T-Mobile-compatible Sony Xperia Z1 clears Bluetooth SIG certification

Sony’s latest and greatest flagship the Xperia Z1 impressed us with its 20-megapixel camera and snappy performance, but those dreaming about buying this water-protected glass handset have to swallow its full $669 retail price in the United States currently, as no carrier offers it.

This however might change soon as the Sony Xperia Z1 with T-Mobile bands has just passed certification over at the Bluetooth SIG, a strong hint that the Xperia Z1 might be coming to the “Un-carrier” in the near future.

If this happens, it’s likely that you’d be able to buy the Xperia Z1 at a much lower, subsidized price. Details are scant, but hopefully this new version supports 4G LTE connectivity as well. Right now, Sony is selling an HSPA+ (3G only, no 4G LTE) unlocked model of the Xperia Z1.

What makes the Xperia Z1 worth your attention, though? The handset features a unique water and dust resistance feature (no other top-shelf device has this) and it comes with a very capable 20-megapixel camera with a larger-than-average 1/2.3-inch sensor with wide f/2.0 aperture allowing for better low-light image shooting. It’s also running on the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 system chip with 2GB of memory. Internal storage is expandable via microSD cards as well.

All in all, the biggest flaw of the Xperia Z1 is the fact that no US carrier has the device in its portfolio. Let’s hope that T-Mobile rectifies this soon.