Sony has a new phone out tomorrow, but you may want to wait for the real upgrade.
Sony makes a lot of phones, and many of them aren't particularly noteworthy in the U.S. Thanks to a long-term contract with Verizon that isn't set to expire until next year, Sony can't sell phones with fingerprint sensors in the country, making them more of a difficult proposition than they otherwise would be.
This week, the Xperia XZs is going on sale at Amazon and other online retailers for $700, a steep price to pay for any phone, never mind one that doesn't include the latest and greatest technology. The XZs was one of , and while it is an impressive handset in every way, it doesn't stand up to the competition.
The phone is, for all intents and purposes, a repackaging of the released in September, swapping out the 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage for 4GB and 64GB, respectively. It also has a Snapdragon 820 processor, which is unchanged from the XZ, along with a 2,900mAh battery. The major difference, aside from the bump in memory, is the new 19MP Motion Eye camera, which reportedly brings a new camera sensor that's better in low light and faster to autofocus.
For $700, the above sounds like a pretty lousy deal, especially with no fingerprint sensor. Sure, Sony's got some great software in there — the phone ships with Android 7.1.1 Nougat — but if you're really into the whole "I need a Sony" thing, you can get your fix in a couple of months with the gorgeous, far-more-impressive , which bumps up the spec sheet considerably, sporting a 4K HDR-ready display and a Snapdragon 835 platform.
If you're not into waiting, though, you can get the Xperia XZs starting April 5 at Amazon.
Sony makes a lot of phones, and many of them aren't particularly noteworthy in the U.S. Thanks to a long-term contract with Verizon that isn't set to expire until next year, Sony can't sell phones with fingerprint sensors in the country, making them more of a difficult proposition than they otherwise would be.
This week, the Xperia XZs is going on sale at Amazon and other online retailers for $700, a steep price to pay for any phone, never mind one that doesn't include the latest and greatest technology. The XZs was one of , and while it is an impressive handset in every way, it doesn't stand up to the competition.
The phone is, for all intents and purposes, a repackaging of the released in September, swapping out the 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage for 4GB and 64GB, respectively. It also has a Snapdragon 820 processor, which is unchanged from the XZ, along with a 2,900mAh battery. The major difference, aside from the bump in memory, is the new 19MP Motion Eye camera, which reportedly brings a new camera sensor that's better in low light and faster to autofocus.
For $700, the above sounds like a pretty lousy deal, especially with no fingerprint sensor. Sure, Sony's got some great software in there — the phone ships with Android 7.1.1 Nougat — but if you're really into the whole "I need a Sony" thing, you can get your fix in a couple of months with the gorgeous, far-more-impressive , which bumps up the spec sheet considerably, sporting a 4K HDR-ready display and a Snapdragon 835 platform.
If you're not into waiting, though, you can get the Xperia XZs starting April 5 at Amazon.