Google just announced a special Google Play Edition of the Xperia Z Ultra phone-tablet hybrid. Sculpted in Sony's current design language of sleek lines and sharp edges, the Z Ultra is now for sale directly through the Google Play store for $649.

Equipped with a lovely and massive 6.44-inch Triluminos LCD display with full-HD (1080p) resolution, the Xperia Z Ultra is guaranteed to make a big impression. The same goes for its 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, the fastest that chip maker Qualcomm has released in the mobile world. That's backed up by 2GB of RAM along with 16GB of internal storage. Adding additional space for apps and digital media is simply a matter of using the Z Ultra's microSD card slot.

Now throw in Google's fresh infusion of Android 4.4 KitKat software plus an unlocked GSM radio capable of grabbing nearby 4G LTE signals, and the Sony Xperia Z Ultra really begins to seem more appealing. The icing on the cake is the device's water-resistant chassis, which is rated to withstand dust particles and submersion in water.

Of course there are some aspects to the Xperia Z Ultra that aren't extremely appealing, the first of which is its steep $649 sticker price. I know it's unlocked, but I could buy a Nexus 5, boasting a pretty large 5-inch screen, for just $349. I also wasn't a fan of the US Xperia Z's super-glossy surface. I hope the Xperia Z Ultra is less of a fingerprint magnet. But as I see it, the more Google Play Edition devices that hit the market, the better, so I certainly give big kudos to Sony and Google.