The Sony Xperia Z created significant buzz at CES 2013, and rightfully so. If for some reason, the specs were not enough to intrigue you, then this might. Sony has published the kernel source code on their Sony Mobile developer website. Currently the Sony Xperia Z has been only been release in Japan. Global release is set for the end of this month.

The source code is for the Xperia Z (SO-02E) with the software version of 10.1.D.0.317. The file size is a reasonable 203MB. Sony has done a great job releasing the source code for their devices as required by GPLv2. It seems as if the Sony Xperia Z is destined to be successful; it has the specs, it looks great, and will be developer friendly. That covers practically everything the average user, the enthusiasts, and the developers ask for. Ultimately, its long-term success will come down to Sony's ability to deliver on their update promises as well the widespread acceptance of the phone. Sony announced that the Xperia Z will be running Android 4.1 out of the box but promised the Android 4.2 update will follow shortly. It looks very promising, even moreso now that the source is release, but time will tell how the Xperia Z performs in an already crowded market.

Sony's Xperia Z already has a spec sheet that many phone enthusiasts would go crazy for - water & dust resistant, 5″ 1080p screen at ~441 ppi, quad-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 Pro with 2 gigs RAM, 13.1 MP camera - and the addition of released source code and the potential for development make it all the better. Now to get it in the US, on a decent carrier, with an unlocked bootloader... That' a whole other challenge, and one I hope to see Sony conquer.