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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.
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Google has rolled out Android Pie to Pixel devices, and Essential managed to get an update out on the same day. A few OEMs like Moto and HTC have offered some insight on what they're updating. Today, you can add Sony to the list. It says updates are coming to devices in XZ2, XZ1, and XA2 families. Some of them might be here sooner than you expect.
Are you ready for a surprise? Paranoid Android/AOSPA, of long-standing ROM fame, has just pushed out a status update on the project's plans, as well as the first ever Oreo releases for the ROM. Unfortunately for the vast majority of us, they're only available for a handful of Sony phones.
The Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium is currently in the pre-order phase in the US, with the official release date set for July 30th. But at $999.99, it's extremely expensive, and it's just not that attractive of a phone. The original XZ Premium has been discounted to $469.99 by B&H, allowing for a somewhat affordable method to get a 4K display-equipped phone.Sony's XZ Premium comes with a 5.5" 4K display, a Snapdragon 835, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a 19MP "Motion Eye" camera capable of 960fps slow-motion video, a 13MP front-facing camera, and a 3,230mAh battery. It also comes with IP65/68 water resistance and dual-SIM capabilities.Only the Deepsea Black color is available (B&H says Luminous Chrome has been discontinued, though it's still available at Amazon). Expedited shipping is free, and if you're in the NYC area, you can pick it up at B&H's superstore. There's also no tax unless you live in NY or NJ. Hit the source link below to grab one.Source: B&H
The redesigned Xperia XZ2 lineup is here (sans the Premium variant), which means last year's XZ series is falling in price. Earlier this month, the XZ Premium dropped to $525 on Amazon, and now it's even lower. You can get the XZ Premium for $499.99 at Best Buy, a $200 reduction from the original MSRP.
Sony's Xperia XZ2 series is up for pre-order now, but the Premium version is still a little ways off from being available. It'll also likely cost a fortune by the time it launches. So if you want a premium experience and you're a fan of Sony's hardware and/or software, you can turn your head to the previous generation XZ Premium, which is now at an all-time low of 5 on Amazon.The XZ Premium launched for $799 at first, but then the MSRP was lowered to a more approachable $699. It's still the quoted price now, though recently the phone has settled around $600. $525 is less than that still and the lowest we've seen it reach.The XZ Premium carries Sony's older blocky design language, but the specs are very respectable: 5.5" 4K HDR display, Snapdragon 835, 64GB storage with MicroSD slot, 4GB RAM, 19MP camera with 960fps video recording, and 3230mAh battery. Only the chrome color is discounted on Amazon to the low $525 price and there are 20 units left at the time of writing, so you better make up your mind quickly.Source: Amazon
When it comes to security, Android devices are a mixed bag - to say the least. Few manufacturers make promises about long-term support, and timely security updates are rare. This is understandably a concern for large businesses, which often don't want to worry about security flaws or constantly deploy new devices. For many enterprise customers, the question of which Android phones should be used is difficult to answer.
Phone deals abound this weekend, so it's no surprise to see Sony devices in the mix. Among the Xperia sales floating about (and those yet to come), Best Buy has the XZ Premium for $549.99, a nice $150 off the going price.Released at the beginning of this year, this phone sports a 5.46" "4K" display (4K only in certain situations), a Snapdragon 835, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, 19MP/13MP cameras, and a 3,230mAh battery. $550 is actually a great price for this phone, considering that it's not only a Sony device, but it has those top-tier (or over the top) specs.All three colors, including that unique pink, are $550. Head on over to the source link below to get started.
A few days ago, Sony Xperia XZ Premium owners may have seen news about the promised Android 8.0 Oreo release for their phone. According to Xperia Blog, Sony in Japan confirmed that the update would be coming in December, which fell in line with the earlier assurance that it would be rolled out before the end of the year.
In what could be considered unsurprising, it seems that Sony's Xperia XZ Premium has dropped below $600 over on Amazon. The pink model is currently going for $584.99, meaning you'll save $214, and the silver version is just a tad higher at $585.99, $213 off the launch price of $799.Astute AP readers may recall that, back in August, we brought you a deal alert mentioning that the XZ Premium was already $100 off. That deal still holds for the black version. But for those of you who need a refresher, the XZ Premium sports a 5.5" 4K HDR display, a Snapdragon 835, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, 19MP/13MP cameras, a 3,230mAh battery, and a U.S warranty. That rear camera is capable of 960fps slow-motion video — the 4K display is only active during media playback in certain apps.Like many U.S. Sony phones, this one does not feature an active fingerprint sensor, which is disappointing to say to least. Some sort of licensing or legal matter prevents the U.S. models from using the reader, but flashing the international firmware supposedly makes it active. Another bonus is that Sony has promised that Oreo is coming to this phone, and likely soon at that. Remember, the pink model costs $584.99 and the silver $585.99; the black version is still sitting at $699.99.Source: Amazon (1), (2)
Sony may not come to mind as one of the most developer-friendly mobile tech companies out there, but its Open Devices program proves otherwise. The latest fruits of this creation come in the form of AOSP Android 8.0 Oreo, which is now available for six Xperia smartphones.
At its IFA press conference, Sony announced several new devices and importantly, it also let us know which existing phones will be updated to Android Oreo 8.0. For the past few years, Sony has been one of the best (if not the absolute fastest) companies at updating its existing portfolio of devices to the new versions of Android, even keeping relatively old phones on top of the update cycle in relatively fast manner.
The good news keeps piling up for owner of Sony's latest badass-est flagship, the Xperia XZ Premium. Not only did they discover it's one of Sony's most durable phones to date, but they can also benefit from better AOSP ROM development on it thanks to the Open Devices program, and now they'll also be able to watch Netflix content in HDR on its beautiful display.
TWRP recovery continues to add support for more and more devices. Last time we took a look at the project, unofficial builds for the Snapdragon Galaxy S8/S8+ were available (but not for the US models). Over the past few weeks, more phones have been added to the official support list.
Sony's phones are almost always more expensive than competing devices, and the XZ Premium is no exception. It arrived in the United States for a whopping $799, making it one of the most expensive (mainstream) phones on the market. Here we are, about a month and a half after its release in 'Murica, and the phone has already dropped $100.The XZ Premium has a Snapdragon 835, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, a 5.5" 4K HDR display, and a 3,230mAh battery. The main selling point is the 19MP back camera, capable of recording 960fps slow-motion video. The 4K HDR screen is pretty nice too, but it only switches to 4K resolution during media playback (in select apps).The biggest downside to this phone, besides the price, is the fingerprint sensor. Or rather, the lack thereof. The US model doesn't have a working fingerprint sensor due to some agreement/legal matter, but flashing the international variant's firmware turns it back on. If you're still interested, you can grab it from various retailers below.Source: Amazon, Best Buy, B&H
Sony has maintained the same basic design language for years, but a number of its phones have barely squeaked by in the JerryRigEverything durability testing. What about the new Xperia XZ Premium? It has premium right in the name, and Sony is asking for a very premium $800 for it. This phone fairs quite well overall.
Sony's latest phone, the Xperia XZ Premium, launched in the United States last week. As the name implies, it's a rather expensive phone ($799.99), but offers a few unique features like a camera capable of recording 960FPS slow-motion video. Sony has now added the phone to its Open Devices program, making it easy for developers to build AOSP for the device.
I've never actually seen anyone with an Xperia smartphone here in the United States, but presumably someone is buying them, because Sony still sells them here. The latest entry in Sony's line of devices, the Xperia XZ Premium, is now available to purchase in 'Murica for a penny shy of $800.As the same might imply, this is a very similar device to last year's Xperia XZ. However, it does have an upgraded CPU, one more GB of RAM, and a back camera capable of recording stunning 960fps slo-motion video. Here are the full specifications:
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You have to hand it to Sony. After failing time and time again to break into the US market, it's still launching phones here. The Xperia XZ Premium is now available for pre-order at Best Buy (and Amazon soon) for a whopping $799.99. For that bundle of cash, you get a 4K display, Snapdragon 835 SoC, and no fingerprint sensor. Because that makes sense, Sony.The XZ Premium packs a lot of high-end hardware, so let's do the spec thing.