Sony hasn’t had the greatest track record when it comes to mobile devices. The company’s attempts to compete with Samsung and Google have been disappointing at best. That’s why it was all the more surprising to see Sony finally bring its A game to CES 2013 with its latest mobile offering.

On Monday evening, Sony Mobile announced the latest smartphone in its long line of Xperia devices – the Xperia Z. The device features a number of improvements and enhancements that may help Sony finally catch up with the rest of the smartphone market, and even surpass it in some ways.

“With Xperia Z, we are bringing over half a century of innovation in TV, imaging, music, film and gaming to create a superphone experience that truly stands out,” said Kuni Suzuki, President and CEO, at Sony Mobile Communications. “With great specifications, Sony’s media applications, One-touch functions and outstanding battery life, Xperia Z is well positioned for leadership in the smartphone market. By putting smartphones at the heart of our strategy, Sony is enabling people to create, enjoy and share content and experiences like never before.”

The Xperia Z is being dubbed Sony’s new flagship mobile device, and the specs don’t disappoint. The device sports a 5-inch 1080p display, a powerful Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, NFC sharing, a 13MP fast-capture camera and 4G LTE. The device is also dust and water resistant.

Sony Mobile also announced the Xperia ZL, a smartphone with the power of the Xperia Z crammed into a smaller form factor. Both phones will be available in the first quarter of this year. There’s no word on pricing yet, but expect comparable prices to other flagship devices.

Both phones will ship with Android 4.1, but will be upgraded to 4.2 shortly after launch. Here’s hoping Sony can keep these phones updated with the latest Android OS when Google inevitably announces Android 4.3 later this year.