Sony
has finally announced the Xperia Z4 smartphone, its
flagship Android device for 2015, but at this time the phone appears
to only be headed to Japan. It would be a surprise if the company didn’t push
the Z4 out into other countries, but for now it remains tantalizingly out of
reach for many.
Here’s what it’s all about. The Xperia Z4 has a 5.2-inch,
1080p touchscreen surrounded by a polished aluminum body and a glass rear
panel, much like Xperia Z-series smartphones introduced in the past. Inside is
Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor, running at 2.0GHz and
supported by 3GB of RAM.
Sony Xperia Z4
Sony’s promoting the Xperia Z4’s front camera rather than
the rear, which stays at 20.7-megapixels, and has added an intriguing
Intelligent Active Mode. This is an electronic image stabilization system to
minimize camera shake when taking selfies, or in an example provided by Sony,
when you’re out running. The selfie cam has an Exmor R sensor and 5.1
megapixels, plus various apps to add fun effects to your snaps. The rear camera
even has a Cooking Mode setting for making pictures of food look their best.
Sony has slimmed down the Z4’s body to just 6.9mm, and
reduced the weight compared to the Z3. It now weighs 144 grams. There’s
excellent news for careless owners, because the Xperia Z4 is rated at
IPX5/IPX8, so is resistant to water and dust. Sony has also enhanced the audio
side of the Z4, and added its LDAC for lossless Bluetooth audio streaming
feature, a system previously seen on the Sony
ZX2 Walkman.
A 2,930mAh battery powers the Xperia Z4, plus there is 32GB
of internal storage, and a MicroSD card slot to add an additional 128GB. It’s
going to come in four different colors — black, white, copper, and aqua green —
which Sony says are very hardwearing, and will always retain a cool sheen.
Owners will be able to complement their phone with a matching folio case
complete with a window in the front cover. Finally, Android 5.0 in installed
with Sony’s own user interface over the top.
Sony’s not giving an exact release date for the Xperia Z4
yet, and has only committed to some point during the summer in Japan. What this
means for international availability is unknown, but we’ll update you when we
have more information.
Sony
is rumored to be abandoning its six-monthly, high-end smartphone
release pattern for a more traditional annual refresh, and it could
start with the Xperia Z4. To ensure the new phone is desirable for a
longer period of time, Sony is apparently preparing to stuff the Xperia
Z4 full of the latest tech, should the rumors prove accurate.
The Xperia Z4 wait could almost be over
Early
reports, including one from Android Origin, said the new flagship Z4 phone would come
during Mobile
World Congress back in March, but all we saw was the Xperia Z4 Tablet
and a new budget phone at the Barcelona show.
Nearing the middle of April, a report published in Japan said Sony will reveal a new
Xperia smartphone there on, or just before April 20. It’s not absolutely
certain the device will be the Xperia Z4, but given the recent increase in
leaks, it’s still a high possibility. The timing is also interesting, due to LG
almost certainly announcing
the G4 smartphone on April 28.
Other reports state the Z4 Ultra and Z4 Compact may not
arrive until the second quarter of 2015, and this seems to be accurate so far.
Xperia Z4 design leaked in new photos
Sony is likely to stick with its popular Omni-balance design
language for the Xperia Z4, according to several accounts. This means it
probably won’t look all that different to the Xperia
Z3 or the Xperia Z2. Its was never the looks that dampened our
enthusiasm for the Xperia Z3, but the relatively basic alterations between
it and the Xperia Z2. That doesn’t sound like it’ll be the case for the Z4, or
something we’ll have to contend with from Sony again.
On April 9, two press style images of what’s supposed to be
the Xperia Z4 were leaked by @onleaks.
The phone matches with the previously published pictures, and shows once again,
the design will be consistent with Sony’s past Xperia Z models. There is one
slight discrepancy with other leaks. The power button appears to be slightly
higher up on the side panel, so we could be looking at two different
phones. No specifications were included in the leak, and there’s still no
word on when the phone will be officially announced.
Recent
leaked captures of the what appears to be the Xperia Z4 from Nowhereelse.fr seem to corroborate earlier
reports. By all appearances, the Z4 does seem to resemble its predecessors, but
that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
A new
Twitter leaker by the name of OnLeaks —
who happens to be from French site Nowhereelse.fr — posted a new render of what
appears to be the Xperia Z4. The image shows the Z4’s metal frame, a round
button, and a screen that’s coated with Sony’s UI.
Last
year, in the midst of the recent spate of Sony hacks, Gizmodo claims to have uncovered official renders of
the Xperia Z4’s design, along with marketing materials for the next James Bond
film, Spectre. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) CEO Michael
Lynton’s inbox full of emails was leaked during the hack, and that’s where
Gizmodo found references to the Z4 and renders of its design.
In one email to Lynton,
George Leon, Sony’s executive vice president of consumer marketing, revealed
the company’s plans for Spectre product-placement.
Preliminary designs of the Xperia Z4 and references to the amount of money Sony
stands to make from product placement shots of the phone in Bond star Daniel
Craig’s hands were revealed in the text.
The renders show a sleeker and slightly slimmer looking
Xperia phone that bears a strong resemblance to the Xperia Z3. The edges of the
phone look slightly squared off in one image, which also describes the glass as
1.2mm thick, and mentions a resin bezel. Although there’s no telling how early
these renders were made or how accurate they are now, it seems likely that Sony
will stick to the design pictured.
Sony Xperia Z4
The Xperia Z3’s 5.2-inch display could be swapped over for a
5.5-inch screen on the Z4, and the resolution increased to 2560 x 1440 pixels,
matching the LG G3.
In a recent interview, Sony’s head of marketing said the
Xperia Z3 didn’t adopt a “quad HD” resolution because the difference between it
and an optimized 1080p panel were minimal, especially on anything less than
8-inches in size. It also mentioned battery life as a consideration.
Presumably, the G3’s success and the Galaxy Note
4’s introduction have helped change its mind.
Power could be provided by Qualcomm’s next big chip, the
64-bit Snapdragon 810, which has eight cores and a clock speed of 2.8GHz.
Another report from PhoneArena hints that the Z4 will have the Snapdragon
805 instead, as the 810 won’t be available in time for Sony’s projected release
date. However, Qualcomm announced the 810
back in April, and stated the processor would find its way inside
smartphones by the first half of 2015, so the Z4’s processor is still a matter
of debate. A massive 4GB of RAM is also mentioned, along with 32GB of internal
storage space. The Z4’s camera may retain its 20.7 megapixel count, but feature
an improved lens and sensor array, to produce better pictures.
Sony Xperia Z4 Music, Z4 Ultra, and Z4 Compact
Sony typically introduces multiple versions of its Xperia
smartphones, and it seems the Xperia Z4 will be no exception. The latest
variant to be rumored is a music-focused
model called the Xperia Z4 Music.
The device, which was spotted by iGeek,
reportedly combines the functionality of a Sony Walkman and the Xperia Z4 in
one. Sony’s Z4 Music will
supposedly support high resolution audio playback of DSD, WAV, AIFF, ALAC,
FLAC, and more file types. It’s also said to sport S-Force PRO surround sound
speakers with S-Master on the front of the device.
Although the Z4 Music will have top-of-the-line music
playback powers, it’s screen may leave a lot to be desired. The Z4 Music will
reportedly sport a 4-inch Triluminos IPS screen with a resolution of 1440
x 720 pixels. A 2.3GHz Snapdragon 801 processor and 3GB of RAM will power the
device, though. Sony will also supposedly pack 32GB or 128GB of internal
storage into the device, so you can store all your high-res audio. Other
specs include a 2000mAh battery, an 8-megapixel camera, and Android 5.0 Lollipop.
This could mark a return to familiar territory for the
company. Back when Sony produced feature phones with Ericsson, devices with
Walkman branding were common place.
PhoneArena has reported Sony will also unveil an Xperia Z4
Ultra alongside the new flagship Z4. The Ultra will sport a much
larger 5.9-inch Triluminos screen, but have the same Snapdragon 805
processor and 4GB of RAM as the Z4. Surprisingly, the Ultra is said to have a
16-megapixel camera with dual LED flash, instead of the super high-resolution
20.7-megapixel sensor expected on the Z4. Sony may also shave the Ultra’s width
down to a very slim 5.7-millimeters to make up for its big screen size.
A later leak from Android Origin stated that the Z4 Ultra will sport a
massive 6.44-inch, Quad-HD resolution screen. Unlike earlier rumors, this
report hints that Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 processor and 3GB of RAM will power
the Z4 Ultra. Otherwise, the specification speculations are the same. The
publication does throw in a new rumor about battery size, estimating that it
will fall between 3,500 and 4,000mAh.
A rumored Xperia Z4 Compact may join the Z4 and Z4 Ultra.
Supposedly, it will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 processor and sport
3GB of RAM. Android Origin also suggests it will have 32GB of
storage, a 20.7-megapixel camera, a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with 1080p
video recording, as well as IP68 dust and water resistance. NFC and wireless
charging support for the 3,000mAh battery are also possible. In other words,
the Z4 Compact will be just as powerful as the standard Z4, but with a smaller,
4.7-inch 1080p screen.
All Z4 models may be coming soon
We’re sure to hear more about the Xperia Z4, the Compact, the
Music, and the Ultra, and
we’ll make sure you’re kept up to date.Source: ReviewRulezz
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