latest
Sony's phones don't have a working fingerprint sensor in the US, have confusing names, and are almost always expensive. But software updates is where Sony really shines, and now the company is updating two more phones to Oreo.
I think my favorite part of the holiday season is all of the sales that you can find on various items. Among those, phones are commonplace. It's a great time to pick up yesteryear's goodies at very low prices. This Deal Alert is just that: B&H has the black Sony Xperia XZ (F8331) for $304.99, saving you $70.
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.
Sony has stuck to their design language over the years, offering a level of consistency that no other OEM can approach. Whether you have come to love or hate the bezel, the XZ and XZs are both great devices that offer the same Sony experience and software we've all come to expect. And, right now, you can pick up both the XZ (9.99) and XZs (5) brand new over at Daily Steals with our exclusive discount codes.
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 Sony Xperia XZ debuted in the US with a rather astronomical MSRP of $700, but ten months later, the price has calmed down to more reasonable levels. This latest figure of $399.99 with a free 64GB microSD card is one of the best offers we've seen yet, and it's available for all three colors.The XZ may not be the newest model anymore (that honor belongs to the 960fps-shooting XZs), but it's still pretty well-specced. For your $400, you'll get a Gorilla Glass 4-covered 5.2" 1080p display, a Snapdragon 820, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage with microSD expansion, a 23MP camera, USB Type-C, and IP65/68 water resistance. The fingerprint sensor doesn't work on the US model, unfortunately, but that can be remedied by flashing some international firmware.Interestingly, the XZ listings without microSD cards cost exactly the same as those that do include the 64GB Sony card at $399.99. However, the listings with microSD cards are listed as being in limited quantities, so you may have to hurry if you want one. All of those are available in three colors: black, blue, and silver. The XZ can also be had with Sony's SBH70 Bluetooth headset for $479.99, but that's a fairly crappy deal relative to the others. Check the source links below for all of the listings.Source: Amazon (black), (blue), (silver)
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:
Sony has been pretty quick with Android updates recently, at least for its highest profile handsets. The Xperia XZ and X Performance were the first Sony phones to see an update to Android 7.0 Nougat, and that was just 3 months after Google's Pixel and Nexus devices received it. Now, Sony is building on this good work by bringing the Android 7.1.1 update to both its flagships.
Did you like the Xperia XZ, but find it a crippling flaw that it couldn't shoot video in super slow-motion? Well, you're in luck, as the Xperia XZs is now available for purchase. It's capable of shooting a whopping 960fps with its new Exmor RS sensor. In the US, Amazon will sell you one of these bad boys for $699.As you may have guessed from the Apple-inspired nomenclature, the XZs is simply a slightly upgraded version of the XZ. Compared to the XZ, the XZs has a 19MP 'Motion Eye' sensor compared with the XZ's 23MP unit, an extra gigabyte of RAM (it's 4GB now), and double the internal storage at 64GB (a 32GB model was announced, but won't be sold in the US). Additionally, the Forest Blue (read: dark blue) color has been ditched for a lighter Ice Blue.[EMBED_YT]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibzZ4fhP9x0[/EMBED_YT]Otherwise, it has the same metal body, same 5.2" 1080p display, same Snapdragon 820, same microSD expansion, same 13MP front-facing camera, same 2900mAh battery, and same IP68 water resistance. Also worth noting is that the XZs is launching with Android 7.1 Nougat, which is awesome to see. Android O is still a ways off (its official name hasn't even been announced yet), so this is the best you can get for now.If you want an XZs, you can buy one now from Amazon for $699 in Black, Ice Blue, or Warm Silver. This time around, the US is getting a dual SIM model, though you'll only be able to use one SIM if you want to also use a microSD card.Oh, and ignore that one three-star review. Please don't be one of those people who reviews things on Amazon without actually having purchased them.Source: Amazon
Sony has the tendency to significantly over-price its phones, with the Xperia XZ from last year being no exception. Since its launch a few months ago, it has steadily dropped in price. But now, you can grab one for $429.99, which a nice savings of $220. Oh, and you get free standard shipping and a U.S. warranty to boot.
MWC 2017 is over, and now we all know what was unveiled. Sony, Motorola, LG, Nokia, BlackBerry Huawei, and others all unveiled new smartphones ranging from the most basic to flagship-level, and this weekend's poll will have you pick among some of the most prominent contenders for a winner.
The Sony Xperia XZ was announced at IFA last year, and later released in the United States in October. As you might expect from a phone initially costing $699, it's powered by a Snapdragon 820 CPU with 3GB of RAM. Now Xperia Blog has posted the first image of the upcoming XZ Premium, and it's very shiny.
One tradition with Sony smartphones is that they are nearly always overpriced at launch. Sony's latest flagship, the 2016 Xperia XZ, was no exception - it started at a whopping $699. Although the official MSRP has been marked down to $649 since then, you can now get it from Amazon for just $449.99.I would say that the Xperia XZ is definitely a good phone at this price - it has a Snapdragon 820 CPU, 5.2" 1080p display, 3GB of RAM, and expandable storage. It also has some features rare in flagships these days, like expandable storage and Dual SIM support. In addition, the XZ packs IP65/68 water resistance, but Sony warns that the phone's USB port should be completely dry before attempting to charge. The phone shipped with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, but has since been updated to 7.0 Nougat.As for customization, the XZ isn't a bad option. TWRP is available for it, as well as a few custom ROMs - but unfortunately not official LineageOS builds. If you want a gorgeous-looking phone, this isn't a bad choice at all. You can get it from the source link below, but at least for now, only the Blue color is discounted.Source: Amazon
The Xperia XZ hasn't been out for long in the United States, but its prices just keep dropping. Just a few days ago, this very phone went from its MSRP of $649.99 to as low as $581.98, but now, it's gone down another $80 or so to $499.99. That's a pretty damn good price for such a new device, even if you have to flash different firmware to get the fingerprint sensor to work.That $499.99 will get you a 5.2" 1080p display, a Snapdragon 820, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage (with microSD expansion), a 23MP rear camera, a 13MP selfie cam, a 2900mAh battery, and IP65/68 water and dust resistance. These specs aren't the best of the best, but they're still very good, and far more than adequate.All three colors (black, blue, silver) are available at this new, lower price, and this doesn't immediately appear to be a Cyber Monday-only deal. Since the device is shipped and sold by Amazon, two-day shipping is free. Quite honestly, if I had to choose between the XZ and the also-discounted $499.99 Moto Z, I'd go with the XZ for its nicer design (IMO), headphone jack, and IP rating. (Would a bunch of Sony haters say that?)Source: Amazon
If I was going to spend about $600 on a phone, I wouldn't put it down on a Sony device. Don't get me wrong, I love the company, but I don't think its prices for the past year or so have been realistic and I would fear the huge loss in resale value. But that's just me. If you like Sony, this deal should be right up your alley.The unlocked Sony Xperia XZ with a US warranty is down to $580-$600 on Amazon. When it was first released, the XZ was priced at $699.99, but we saw its price drop to $649.99 in October. Now it's down another $50-$70, depending on color:
If you haven't at least glanced at YouTube gadget aficionado JerryRigEverything (whose real name is Zack), you should close this tab and go do that. He puts new phones through excruciating damage tests for "entertainment purposes only" - it's the kind of thing that we're not really supposed to do in our standard reviews (unless the phone dares us to kill it). In a breakdown of the Xperia XZ, Sony's current premium flagship which retails for $700, Zack found a surprising amount of materials that were less than premium.
As of late, Sony Mobile has been making some pretty decent smartphones, but it destroys any chances of them succeeding by slapping massive price tags on them. The relatively new Xperia XZ is one of these phones; it's nice, but $700 nice? Not to most. However, with this latest markdown by Amazon, you can grab an XZ with a US warranty for $649.99, $50 less than the MSRP.Unfortunately, the fact that this XZ carries a US warranty means that its side-mounted fingerprint sensor has been disabled (it can be re-enabled with a firmware flash). That being said, the rest of the phone's specs are still solid; they include a 5.2" 1080p display with Gorilla Glass 4, a Snapdragon 820, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a 23MP camera, and 2900mAh battery. In addition, despite its unassuming appearance, it's IP68 water and dust-resistant.Amazon has discounted all three colors (black, blue, and silver) to $649.99. Since the phone is being shipped and sold by Amazon, you'll get fast shipping if you're a Prime member. You also won't have to deal with third-party sellers, who can be a pain to deal with sometimes. We're not sure how long this offer will last, so if you've been on the lookout for an Xperia XZ, you may want to jump on this soon.Source: Amazon
TWRP is by far the most popular custom recovery, and for good reason. Backing up your device, flashing ROMs, managing files in a pinch, and more are all possible through a customizable GUI. Now TWRP is expanding its reach to three more devices - the Sony Xperia XZ, Sony Xperia X Performance, and Samsung Galaxy J3 2016 Qualcomm (SM-J320YZ).
After having a Nexus 6P, I think I'd find it pretty difficult to go back to not having a fingerprint sensor. It's just such a convenient way to quickly and easily unlock my phone. The Sony Xperia XZ and X Compact (this year's model) both have fingerprint sensors, but weirdly on the US editions (and possibly others from around the world), they are disabled via software. Xperiablog has found that by flashing the UK firmware, the sensor can be enabled.