Sony Xperia Z Ultra review: The newly launched Android 4.4.4 KitKat is now rolling out to Sony’s high-end phablet, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra.

The Android 4.4.4 KitKat to the Sony Xperia Z Ultra includes a few Sony specific improvements combined with Google’s changes. Android Headlines posted the full changelog on their website and it can also be found below:

Firmware 14.4.A.0.108 changelog for the Xperia Z1, Z Ultra and Z1 Compact

Android 4.4.4 including the latest enhancements and security updates from Google
Updated and improved camera experience
Improvements when using Google voice, Contacts, Music streaming and Google+
The latest versions of our Sony apps for you to enjoy
All of our latest bug fixes, optimisations & improvements

Features of the Sony Xperia Z Ultra include a 2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB RAM and an 8MP camera. The unit is the first phablet that the Japanese company released and is described as a device that walked the thin line between expensive smartphones and tablets. The screen comes in at whopping 6.4 inches with high-res display of 1080 x 1920 and pixel density of 342.

According to Tech Spot, the design is centered on a 6.5mm thick size that is still slimmer than the Galaxy S4. Users will like the different concept of having glass both on the front and back of the phone although this means more fingerprint smudges. The front speaker and microphone in the device are discretely tucked away in some small lines leaving for a lot of space for the Sony, NFC and Xperia logos on the minimalistic design.

Tech Spot further states the device has concealed microUSB on top and a dock connector that is magnetic. On the right, users will have a 3.5mm headphone jack, micro sim slots, power button and the up-down volume rocker.

Another quality that consumers are going to love is that it is waterproof claims Tech Spot. The device is supposed to be water resistant to a depth of 1.5 meters for up to half an hour. As much as this is a plus in case you drop your phone in water, it does not mean that one can operate the touchscreen underwater.

Sony has fully optimized on their cost-friendly e-IPS TFT LCD panel that you find on a majority of the expensive smartphone displays. Users who watch movies, love images and play games will be very satisfied with the 344 pixels per inch (PPI) despite Tech Spot claiming that the color will not be as good as the Galaxy S4’s super AMOLED. The Z Ultra however wins when it comes to outdoor use in terms of clarity and legibility.

One key challenge for the unit is its premium price. A quick look on Amazon.com shows an unlocked international version of the Xperia Z Ultra priced at around $400.

In an April 2014 report published on Phones Review, it noted that a Sony Xperia Z Ultra 2 may be made available and could be launched by the end of the year.