Although Samsung and Apple now hold their own specific launch events and next week's Mobile World Congress is likely to see more announcements from the major handset companies, this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has perhaps given us an insight into the  areas on which smartphone manufacturers will next focus to differentiate their devices from the competition.

At the event, Sony introduced its latest hero smartphone, the Experia Z. The first of its stand-out features is its 5" screen, which sees it creep into the phablet arena (devices with a screen size of between 5" and 7"). Is Sony looking to challenge the Samsung Galaxy Note, currently the best-selling phone/tablet hybrid?

Rumours are also beginning to circulate that the next iPhone, the 5S that will possibly launch mid-2013, could also boast a 5" screen. This would also be Apple's response to the success of devices such as the Galaxy S3 with its 4.8" screen, and could see a general market shift towards bigger and bigger smartphones. More importantly perhaps is that a bigger phone means room for a bigger battery and thus longer battery life.

A second notable feature of the Experia Z that is a little bit more of a novelty is that it is water-resistant and will work under water for up to 30 minutes. HzO has also been demonstrating its WaterBlock coating, which will allow device manufacturers to apply a nano-coating to the electronics on the inside of the device, thereby rendering it 'waterproof'. This too might well be the next 'must-have' for mobile devices.

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