April 20th saw the surreptitious launch of Sony Corporation’s 2015 flagship – the Xperia Z4.
The firm announced the release of the forthcoming smartphone over a blog post on its Japanese website, indicating that the new device won’t be immediately available internationally.
Sony have stated that the Xperia Z4 will become available in Japan around the middle of 2014, and hasn’t yet provided a launch date, price, or carrier specification.
The Z4 is a minor upgrade over Sony’s prior flagship, the Xperia Z3, which released in September of 2014. The Z4 retains the form factor of prior Xperia models – a shape which was leaked just last month – and is 6.9mm slimmer and marginally lighter at 152g than its predecessor. The Z4 is expected to arrive in four colours.
While little is known of the Z4’s eventual price tag, Hiroki Totoko – head of Sony’s mobile unit – announced at a press conference that the firm is looking to position the Z4 at the premium end of the price spectrum. The prior Xperia Z3 launched with a price of £599, and the Z4 is expected to be priced similarly.
The Z4 shares the same 5.2 inch 1080p display with the Z3, and arrives with 3GB of RAM, and a 64-bit Snapdragon 810 processor. The Z4 additionally features a 20.7 megapixel primary camera and a 5.5 megapixel front-facing camera featuring optical image stabilisation. Both cameras feature a 25mm wide-angle lens. The Z4, as with a majority of its premium Sony brethren, will feature an IP68 dust and water proof certification. The Z4 will also arrive sporting Android 5.0 Lollipop.
The launch follows an increasingly tumultous period of Sony mobile, as Sony Corporation looks to scale down their mobile and TV divisions in favour of developing the PlayStation ecosystem alongside manufacturing camera sensors.
What’re your thoughts on the Z4?
Follow Bryan on Twitter: @bryansmith1138
