LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – It’s pretty unusual to see a major headset manufacturer’s brand-spanking new flagship phone soaking in a goldfish bowl. Then again, if that phone is the new waterproof Sony Xperia Z, maybe a fishbowl is exactly where one would expect to find it.

The new powerhouse handset is rated to IP57, making it capable of use in fairly dusty conditions (think: Burning Man) and waterproof to a depth of one meter.

All that armor protects one of the most sophisticated and drool-worthy Android phones we’ve seen: a gorgous 5-inch, 1080p display that’s as crystal-clear as it is massive, driven by Sony’s Mobile Bravia 2 engine; a fast Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core chip running Jelly Bean; a fast 13-megapixel camera that’s capable of HDR stills and video; and of course, LTE, NFC, etc.

The Xperia Z is coming within the next couple of months, and some countries will also get the ZL, a smaller version of the handset. More details here.

The other new item worth noting at the table was the Walkman Sports MP3 Player NWZ-W270, a waterproof MP3 player that’ll give you an hour of music ona  piddly three-minute charge. Available in March for $100, and happily also iTunes-compatible.