4G-ready Sony Xperia Z shows up for pre-order on Vodafone

4G-ready Sony Xperia Z shows up for pre-order on Vodafone
The Xperia Z was unveiled to great acclaim at CES 2013

Vodafone has today started to accept pre-orders for the 4G-ready Sony Xperia Z smartphone, expected to launch in the UK at the end of this month.

The network says that the 5-inch, 1080p handset is equipped to work on its 4G LTE network when the roll-out begins for Vodafone customers sometime later in the year, following the Ofcom spectrum auction.

Vodafone is offering the impressive handset for free on a £42 a month, 24 month contract, with unlimited texts, minutes and 2GB of mobile data.

Contracts further down the trough offer £29, £33 and £37 a month contracts over two years, but users will have to pay £149, £99 and £49 (respectively) as a one-off fee for the Android Jelly Bean 4.1 handset.

Free headphones

As an added bonus, the first 1,000 customers to order before the February 28 - the expected, but unconfirmed launch date - will get a free pair of Sony MDR-1R headphones.

The Sony Xperia Z was a big hit during its launch at CES and "impressed us hugely" during our hands-on review posted during the event.

With a 5-inch, full HD 1080p Bravia-infused screen, complete with the highest pixel density of any smartphone to date, it looks like Sony is onto a real winner.

Alongside the company's premium design ethic, there's plenty of power, top-notch imaging tech and the addition of waterproof and dustproof casing.

It's an early front-runner to challenge the very best smartphones of 2013. Check back for TechRadar's in-depth review of the device in the next few days.

Chris Smith

A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.