Electronics giant Sony has upped the ante in the growing battle at the top of the smartphone market, by launching a new flagship device.
The new 5.2-inch Xperia XZ handset has an upgraded camera featuring three sensors - a 23MP one for image capture, another for laser auto-focus to reduce blur, and a third for enhanced colours.
The company claims the result is the best camera it has ever made for a smartphone.
Sony made the announcement at the IFA electronics show in Berlin.
The design has also been overhauled, with a smooth rounded edge structure, which Sony describes as a "loop" surface.
The new handset will face stiff competition, with Apple expected to announce its new iPhone 7 next week, and Samsung starting to ship its new Galaxy Note 7 - although it has been delayed in some markets due to a reported problem with the battery.
Sony has been struggling to retain market share in the smartphone market, but has redoubled its efforts since the launch in February of the Xperia X range at Mobile World Congress.
It currently has four X models on the market (not all in Ireland), with the XZ and another new handset launched today, the X Compact, bringing the total to six.
The XZ has 3GB of RAM, as well as 32GB of storage, and a microSD card slot that can expand the memory to 256GB.
It is powered by the Snapdragon 820 processor.
The display is 1080p, even though the video camera records in 4K, while Sony claims the phone learns its users behaviour and will become smarter and more personal over time.
The handset also boasts high-res audio, and has an improved battery the company claims, which will continue to perform for the duration of the user's contract.
The handset, which is also water resistant, will be available from October through Meteor/Eir, with the price still to be decided.
Pre-orders will open in mid-September, with the added inducement of a €200 pair of Sony headphones included in the pre-order package for free.
