Sony is reportedly preparing a 5.5in Quad HD phablet, and rumour has it the phone made a secret showing at CES 2015. Here we reveal the Sony Xperia Z4 UK release date, price and specs rumours. Also see our Sony Xperia Z3 review.
Sony Xperia Z4 UK release date
Whereas Samsung, HTC and LG stick to just the one flagship smartphone launch per year, Sony has always preferred to update its smartphones biannually. At least for now: rumours suggest the Z4 will be the only flagship smartphone to appear from Sony in 2015. That makes sense, too - as was the case with the Z2 and Z3, technology doesn't advance so fast as to make the latest Xperia a must-have upgrade. Also see Best smartphones 2014and Best Android phones 2014.
Most recently at September's IFA 2014 tradeshow we got the Sony Xperia Z3(plus Xperia Z3 Compactand Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact); six months previously we saw the Sony Xperia Z2'sunveiling at March's Mobile World Congress.
We might possibly have previously written that we would bet our last pound on the fact Sony would unveil the Sony Xperia Z4 at Mobile World Congress 2015, which runs 2- to 5 March 2015. And that the smartphone itself would go on sale in the weeks immediately following this, and that you should certainly be able to get your hands on it in store by the beginning of April 2015.
But then that James Bond character got involved...
Among the chaos of the recent hacked accounts at Sony Pictures, emails between CEO Michael Lynton and executive vice president of consumer marketing George Leon have allegedly been unearthed that leak details about the upcoming Xperia Z4. Not only is it rumoured that it will it be a product placement in the upcoming James Bond movie, but that James Bond actor Daniel Craig and director Sam Mendes will have some input on its design.
The emails mention phones rather than a single phone - a Sony Xperia Z4 Compact or 007 Edition, perhaps? - with release dates of not March, but May and November. It's also alleged that Daniel Craig could net $5m simply for posing with the Sony Xperia Z4.
But will we really have to wait that long for the Sony Xperia Z4? Rumours coming from this week's CES 2015 suggest not only has the Samsung Galaxy S6 been hiding behind closed doors for private showings, but so too has the Xperia Z4. And if this device is ready for primetime now, we could see it at MWC after all.
Sony Xperia Z4 UK price
You'll pick up Sony Xperia phones much cheaper than their RRP online. However, Sony's official pricing for the Xperia Z3 was £549, and £599 (now £469) for the Xperia Z2.
The Z3's improvements over the Z2 were all fairly minor, with a small boost to the processor clock speed, the addition of support for PS4 Remote Play and high-res audio, plus a few design tweaks. (Also see: Sony Xperia Z3 vs Sony Xperia Z2 comparison.)
We're expecting more from the Sony Xperia Z4 - as we'll detail below - so a price increase wouldn't be out of the question. Especially when you consider that Samsung's rival Galaxy S6 smartphoneis expected to launch at around £599.
Sony Xperia Z4 specs
According to Android Origin, the Sony Xperia Z4 will be a 5.5in phablet with a Quad HD (2560x1440) screen. In other respects it will look very similar to every other Xperia smartphone before it, and be just as prepared to take on the threat of dust- and water damage. Also see: 13 best phablets 2014.
Leaked renders show a familiar rectangular design with square corners and glass front- and rear panels, while another shows a new clock design.
Inside we'll likely see a 2.8GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor and 4GB of RAM and Adreno 430 graphics. Storage will be set at 32GB as standard, and you'll be able to add more via microSD.
Whereas the Xperia Z3 added support for high-res audio, the Sony Xperia Z4 is expected to make your music sound even better with a dedicated amp.
Other changes include the addition of LTE Cat 6 and Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity, plus an upgraded camera with a 20.7Mp curved Exmor RS CMOS sensor.
Given that we don't expect to see Android M until this time next year, the Sony Xperia will more than likely come with Android Lollipopout the box.
We'll bring you more rumours and speculation on the Sony Xperia Z4 as we find them.
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