Alongside the Xperia X Compact, Sony unveiled its new Xperia XZ flagship a few weeks ago, but both devices will come with premium pricing. Sony opened pre-orders for the smaller X Compact this week from $449.99 in the US, where the device will be sold without a fingerprint sensor.
The range-topping XZ won"t have a fingerprint scanner in the US either, but that"s not stopping Sony from charging top-dollar for the high-end handset. The company has announced that it will be available to buy from Amazon, Best Buy "and other participating retailers" for $699.99 unlocked on October 2.
Over in the UK, buyers can already pre-order the Xperia XZ from retailers such as Amazon and Carphone Warehouse, priced at £539.99 SIM-free. As in the US, the device is available in three color options: Mineral Black, Forest Blue and Platinum.
The Xperia XZ"s key specs include:
- 5.2-inch IPS LCD with Full HD (1920x1080px) resolution
- Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
- 3GB RAM
- 32GB onboard storage (plus microSD card slot up to 256GB)
- 23MP rear camera with hybrid autofocus system, five-axis stabilization, LED flash, HDR support, and 4K video recording at 30fps, or 1080p video at 60fps
- 13MP front-facing camera with HDR and 1080p video at 60fps
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
- Bluetooth 4.2
- NFC
- USB 2.0 with Type-C connector
- Fingerprint sensor (not available in US)
- 146 x 72 x 8.1mm; 161g
- Non-removable 2900mAh battery
Sony is focusing heavily on the imaging capabilities of the new device. It has a 23-megapixel camera, which includes numerous features that the company says will allow users to capture "blur-free images, day or night".
The device will ship with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow pre-installed, but it will eventually be upgraded to the newer Android 7.0 Nougat release, along with a selection of Sony"s older handsets.