Sony unveils flagship Xperia Z smartphone

And an interesting new feature is the ability to tap the phone on the remote control of one of several new televisions that Sony is also announcing at CES. Once the phone and remote control meet, video can be sent from the phone through NFC to the remote and then over WiFi to the television for viewing on a big screen.

"We believe the viewing experience on this phone is as good as a TV," Molyneux said.

Or, you could just watch movies in the shower. The phone is dust and water resistance to the IP55 and IP57 ratings and can be submerged in up to a meter or water for 30 minutes. A demonstration phone was briefly dunked in a jar of water to prove that everything keeps running even if it gets wet.

The phone is based on Android 4.1, also known as "Jelly Bean," and will be available in the first quarter of this year in three colors: black, purple and white. Sony said an upgrade to Android version 4.2 will be offered shortly after launch.

Pricing was not announced.

Martyn Williams covers mobile telecoms, Silicon Valley and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Martyn on Twitter at @martyn_williams. Martyn's e-mail address is martyn_williams@idg.com