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Sony Z3 phones: Do we need 20.7 megapixel cameras?

At the annual IFA trade show in Berlin, Japanese electronics maker Sony announced a series of new products, which include two new smart phones, a tablet, and two new wearable devices. 

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Sony
The Sony Xperia C3 smartphone, released in July, features a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

Sony wants consumers to know it can do it all. At the annual IFA trade show in Berlin, the Japanese electronics manufacturer unveiled two smart phones – the Xperia Z3 and the Z3 Compact – as well as a new 8-inch tablet called the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact. 

Each device will run on Google's Android operating system. 

The Xperia Z3 will work with T-Mobile beginning in the fall, making it the first time Sony has released a phone working with both global and US wireless carriers, "which could mean the company is getting more serious about increasing its mobile presence in the US," PC Magazine reports. In addition, it comes with a round aluminum frame, a 5.2-inch screen, a 20.7-megapixel camera, and has Sony's highest-ever waterproof rating. 

Gamers are in luck because the Xperia Z3 comes with PS4 Remote Play, meaning it can connect to PlayStation 4 controllers and double as a screen for games – long car rides with no way to play that PS4 game just got a bit more fun. Moreover, gamers can transition seamlessly from their spot in a game on a TV onto their Z3 smart phone without losing their spot. 

According to PC Magazine, the Z3 Compact and Z3 Tablet Compact have, in many ways, the same features as the Z3, save for the 4.6-inch screen on the Compact and the 8-inch profile on the tablet. 

This comes in addition to the the Xperia E3, a lower-grade smart phone contained in plastic, and the announcement of two new wearable devices, which is notable at a time when electronics giants are all scrambling to gain a foothold in the burgeoning wearable market. 

Sony released a new 1.4-inch wristband called the SmartBand Talk that sports a curved display and a new version of its SmartWatch – dubbed SmartWatch 3 – that features a 1.6-inch display. Both devices run on Google's Android Wear operating system, the mobile operating system's version for wearable devices. They both incorporate voice commands and are waterproof. Sony says third-party developers will be able to make features for the wristband and smart watch in the hopes of creating a network of applications, similar to the way Apple and Google invite developers to create apps for users to download to their mobile devices. 

With wearable devices expected to more than triple in number by the end of this year, with revenue from global wearables reaching $37 billion by 2020, Sony's entry into this market is expected, if not late. Apple also may announce its first wearable devices at an event on Sept. 9. in Cupertino, Calif. Last week both Samsung and LG announced new smart watches to add to their growing list of wearable devices. 

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