Xperia Z1S Now Available Online, Hits T-Mobile Stores Jan 22

Just a week after its unveiling at CES, Sony’s Xperia Z1S is already available to purchase through T-Mobile’s online store for $528 outright, though it won’t be available at the carrier’s brick and mortar stores until Jan. 22 when you can buy it for $0 down with a Simple Choice plan. The new device is a perfect clone of the flagship Z1, offering the same water-resistant coating, sleek design and powerful specs, though it has a few software tweaks as a T-Mobile exclusive.

In case you missed the official announcement, here’s a quick run down of what the Xperia Z1S has to offer. Sony’s new smartphone is equipped with a 5-inch 1080p display, a 20.7-megapixel camera, a Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor clocked at 2.2GHz, a 3,000mAh battery, 2GB of RAM, and 32GB of onboard storage with microSD support. The Android handset runs version 4.3 Jelly Bean of Google’s OS, though Sony couldn’t confirm whether the device will upgrade to Android 4.4 KitKat. It also has some exclusive features, like Wi-Fi calling and a camera option that allows you to blur the focus after you take a shot.

Overall, the Xperia Z1S is a great choice for anyone already subscribed to T-Mobile or considering making the switch thanks to the Uncarrier’s new incentives to ditch your old carrier. Then again, with rumors flying that Sony could unveil a new flagship smartphone next month at Mobile World Congress, you may want to hold off a bit longer before making your decision.