Phones4U has said the Sony Xperia Z, announced on Monday at CES in Las Vegas, will be available to buy in store from 1 March. 

The date, something Sony itself hasn't even confirmed, ties in with the retailer's promise that the phone would be available to buy in the UK in the first quarter of 2013. 

Vodafone and Three are so far the only UK operators which have said they will stock the 5-inch, 1080p-resolution screen smartphone that Sony believes will allow it to challenge not only the Samsung Galaxy S3, but also the Samsung Galaxy S4 when it supposedly launches in May. Neither has stated a day for availability. 

READ: Sony Xperia Z 5-inch Android superphone official, we go hands-on

Meanwhile, not wanting to miss out on the action, Carphone Warehouse has confirmed that it will be stocking the brand new Sony Xperia Z from launch in February.

The waterproof and dust-resistant Sony Xperia Z will be available for pre-order from early February, with pricing to be confirmed, says the company. 

The new phone packs a stack of impressive features such as a 13-megapixel camera and is waterproof, so it is safe to drop in in the bath. 

No matter when it is launched, we will bring you a full review as soon as we can. In the meantime make sure you check out our hands-on preview.

UPDATE: It looks like you'll be able to get the Sony Xperia Z on O2 as well. The UK network has tweeted its registration page to get more information when available. While we don't know how much or when the Xperia Z will be arriving on O2, the company has confirmed that it the Xperia Z in black and also the exclusive on the purple Sony Xperia Z.

UPDATE 2: Mobile phone retailer Clove has said that it will be selling the device for £440 + VAT (if applicable) which comes to £528 inclusive of VAT for those that want it without having to sign a lengthy contract.