Fear not, US fans. If the Sony Xperia X has you interested, Sony Mobile has some good news for you – Xperia X is headed to the US when it’s released this summer.
.@RYJN_Ki Yes, Xperia X will be available in the US, stay tuned for timings #SonyMWC
— Sony Xperia News (@SonyMobileNews) February 22, 2016
Beyond the above tweet, details are nearly nonexistent but it’s encouraging that, right from the start, Sony is confirming a US release.
As expected, Sony has revealed the Xperia X and Xperia XA at MWC 2016. Details are currently light on these new mid-range Android smartphones but some specs for the Xperia X include:
Video preview after the jump.
If one leak wasn’t enough for you, here is another. Also likely to be launched tomorrow, we don’t know a whole lot about this mystery smartphone though it’s near certain that it’s not as high-end as the Sony Xperia PP10 which in itself is not a flagship phone. The above picture however does reveal a few details about it which can be found after the jump.
Sony has never been good at keeping secrets and even worse 24-48 hours before their unveiling. I give you the Sony Xperia PP10 with the latter part of the name likely a codename and not the retail branding. Likely to be unveiled tomorrow, the Xperia PP10 will
use the MediaTek Helio P10 (MT6755) chipset with a 720p display. The new devices will also run Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
From what I can gather, the PP10 is a mid-range device though it’s not clear if it’s here to replace something like the M5 or is an addition to the lineup – though it takes a few specs from the Z5. More details after the jump.
The Sony Xperia Z3+ has just been given a go for Marshmallow.
New firmware has been certified by the PTCRB for the Xperia Z3+ with build number 32.1.A.0.434. Yes, this is the Android 6.0 Marshmallow release and compares to current firmware version 28.0.A.8.272 (Android 5.0.2 Lollipop).
If this firmware update is slated for official release,
expect the same build number to appear on the Xperia Z5 series as well as the Xperia Z4 Tablet
Shot of the firmware listing after the jump.
This news is simply shocking. Release a product in the US with no marketing or carrier support and cut out a feature like the fingerprint sensor that your loyal hardcore users would have liked and a week later, you’re forced to cut its price because they’re not moving. Having launched with the absurd unlocked price of $599 for the Z5 and $499 for the Z5 Compact, Sony is slashing prices by $60 and $50 respectively.
Frankly, I’m not convinced the Z5 price cut will help drum up any sales, seeing how even if the phones were priced at $99 each, it wouldn’t make much difference, as most people have no idea they exist. But for those of you who are interested in what is otherwise a pair of fantastic Android smartphones, you can now enjoy them at a lower price than before. I guess even at CES 2016, Sony anticipated their Z5 line collecting dust on US shelves.
For the past month, Sony has been weirdly launching Android 5.1 Lollipop for a handful of devices which led many to believe that Android 6.0 Marshmallow is still some time away. While it might be for those handsets, it’s looking like the flagship Sony Xperia Z5 family is starting to get Android 6.0.
The OTA firmware update is said to have started reaching Sony Xperia Z5 handsets in Turkey and will soon reach the Xperia Z5 Compact and the Xperia Z5 Premium models. The update was finalised for the three handsets almost three weeks ago, as per a Facebook post made by Sony Xperia Turkey fan page.
Sony has yet to confirm the arrival of the new OS on their support page but it’s looking like we won’t have to wait much longer for Marshmallow. Few more details after the jump.
Update:
It looks like this news is fake unless anybody has more concrete evidence.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Sony brought Android 5.1 to the Xperia C4 in mid-January and the company is at it again. This time, the Xperia M5 (30.1.A.1.33) and M5 Dual (30.1.B.1.33) are getting the bump.
The single SIM Xperia M5 (E5603, E5653, E5606) moves to build number 30.1.A.1.33, whilst the Xperia M5 Dual (E5633, E5663, E5643) moves to version 30.1.B.1.33. All of the variants, apart from E5643, are seeing the update roll at the time of writing.
This is likely further proof that Android 6.0 Marshmallow is indeed delayed internally at Sony – otherwise, why would they even bother with Lollipop updates?
The Sony Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Compact are headed to the US. Unfortunately, when they arrive next month, they’ll be coming with no carrier support or fingerprint sensor. That means that you’ll have to purchase the flagship handsets at full price and get a SIM card for your preferred carrier. The upside is that at least you won’t have to worry about being stuck on a two year contract – though most US carriers are dropping those which is how most of the world functions anyway.
After the jump, the Z5 carrier options and arrival date.
Oh Indonesian Postel site (think FCC), how you leak Sony Mobile products like no other. This time around, we have the Sony Mobile F5122 and F3116. For starters, expect every phone this year to start with F as it designates the year.
The coding follows the trend that we have seen the last few years, where the letter in the model number represents the year. In this case ‘F’ stands for 2016, whereas last year’s model numbers began with an ‘E’ and the 2014 models began with a ‘D’ and so on.
But more importantly, the model numbers reveal the likely return of a budget smartphone from Sony, something we haven’t seen since the Xperia E4 in 2013. More after the jump.
As you all likely know, Sony Mobile has one of the weirdest release patterns, opting to release their devices months apart between different territories. The Xperia M5 is no different, and was released way back in August in select countries. Making matters worse is that not only is the Xperia M5 an extremely powerful mid-range phone, but that it’s also been received well by consumers and press.
Now that’s going to change. Not the weird pattern part of course, just the availability of the Xperia M5.
Sony Mobile Poland and Netherlands have already confirmed that the Xperia M5 will arrive from the middle of February, with other key European regions also expected to announce availability in due course. Pricing for the handset has not been revealed,
More after the jump.
The Sony Xperia C4 was to go straight to Android 6.0 Marshmallow but it seems like somebody has had a change of heart.
The Sony Xperia C4 and C4 Dual were expected to move straight from Android 5.0 Lollipop to Android 6.0 Marshmallow, skipping Android 5.1 in the process. However, out of the blue, Sony has pushed the Android 5.1 Lollipop update to the handset in the form of build number 27.2.A.0.155 for the Xperia C4 and build number 27.2.B.0.155 for the C4 Dual.
More after the jump.
Arriving in the US on February 7th, the Xperia Z5 (and Z5 Compact) are just around the corner. However, there is currently no carrier support lined up for the phones. Does this affect your purchase decision? Let us know in our poll after the jump.
This is quite the baffling decision. Less than a day after revealing the advent of the Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Compact to the US, it’s being reported that neither model will feature fingerprint sensors. Taking a line from Apple’s playbook, the entire Z5 family provides a fingerprint sensor that’s uniquely built on the phone’s power button. That is – if you live outside of the US.
More details after the jump.
Christmas is coming a bit late for those of us in the US but we’ll take it regardless. Sony Mobile has officially announced the arrival of the flagship Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Compact for the United States. Though having debuted months ago in Europe and Asia, Sony until now has had no presence in the US with their latest and quite possibly best received phones.
Pricing, arrival, and Xperia Z5 Premium details after the jump.
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