Alleged Xperia Z4 render shows familiar design and a few inconsistencies
Sony has been a hot topic this year in the mobile world, though admittedly for all the wrong reasons. The Xperia line has been around for years now, yet has failed to gain a mainstream following in any country but its home (Japan), where any given subway ride will inevitably turn up close to a dozen-or-more branded smartphones. One of the chief complaints the flagship Xperia Z line has endured is a bi-annual refresh rate that does little more than anger the very customers who buy the “latest and greatest.” However, word has it Sony has decided to rethink this habit.
Finally, today we have our first look at what claims to be the Xperia Z4, courtesy of OnLeaks, although there is one oddity that we’ll talk about in a little bit. First, let’s dive in and look at the leaked image (seen above). The source has claimed that the dimensions of the Z4 will be 146.3 x 71.9 x 7.2 mm thus indicating it will be a svelte product despite packing some serious hardware.
The endless supply of rumors can’t seem to conclude as to if the device will be QHD or standard Full HD, although judging from the dimensions seen here it would seem Sony has decided against a larger, 5.5-inch display. Other rumors include a new camera sensor along with the possibility of a Snapdragon 810. For additional details, please make sure to check out our rumor roundup. If the specs on the recently announced Z4 Tablet are anything to go on however, a QHD display and Snapdragon 810 will be on-board.
In terms of the phone’s design, there has already been criticism suggesting it looks too similar to the Xperia Z3, as well as the recently announced M4 Aqua. With respect to the latter there are some key differences in that the phone depicted in the leak’s top speaker (and presumably the bottom as well) are positioned along the edge of the device, the sensors’ positioning has been reversed, and it lacks the port seen on the right side of the Aqua:
Those suggesting the Z4 looks like the Z3 should re-familiarize themselves with the product in question, as if anything the Z3 looks like the Aqua:
In terms of the oddity mentioned earlier, one point must be raised about this leak: The screen simulation itself does not appear legitimate. Notice the app tray icon’s position: it’s about half-way up the phone which would suggest this device has a screen closer to 3 inches than a phablet. Still, when we examine the other recent leak claiming to be pictures of the Z4’s frame, the right-side does mesh with this new render:
On a final note, barring any dramatic changes, it’s safe to say the Xperia E4 isn’t going to be a design reference for Sony this year:
The Z4 is apparently not going to be taking any cues from the Nokia Lumia 1320-esque Xperia E4.
So there you have it. Assuming this new leak is legitimate, are there any thoughts on the design? While the product is seemingly more One M9 than it is Galaxy S6, if the camera sensor and screen quality are superior to the already-impressive paring on its predecessor, the Xperia Z4 might indeed be a phablet to watch out for. Now if only Sony could find some way to market it…
Sony releases Android 5.1 binaries for the Xperia Z series, E3, M2, T2 Ultra and T3
Sony has released Android 5.1 Lollipop binaries for a host of smartphones and tablets, including the entire Xperia Z series. The Xperia E3, M2, T2 Ultra and T3 handsets are also included in the list.
Binaries are used by Sony, or third parties, to make sure that AOSP will run on specific pieces of hardware. This release doesn’t allow Sony handset owners to run Sony’s official Android 5.1 on their smartphones just yet, but it does show that development in under way for all of these devices.
XDA forum member cheep5k8 has already taken the files and implemented an early alpha AOSP 5.1 build for the Xperia Z2. Most of the features already work, except the camera and a few sound glitches, but you’ll need to know what you’re doing with .img files if you want to test it out. Perhaps waiting for a more polished build would be wise.
Previously, Sony’s Twitter account had responded that Android 5.0 Lollipop would only be heading to Xperia Z branded devices. Either Sony was being cheeky and knew that it would be skipping 5.0 straight to 5.1 for some of its other devices, or, more likely, there was some miscommunication between Sony engineers and its social media team.
Hopefully we will hear official news from Sony regarding Android 5.1 updates for all of these handsets in the near future.
Report: No Lollipop for non Z-branded Xperia products. Really Sony?
The few. The proud. The furious. In the past few weeks Sony has inspired more than a few doom-and-gloom reports, though the latest bit of news, if true, would be a much more hot-headed affair. The beleaguered Japanese giant has finally clarified its Lollipop update plans (we knew it would be coming to Z-devices in the near future) and they are sure not going to please those who don’t have cash to burn.
@roi_rdzdal Hi Roi. The Android 5.0 Lollipop update is only going to be available for the Xperia Z series, we do apologise.
— Sony Xperia (@sonyxperia) March 6, 2015
While it’s true that one should never say never, this tumultuous Tweet has basically confirmed Lollipop won’t be appearing on any non-Z device. To make matters worse, there are actually a couple more reports with the same message (one even from the 4th) that eliminate the potential of misspeaking. Considering that Sony has just announced one such “standard affair” offering, it’s sure to make some people very angry, as it will cast a cloud over the potential [tech-savvy crowd’s] uptake of said product. Casual consumers as well, should they be aware, probably won’t be too thrilled with the “pledge” to drop support either.
Given that Sony’s mobile division isn’t exactly doing well, the absolute last thing it should be doing is angering potential or existing consumers. Still, given the fact that money is so tight, and the products in question aren’t exactly genre defying, spec-blazing miracles, the decision to drop Android update support isn’t hard to understand.
Sony has lost faith in mobile. What went wrong?
Earlier this week, Sony announced that its corporate strategy for 2015 to 2017 involves taking less risk when it comes to TV and mobile, with the company instead electing to focus most of its attention on areas that it thinks there is room for real growth like the Playstation platform, image sensors for mobile and camera, as well as its entertainment business.
Bottom-line, it seems Sony has lost faith in mobile. For this Friday Debate we discuss what went wrong. Furthermore, what can they do to turn things around, or are they better off cutting their loses and selling their mobile division just like they did with their VAIO PC division early last year.
This week there wasn’t a lot of community responses, though you can check out the official forum thread to read all the responses we received.
What Team AA has to say
Robert Triggs
I see Sony’s mobile problem primarily as a crisis of identity. As Android enthusiasts, we know that Sony builds high quality handsets, but its flagships haven’t pushed the boat out enough to really make the brand noticeable to a broader crowd. Where is Sony’s BoomSound, QHD display, laser autofocus, fingerprint scanner, “phablet” or critically acclaimed software feature? These may sound like gimmicks, but the little features help your product stand out, it gives us all something to talk about.
Similarly for the company’s convoluted mid-range and budget products. Price and features just don’t compete with the likes of the Moto E, G, or more nimble brands like Huawei and Lenovo. The company is a victim of how competitive the market is these days.
This problem extends to marketing too. With so many similar looking and sounding products, it’s tough for consumers to know where they stand with Sony. I can’t remember the differences between the Xperia M, L, E3, M2, or T2 Ultra, and there’s not a huge reason for general consumers to feel excited for the minor differences between the flagship Z1, Z2, or Z3 either. Perhaps it would be in Sony’s interest to slim down its mobile operation and release a smaller selection of focused, more unique products. I’d be disappointed to see the brand sold off or disappear altogether, but I can understand why Sony is frustrated with its mobile division.
Matthew Benson
What are difference a few years makes… As someone who was absolutely smitten with Sony during the late 90s and into the early 2000s, it’s horribly ironic that I now lust after such “once junk” brands as Samsung or LG. And indeed that’s true: how many people would actually have said they wanted a Samsung PC or LG phone back in 2000?
Sony has become an absolute mess to say the least. It’s been in an eternal period of restructuring for over a decade now, a problem in no small part stemming from its gross inability to have accepted marketplace changes and severely clamped down on product pricing structure: those VAIO Z laptops were awesome a few years back, but who could actually afford one? Likewise Sony had an EL-panel television ages ago, but it was minuscule and cost thousands of dollars.
It’s actually quite tragic to look at Sony’s website these days and see the horribly slim offerings. The once proud VAIO line is basically gone, as is any semblance of genuine genius (AIBO!). Meanwhile, new reports show the mobile division severely tanking, something that will no doubt come as a shock to those living here in Japan where the brand is seemingly thriving simply because “its Japanese” and at the expense of “foreign” OEMs like Samsung and LG, companies that are doing comparatively well elsewhere in the world.
With all this chaos going on, does anyone else find it bizarre that any time Sony’s name comes up in the news it’s either for something absurdly unrealistic (see the pricing on its Walkman ZX2 or the just-announced Hi-Fi Micro SD card) or else just a flagrant mess of absolute incompetence (The Interview and PSN Outage incidents). As I’ve said before, it’s actually bizarre to think that a child of 10 years of age would never know Sony was a company to be respected and unrivaled shortly before their birth.
The biggest problem with Sony is, quite frankly, Sony. The company will try everything under the sun in its attempt to remain relevant and yet something is missing. Perhaps it’s the ability to market its products in overseas markets. Perhaps its the fact that every time you turn around there’s another “flagship” Xperia Z phone being released. Heck, maybe it’s just the possibility that the company lost all of its talented staff and thus is running on empty.
Some weeks ago I covered a story about VAIO Corporation releasing a VAIO smartphone in the near future. I still hold true to the belief that, if said product line were to actually outsell the Xperia series, it would serve as the ultimate smack in the face for Sony. If you ask me, the company needs a real leader that can finally fix the disease plaguing the company’s products and sales.
Bogdan Petrovan
It’s sad to see Sony struggling to make a difference in the mobile business, given the major advantages it has over smaller competitors. Sony has largely failed to capitalize on its brand cachet, first through the ill-thought marriage with Ericsson and even after that. No other Android OEM could match Sony in terms of worldwide presence and brand power, yet Sony hasn’t even tried to compete in many markets. Even as PlayStation rules the console landscape, there’s almost no crossover to Xperia, and even the little crossover that exists isn’t really promoted. The same with Sony’s entertainment division. It’s hard to tell why Sony failed to capitalize on these advantages – maybe the company’s getting too old and ossified in its ways, or maybe it’s the fault of nearsighted leadership.
As Rob mentioned, Sony phones lack unique features and it’s often hard to differentiate them, even though everyone agrees that Xperias are solid devices. Perhaps it’s not Sony’s fault that people fall for gimmickry and flashy marketing; but it’s totally Sony’s fault that companies that have a tenth of its resources have a clearer vision of what works and what people want.
Should Sony give up on the smartphone business? Long term, that may be a good choice – as the market continues to commoditize, there will be less and less money to be made, so maybe cutting losses early is better. But even in commoditized markets (see PCs), premium players can thrive. Sony could become the Apple of Android, by focusing all its efforts on a few excellent models and marketing them with flair and vision. I am pretty sure that won’t happen though.
Now it’s your turn
How do you feel about Sony and their mobile division, what could they do to turn this ship around? Should they give up on mobile altogether? We welcome you to leave your responses in the comments below.
Sony Mobile’s Decline? | The Friday Debate Podcast 005
Sony recently announced that it would take less risks in the mobile and television divisions, bringing focus more to the Playstation brand. Our guys have seen Sony grow and iterate often in the past couple years, but this news brought the gang together for a very spirited discussion about why Sony Mobile might be going by the wayside. Their discussion gets nostalgic with memories of Sony’s past, shifts to some Playstation talk, and then even moves into some talk about gaming! This might be our most packed episode yet, so fire it up and start listening!
The Friday Debate Podcast – dissucssing topics in Android every week.
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Sony’s shift for 2015-2017
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Recorded on February 18, 2015 – Hosted and Produced by Joshua Vergara
Android 5.0 Lollipop for the Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z3 to start this month according to Vodafone Australia
Sony Mobile has been remarkably quiet regarding updating its devices to the latest version of Android, but thanks to the database at Vodafone Australia, it seems likely that Android 5.0 Lollipop for the Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z3 is going to start testing this month, presumably to become available not long after, probably in March. This […]
The post Android 5.0 Lollipop for the Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z3 to start this month according to Vodafone Australia appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Root achieved for Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact with locked bootloader
Owners of Sony Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact Android handsets that have a locked bootloader, it is your lucky day. At least, it is if you’ve been hoping to root your device.
A clever dev over at the XDA-Forums has scored himself a touch of bounty for working out the xploit. Sorry… exploit. The method is not intended for the international Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact devices, which come with unlockable bootloaders, and are rather easily tinkered with by the AOSP and ROM enthusiasts. Nor is it for the Verizon variants with modified hardware. Instead, the exploit is for markets like the U.S. where carriers tend to lock things down.
Let’s not beat around the bush here, with Android Lollipop set to release for Sony hardware soon, You are likely better off waiting for the OTA before rooting. Also, this is not an easy process. Right off the bat, up to date firmware is not compatible, so you’ll need to first roll back to version 23.0.1.A.5.77. From there, it is a matter of simply creating a pre-rooted version of the phone’s hardware, flash a recovery image for your model, then apply the root exploit itself.
XDA user zxz0O0 is who you have to thank for bringing root to your locked Sony Xperia Z3 or Xperia Z3 Compact. He’s been known to bring exploit and similar tools to the forums and will take home at least a part of the current $3017 bounty available for breaking the lock on Sony gear.
Head on over to the XDA post on the matter to get all the resources and instructions to root your Sony Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact handsets.
Will you go for root on your Xperia Z3 or Xperia Z3 Compact?
Sony launches Purple Diamond Edition Xperia Z3 in Hong Kong
Purple your favourite color? Like the look of the Xperia Z3? Then Sony’s new Purple Diamond Edition Z3 will certainly appeal to your tastes. Unfortunately, you will have to live in Hong Kong and have a spare HK$4998, about USD$645, lying around before you can get your hands on one.
Sony had offered some previous Xperia Z smartphone models in purple right from release in certain regions, but perhaps the color wasn’t popular enough to warrant a global release this time around.
Although there aren’t any actual diamonds hammered into the smartphone’s case, Sony has thrown in a small selection of new themes for free with this edition of the Xperia Z3 as well. They all originate from various Disney movies, including one for the hugely popular Frozen film, as well as Cinderella and Mickey And Friends themes. Sony has also included an amethyst phone strap in the package, for color co-ordination and what have you.
Other than that, the Purple Diamond Edition is exactly the same as the regular Xperia Z3, featuring a 5.2-inch 1080p display, Snapdragon 801 SoC, 3GB RAM, and a 20.7 MP camera.
The very purple Sony flagship will go on sale in Hong Kong on January 31st.
Leaked images show purple variant of Sony Xperia Z3
There is a good news for Sony Xperia Z3 lovers! A purple variant of the flagship device has surfaced in leaked images on a Chinese website. Isn’t it better to have more color options to choose from when you are going to buy a top notch smartphone? So far, the handset is available in white, black, green and copper colors.
The leak further claimed that the purple Xperia Z3 will be launched in Taiwan by the month’s end, and it will feature similar specifications under the hood as the original Z3. There is still no word on when the purple Z3 will be available outside Taiwan.
The original Z3 features a 5.2-inch 1080p screen, a Snapdragon 801 chipset and Adreno 330 GPU. The phone offers one of the best battery life with a 3100mAh power backup. In terms of memory, the original Z3 has 3GB of RAM and two variants of inbuilt storage including 16GB and 32GB, further expandable up to 128GB via microSD card. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and 4G LTE. The smartphone sports a 20.7-megapixel rear camera and of course it is IP68 certified water resistant.
Source: ePrice
The post Leaked images show purple variant of Sony Xperia Z3 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Sony announces lollipop update for Xperia Z3
Sony promised to update the Xperia Z3 to Android 5.0 (Lollipop) and it looks like they will keep their word. In their CES 2015 press conference, Sony announced that the rollout should start sometime in the next month. COO of Sony Electronics Michael Fasulo, didn’t get into specifics about the date or schedule, just promised the rollout would begin in the next month. This is definitely great news for those out there that own the Sony Xperia Z3.
Source CES 2015 and Android Central
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AIVAnet 