Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. Sony Xperia Z: Smart Phone Battle on Features, Specifications, Price and Release Date [PHOTOS]

Sony recently unveiled at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas its latest smart phone identified as the Sony Xperia Z. The device is anticipated to compete against the other upcoming devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Sony Xperia Z reportedly features a full HD display with a resolution of 1920x1080 at a 7.9mm thickness. Sony claims the Xperia Z's rounded edges and smooth reflective surfaces on all sides will allow the users to comfortably hold and use the device.

With a tight security surrounding Samsung's Galaxy S4, details have not been disclosed to the public regarding the smart phone's design. Right now, gadget enthusiasts are only speculating on a thinner, sleeker and possibly larger Samsung Galaxy S4 screen 1080p AMOLED display.

Also, Sony Xperia Z excels with its dust and water resistant feautre rated at IP55 and IP57 standards. Sony ensures that Xperia X can be submerged in water up to 30 minutes without any damages since all ports will be covered with flaps.

Sony Xperia Z runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean but the company reportedly promised an upgrade to the latest Android 4.2 version soon after the device's launch. Another interesting software feature is Sony's "Battery Stamina mode." The said feature will prevent applications from running if the screen is locked. With that, power can be saved from the 2330mAh battery and most likely improves the standby time by at least four times.

Samsung Galaxy S4 is speculated to feature the Exynos 5 Octa quad-core processor that was also launched during the 201 CES. The Galaxy S4 is also rumored to have a microSD card slot with expandable memory capacity as well as a removable battery feature.

Sony Xperia Z includes a 13-megapixel camera and Exmor RS image sensor making it the world's first ever smart phone with High Dynamic Range (HDR) video. The phone is also powered with a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory storage. A microSD card slot is available for extra storage capacity.

The Sony Xperia Z is reportedly 4G capable in Australia so the device is well-suited with the 1800MHz 4G networks used in the land Down Under. Sony Xperia Z will be launched in Australia on March 2013 at Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Pricing still remains a mystery but the Sony Xperia Z is rumored to be worth $650 in the United States which is the usual price with high-end unlocked smart phones.

As for the Samsung Galaxy S4, it appears that Samsung will release the Galaxy S4 within the first half of 2013. Also, no pricing has been identified for the Samsung Galaxy S4 but the device is expected to be worth $199.99 which was the price of Samsung Galaxy S3 when it debuted at all carriers except T-Mobile.