Everything you need to know about the Sony Xperia Z4
The Sony Xperia Z4 release date has already become a hot topic on the tech scene despite the Xperia Z3 having only been on retailers’ shelves for a couple of weeks.
Given
the company's ridiculous habit of launching updated flagship phones
every six months, the Z4 release date could be closer than you might
expect. Keeping time with these launch expectations, the Xperia Z4
rumours are already flowing.
Having overlooked the move to a QHD display with the Z3, it now appears Sony will echo the likes of the LG G3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4
in adopting the 2K technology. Looking set to pair this resolution
improvement with a size bump, recent leaks have claimed the Z4 will
mimic the iPhone 6 Plus by jumping to a 5.5-inch panel.
With a 64-bit processor and Google’s latest Android 5.0 Lollipop OS also tipped for inclusion, the Xperia Z4 is shaping up to be a true powerhouse of the smartphone space.
It
needs to be, too. Sony recently announced loses of £1 billion on its
smartphone efforts, a figure which has cost former Sony Mobile CEO
Kunimasa Suzuki his job.
We will continue to update this page
with all the latest Sony Xperia Z4 release date details, news, leaks
and rumours as details emerge. Bookmark it now to keep on top of all
things Xperia Z4.
Sony Xperia Z4 Release Date
Given
the recent arrival of the Z3, as you might expect, Sony has yet to
offer any formal indication as to when the Xperia Z4 release date will
be held. That doesn’t mean we don’t have an idea of when to expect the iPhone 6 rival though.
Given
Sony’s desire to push new phones out before current models have had
chance to full hit their stride, we can expect the Xperia Z4 to land
early into the new year.
Teasing an early 2015 release recently, Calum MacDougall, Sony’s director of Xperia Marketing told TrustedReviews: “The replacement ratio [on our flagship phones] is about six months.”
With the Z3 having touched down in September, this suggests the Z4 is heading for a March unveiling.
Looking set to echo the same launch window as the Xperia Z2,
it is expected that the Xperia Z4 release date will be held around MWC
2015. With the Barcelona-based Mobile World Congress to be held between
March 2 and 5, keep an eye out for the Z4 on either the opening day of
the show, or at a dedicated press conference on Sunday, March 1.
Although having pushed its premature refreshes in the past, the Z4 could be Sony’s last attempt at a six month smartphone cycle.
Discussing
the company’s rushed updates recently, MacDougall stated: “This might
not necessarily be something we continue in the long term, but for now,
in the beginning of the Z series, we believe we can bring experiences
which are fresh and new and relevant, and justify for the consumer
buying a new product.”
Sony Xperia Z4 News
Sony
needs its next smartphone to be a consumer hit. The Z3 has gained
critical acclaim but that hasn't stopped Sony Mobile haemorrhaging
money.
Recent financial earnings reports have seen the
manufacturer forced to revise its smartphone sales forecast. Having
previously predicted it would shift 43 million devices during the year,
this figure has since been slashed to just 41m. Sony has claimed this
drop is due to lack of presence in markets such as the US and China.
With Kunimasa Suzuki having lost his job, former VP Hiroki Totoki has been promoted to head honcho.
On
a more positive note, the Sony Xperia Z4 is widely believed to be
heading down the QHD route, with a 5.5-inch 2K panel tipped for
inclusion. Such an addition would see a stunning 2560 x 1440 pixel
resolution bestowed on the phone.
Although such an addition would
see Sony keep pace with latest industry trends, it goes against
comments made by the company recently. Addressing TrustedReviews,
MacDougall said the Z3 overlooked a 2K panel as, not only would it have
a negative effect on battery life, but the visual benefits are not
there.
“If we think of this size of screen, even up to 8-inches,
they are relatively small screens and it is very difficult for the human
eye to discern the difference between 2K and Full HD,” the Xperia head
told us.
He added: “If we believe that a key part of the user
experience for consumers is to have a longer term battery, and if we
believe we can deliver a great screen with Full HD and our Sony
technologies, we don’t believe the trade-off between having a 2K screen and battery consumption is the right trade-off for a consumer.”
With the Samsung Galaxy S6
expected to touch down within a similar timeframe with its own QHD
panel in tow, it appears Sony has been forced into the move by the
competition.
Sony Xperia Z4 Rumours
Android is all but certain to be the OS of choice for the Z4. Sony’s is heavily reliant on the Google platform and with Android 5.0 Lollipop having just been announced, it appears the Z4 will be licking Google’s Lollipop direct from the box.
Although
Sony has shed no light on its future phones, with all existing ‘Z’
brand smartphones and tablets confirmed to be getting an Android 5.0
update, it is unlikely the Z4 wouldn't follow a similar trend.
Further Z4 rumours to be doing the rounds surround the phone’s design.
With
the company’s flagship phone line having featured largely unchanged
boxey designs in recent years, it is expected the Z4 will follow suit.
Given the Z3’s streamlined improvements and the current market trends,
it is possible the Z4 will look to shave further precious millimeters of
the phone's already svelte 7.3mm form factor.
Like Sony's past smartphone efforts, the Z4 is again tipped to add waterproof credentials to its premium, glass-backed design.
Hopefully
unlike past Xperia offerings the Z4 will not be plagued by overheating
issues when shooting 4K video. Having rendered the Z2's feature all but
useless, Sony made minor improvements on this front with the Z3 but
there is still room for improvement.
Sony Xperia Z4 Specs
The Sony Xperia Z4 specs sheet could see the handset line up as a market-leading device.
Offering
a detailed insight into what the phone has to offer, anonymous tipsters
have already leaked the phone’s full specs sheet well ahead of launch.
Relayed through GSM Arena, the insiders have revealed the Z4’s 5.5-inch
QHD display will be paired with a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810
processor.
With the chipset having already been confirmed ahead
of an early 2015 release, the Snapdragon 810’s inclusion is a further
indication of the Z4’s imminent release.
Clocked at 2.8GHz, the
octa-core chip looks set to partner a massive 4GB of RAM and a new base
storage option of 32GB – expandable via microSD.
One area where
the Z4 doesn’t look to be getting a specs boost is on the camera front.
The Z3’s 20.7-megapixel snapper looks set to live on, although the Z4
could introduce a new lens.
Further Sony Xperia Z4 specs tipped
to feature include Bluetooth 4.1 and Cat 6 LTE connectivity options, the
latter of which is capable of handling theoretical download speeds of
300Mbps.
With a specs sheet like this, the Z4 would leave the Nexus 6 and OnePlus One in its wake.
Sony Xperia Z4 Price
Given
the phone’s array of high-end components, don’t expect the Xperia Z4 to
be easy on your wallet. The Z3 has just launched with a £525 SIM-free
price tag and we don’t expect the Z4 will be any cheaper. In fact, given
the addition of a QHD panel and other premium additions
With the
iPhone 6 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Note 4 both already costing wannabe
owners northwards of £600, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Z4 edge
closer to this more costly milestone.
What would you like to see included on the Sony Xperia Z4? Share your thoughts via the comments section below.
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