and microSD card slot hidden under protective flaps.
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5 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

An undercover headphone jack

On the top edge of the Xperia Z is a hidden 3.5mm headphone jack.
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6 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

A sharp shape

The angular edges of the Xperia Z could be more comfortable to hold.
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7 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

Reflections aplenty

Since both sides of the Xperia Z are made from glass, the phone is a magnet for reflections and fingerprints.
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8 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

All buttoned up

Flaps seal all the Xperia Z's ports and slots to protect against water and dirt.
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9 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

Don't try this with ordinary phones

Unless your smartphone meets the IP55/IP57 standards for water and dust ingress like the Xperia Z, don't try this at home.
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10 of 10 Sarah Tew/CNET

Wet and wild

Here's another demonstration of the Xperia Z's water survivability.

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