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Sony confirms new Xperia phones are coming on May 11
The upcoming Xperia 1 IV isn't mentioned by name, but the teasers make it pretty clear
The Xperia Z, released in 2013, wasn't the first Xperia, but it was definitely one of the most memorable ones and arguably helped shape future flagship offerings from Sony. Since then, Sony has changed its branding several times, initially to the Xperia X line and then to a number-based naming scheme, but even through those rebrands, Sony devices have kept their DNA. If you think a new Sony phone is for you, and you've been waiting on new 2022 models for your next phone purchase, you're in luck — the Xperia event is on the horizon.
Sony joins literally everyone else with its own October Xperia phone event
Who said Techtober would be boring?
Techtober 2021 initially felt like it would be a little bit more boring than previous years. With Apple announcing its new iPhones in September, and rumors of the launch of the Galaxy S21 FE looking blurry, it seemed at first like the Pixel 6 was going to stand alone as the only big smartphone launch happening in October — on the 19th to be exact. But then Apple announced an event for the 18th, followed by Samsung for the 20th. Now we've got Sony joining the party, teasing an October event of its own.
Sony's smartphones have historically not been popular, but that hasn't stopped the company from... not really changing anything. The company's main flagship phone for 2021 is due for release soon, and now we have our first good look at it, thanks to a series of leaked renders.
Here's our first look at the Sony Xperia 10 III
This mid-ranger is apparently set to land in the next few weeks
Sony is reportedly preparing to release its third Xperia 10-branded phone, appropriately named Xperia 10 III, in the next few weeks. Steve Hemmerstoffer, who also goes by OnLeaks, has shared a few renderings of this upcoming Sony mid-ranger, along with a brief spec overview.
Sony shares timeline for bringing Android 11 to its latest Xperia phones
The rollout will start next month
When Android 11 was officially released back in August, it brought a lot of neat new features to phones. But as usual, the update hasn't rolled out to many existing handsets yet due to how different OEMs handle the upgrade process. Now Sony fans have something to look forward to, as the company has announced when a few Xperia devices will begin to see Android 11's goodies headed their way.
Sony schedules Xperia phone announcement for September 17
It's almost certainly the recently leaked Xperia 5 II
Sony has just announced an event for a new Xperia device launch. The company is being coy on what exactly is being announced here, but our guess is the Xperia 5 II that we saw leaked last month. The event is set for September 17th, a week from today.
Sony Xperia 1 II now available in the US for $1,198, bundled with WF-1000XM3 buds
B&H is the only retailer that has it in stock
There are a few unusual things about the Xperia 1 II, including the super-tall display and the stupid name, but arguably the most unusual thing is the price. Back when B&H first put the One-Two up for pre-order, we were amazed at that $1,198 price, and thought that Sony might be reconsidering the price when the number was taken down. However, Sony confirmed that price a few days later, though it did mention it'd be throwing in a free pair of WF-1000XM3s for pre-orders.The Xperia 1 II is definitely expensive, but it at least has flagship-level specs. It has a massive 21:9 4K OLED display, a 5G-enabled Snapdragon 865, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage with microSD expansion, a triple rear camera setup, and a 4,000mAh battery with USB-PD charging. It also has an IP65/68 rating and a headphone jack with hi-fi audio. Part of the reason the price is so high is no doubt the 5G development cost, but at least Sony is throwing in a pair of WF-1000XM3 noise-cancelling true wireless earbuds, which go for 8 if purchased separately, in your choice of black or silver.
Sony is having a hard time in the smartphone business amidst declining sales and shrinking market share, but its users are likely more distressed right now. Many existing Sony users found that the recent Android 10 update broke their 2018 flagships almost universally, with no official communication from the company. In what appears to be a widespread issue, the affected Xperia XZ3 and XZ2 owners rallied on community platforms like Reddit complaining about a long list of bugs, including terrible RAM management, high battery consumption, app fails, and a generally sluggish UI.
Sony officially introduced the compact 6.1-inch Xperia 5 at IFA in September last year, so it's no surprise that the first leaks of a possible successor or sister model start showing up now. CAD renders of some Xperia 5 Plus have been published on Slashleaks. The device looks almost identical to its smaller sibling but comes with a bigger screen and a headphone jack.
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Devoted PlayStation users have for years called on Sony to bring official support for Remote Play game streaming app to non-Sony handsets, and it seems their demands will finally be met. Sony has announced to release the v7.00 update for the PlayStation 4 within this week, bringing the feature to a wider range of Android devices.
The Xperia 1 is Sony's new flagship smartphone. It was first shown off at Mobile World Congress earlier this year, and comes equipped with everything you'd expect from a high-end smartphone in 2019, all in an extremely-tall 2:1 design. Pre-orders already begun in the United States, and now it has a shipping date, and people in Europe can buy the phone too.The Xperia 1 has a lot going for it, with a Snapdragon 855 processor, 6GB RAM, 128GB internal storage, a super-tall 21:9 6.5-inch 4K HDR OLED (though the utility of 4K screens on phones has yet to be determined), a 3,300mAh battery, and Android 9 Pie. There are three rear 12MP cameras (26mm w/OIS, 52mm w/OIS, 16mm) and one 8MP front camera. It's also certified to work on Verizon, but only on LTE.The phone has already been available for pre-order in the United States, but now it has a shipping date: July 12th. The price has also fallen slightly since Sony began taking orders, as it's now $950 instead of $1,000. European pre-orders are estimated to ship on June 5th, with Amazon.de charging €949 and UK retailers pricing it at £849.Buy: Amazon, B&H Photo
It's no secret that Sony's mobile division has been struggling for years. Every quarter, the financials consistently show losses under the Mobile Communications section, and the Q4 2018 and FY2018 results are no different. That said, the mobile division is an outlier, as Sony as a whole is still profitable.
Today is another day for phone deals. Right now, you can pick up a Sony Xperia XZ2 from either Amazon or Best for $449.99, a savings of $50. That's a really decent price for a Snapdragon 845 device.Besides last year's top-end SoC, the XZ2 features 64GB of storage, 4GB of RAM, a microSD slot, a 19MP rear camera that can capture slow-mo video at 960fps, and a 5.7" 18:9 1080p HDR display.Only the Liquid Black model is on sale for the $449.99, but the pink version is a tad more on Amazon at $467.58, if you'd rather have a more interesting color option. Best Buy, meanwhile, is offering the silver for $474.99, if you'd rather have a phone that isn't black or pink. Sadly, the green isn't on sale at either retailer.Buy: Amazon, Best Buy
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- According to a report by Nikkei, Sony is following up this restructuring effort with a series of mass job cuts for those previously in the mobile division. "Up to half" of its smartphone workforce is expected to be cut, which could constitute 2,000 out of a projected total of 4,000 employees at Sony losing their jobs.
Two days ago, Sony revealed a drastic change in its business organization going forward. Sony's Mobile Communications division — responsible for the Xperia line of phones — will be merged with the Imaging Products & Solutions and Home Entertainment & Sound divisions. This "realignment" unifies all of Sony's consumer electronics branches under a single internal division, while conveniently hiding the mobile division's future losses behind a merged balance sheet. That's good for Sony, because according to today's exchange rate, the company has lost over $910 million in the last year making phones.
The Xperia XZ2 Premium debuted with an MSRP of $1,000. Predictably, that hasn't worked out well for Sony. Luckily, as any phone tends to do after some time, the price has dropped to a much more palatable 9.99, which is $350 less than the launch price and $250 under current MSRP, from Amazon, B&H, and Focus Camera.In terms of specifications, the XZ2 Premium is about as stacked as they come. It sports a 5.8" 4K LCD, a Snapdragon 845, 6GB of RAM, 64GB of storage with microSD expansion, a 19MP + 12MP rear camera setup, a 13MP front-facing camera, and a 3,540mAh battery. Other features include IP65/68 water and dust resistance, a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, and 9W fast wireless charging.A primary complaint in our review was cost; at $1,000, the XZ2 Premium just couldn't compete with similarly-priced phones. This new $649.99 price is much less shocking. The deal is available from Amazon (it's $1 cheaper at $648.99 there), B&H, and Focus Camera. Hit the links below to pick one up.Buy: Amazon, B&H, Focus Camera
We know a fair bit about Sony's plans for Mobile World Congress by now, including the launch of a new flagship in the shape of the Xperia XZ4 (which may end up being renamed for the 10th anniversary of the Xperia brand) and two mid-range phones. We've also been hearing about another budget model called the Xperia L3, which we're now seeing official renders for.
Sony's phones have been on sale all over the place lately. Last week, we reported that there were price drops on a number of Xperia devices at several retailers. At the time, the premium Xperia XZ3 was $100 off its $900 MSRP. Now, it's fallen even further at B&H, currently going for $730.
Pricing aside, Sony phones are generally well-liked. That means that an event such as Black Friday could be the perfect time to pick one up. Currently, we're seeing some decent sales on the last-gen Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XA2 Ultra, with a $50 discount on the Xperia XZ3 as well, from multiple retailers.Most retailers on this list are running the same sales, but for whatever reason, B&H is tacking on additional $70 and $60 clip coupons to the XZ2 and XA2 Ultra, respectively. Here's the list, with the best deals highlighted:
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- Sony has now updated its blog post to add the Xperia XZ2 Compact, so good news for anyone hoping support for that would also come.
For developers wishing to tinker with Sony phones, the Open Devices program is a welcome official point of entry. The Japanese company adds most of its high-profile Android handsets to the list of supported devices after a little while, and the Xperia XZ2 and XZ3 are the latest to join the ranks.
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Back in August, Sony announced that the XZ2 family, XZ1 family, and XZ Premium would be receiving their Android 9 Pie updates in November. Last month, the XZ2 and XZ2 Compact received their OTAs ahead of schedule. Now, the XZ Premium, XZ1, and XZ1 Compact are getting theirs.