ZTE’s plans to launch two phablets this year and the company is now a step closer to accomplishing those plane. The Nubia Z5 has now been officially announced by the company. The Black and White models of the device will go on sale in China beginning January 2013 for 3,456 yuan (about $555 US).

As you might expect, this handset is due for China first, without any mention of international availability. Pretty slick, but odds are we’ll see plenty of smartphones with 1080p screens in 2013. You can find more info about the Nubia Z5 over at ZTE’s minisite.

Nubia Z5′s aluminum uni-body design measures 5.43-inches tall, 2.71-inches wide. And at 4.44 ounces, it’s more lightweight than most standard 5-inch smartphones.

Created in collaboration with famed Italian designer Stefano Giovannoni, the Z5 has achieved a 7.6mm thickness that currently tops the five-inch-phone chart, yet at the same time it manages to cram in a 2,300mAh battery and maintain a 126g weight.

The Nubia Z5 runs on Android 4.1, and it’s powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor and a 2,300mAh battery.

On the back there is a 13-megapixel camera with LED flash, and it includes features like panoramic and continuous shooting. On the front is a 2-megapixel camera.

For multimedia consumption, Nubia Z5 supports WiFi Display and MHL output should you wish to beam content to a larger screen.

ZTE already said it wants to heavily invest in its U.S. presence, and if it releases reliable handsets like the Nubia Z5 here, it might get the recognition it’s been trying so hard to attain.