Sony recently launched its flagship Android smartphone at the 2013 International CES, the Xperia Z, which packs in top-end features that are enough to compete with any other high-end smartphones available in the market. Samsung Galaxy S3 is one of the most popular top-of-the-line smartphones around and it seems that the Xperia Z may give stiff competition to the Galaxy S3. Or will it?

Here's a look at the specifications and features of Sony Xperia Z and Samsung Galaxy S3.

Processor

The Sony Xperia Z features a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with Adreno 320 GPU.

"The Snapdragon S4 Pro processor is asynchronous, which means each core is powered up and down independently. So you get the precise amount of power when you need it, without wasting power when you don't," per Sony.

On the other hand, the U.S. version of Galaxy S3 sports a dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.5GHz.

Display

The Xperia Z sports a 5-inch full HD Reality Display (1920 x 1080 pixels) with Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2, which gives the "same quality you'd expect from a top quality HDTV." The Galaxy S3 has a smaller 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display with 1280 x 720 pixels resolution.

The Xperia Z has higher pixels density of 443 ppi when compared to Galaxy S3 which packs in 306ppi.

Dimensions and Weight

The Xperia Z measures 5.47 x 2.79 x 0.31 inches and weighs 5.15 ounces, while the Galaxy S3 measures 5.38 x 2.78 x 0.34 inches, making the latter shorter, less wide but thicker than the Sony offering. At 4.73 ounces, however, the Galaxy S3 is slightly lighter than the Xperia Z.

Storage and Memory

The Xperia Z will be available with 16GB of on-board storage, whereas the Galaxy S3 is available in 16/32/64GB internal storage options. You can also expand the memory of Galaxy S3 to a further 64GB using a microSD card; however, the memory of Xperia Z is expandable to only 32GB using a microSD card.

The Xperia Z offers 2GB of RAM compared to Galaxy S3's 1GB (LTE version has 2GB).

Software

The Xperia Z come pre-loaded with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, but Sony mentioned that the Xperia Z would soon be upgraded to Android 4.2 post release. The Galaxy S3 comes packed with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, upgradable to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Battery

A 2100mAh battery powers the Galaxy S3, which offers up to 10.8 hours of talk time and 750 hours of standby time. On the other hand, the Xperia Z has a bigger 2330mAh battery that also packs in the Battery STAMINA mode, which saves unwanted battery drainage. The Xperia Z's battery supports up to 11 hours of talk time and 550 hours of standby time.

Camera

The Xperia Z packs in a 13.1-megapixel rear-facing camera. Sony touts that its primary Fast Capture camera with Exmor RS for mobile is capable of shooting HDR videos and razor sharp pictures. The Xperia Z also packs in a 2.2-megapixel front-facing camera. The Galaxy S3, on the other hand, features an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash and Autofocus and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera.

Availability and Colors

The Xperia Z will release in Q1 2013, whereas the Galaxy S3 has been in the smartphone industry since May 2012.

The Xperia Z will be available in three colors - black, white, and purple. On the other hand, the Galaxy S3 was initially launched in Marble White and Pebble Blue colors; however, Samsung introduced more color variants like Amber Brown, Garnet Red, Sapphire Black, Titanium Gray, and Martian Pink (specific to some regions only).

In terms of specifications, at least on paper, the Xperia Z blows the Galaxy S3 out of water. However, in real life, Xperia Z still needs to be tested out and we have to wait and see whether Sony's flagship smartphonee of 2013 can emulate Galaxy S3's feat of selling 30 million devices in less than a year. In fact, it will be interesting to see if Xperia Z will be able to grab a slice of Galaxy S3's market share before the arrival of Galaxy S3's successor, the Galaxy S4.