Sony recently announced its latest flagship handset, the Xperia Z4 in Japan and the Xperia Z3+in regions outside of Japan. The Xperia Z3+/X4 is a high-end device with specs that’ll compete favorably with the Galaxy S6, the HTC One M9, and the LG G4. The Z3+ handset will debut this June globally, with the Z4 landing in Japan this summer as well.
Sony’s new handset builds upon the success of the Xperia lineup, offering the traditional Xperia design and a feature roundup that is a modest upgrade from the previously released Xperia Z3. When comparing across Xperia models, the most noticeable physical differences of the Z4 is its rounded edges and the missing magnetic charging port for Sony’s proprietary charging cradle.
Internally, the Z4 ships with an octa core Snapdragon 810 processor, an Adreno 430 GPU and 3GB of RAM that’ll drive the smartphone’s Triluminos IPS LCD display. Contrary to earlier rumors, the Z4 screen is 5.2-inches, not the rumored 5.5-inches, and boasts of a 1920 x 1080 resolution.
On the camera side, Sony equipped the Z4 with a 20.7-megapixel Exmor RS sensor, a BIONZ image processor engine, Sony’s signature 25mm wide-angle G Lens, and an LED flash. The front camera is equally well outfitted with a 5-megapixel Exmor R sensor and a 25mm wide-angle lens for selfies. Both the front and rear camera are capable of 1080P video.
Other specifications include IP68 water and dustproofing, 32GB on board storage with an expansion slot, stereo speakers, and a 2900mAh battery. All this hardware will be housed in a slightly rounded chassis of glass and aluminum that measures 6.9mm thick and weighs in at 144g. Details on the international pricing are not yet known, but the handset likely will debut for approximately $630 (£549).
While everyone waits for the imminent launch of the Z4, some folks are already digging up details on the Sony Xperia Z5, the company’s next-generation flagship handset. The Z5 is expected to be a much more significant upgrade than the Z4 with a new design that includes a USB Type-C port and metallic edging similar to Xperia Z4.
Sony also is thought to be improving the camera technology inside the phone with a new camera sensor, lens and software package. Details are not available, but a leaked image hints at a new scene selection menu in the camera app that support Normal and Sunrise & Sunset HDR modes. The Xperia Z5 may arrive as soon as September of 2015, which will put it behind the LG G4 and right on target with the next iPhone.
