Both the Sony Xperia XZ2 and the Xperia XZ2 Compact were announced to be coming to the United States this month. These devices are Sony's big releases in the smartphone market this year, and both are not to be missed. These devices roll with Sony's newest "ambient flow" design language in their overall look and feel.
Sony has brought a dual camera smartphone system to MWC 2018, though you won't find it on the back of the new Xperia XZ2. Instead, the company is previewing another of its engineering experiments, the combination of two cameras and a new image processor that together promise incredible photo and video capture in extreme low-light situations.
If the definition of madness is doing the same thing, over and over, and yet always expecting a different outcome, then Sony may have finally got the memo at MWC 2018. Here, it's revealed its latest Android 8.0 Oreo smartphones, the Sony Xperia XZ2 and its potent little sibling, the Xperia XZ2 Compact. Two handsets that finally suggest the phone-maker has seen the error of its ways.
MWC 2018 is almost upon us, and though we've pretty much seen what the Galaxy S9 will look like, Sony's Xperia efforts at the show are a lot more mysterious. The phone-maker has had mixed results with its Android devices in recent years, at least when it comes to the US. Still, a new Xperia teaser suggests it could be worth paying attention to Sony in 2018.
It was at the beginning of September that Sony shared a list of devices that will be updated to Android 8.0 Oreo, and today it kicked off that string of updates by pushing the new OS to the Xperia XZ Premium. That the Xperia XZ Premium would be the first Sony device to get its Oreo is hardly shocking, considering that it's the newest handset to come out of Sony. That is, of course, aside from the Zperia XZ1 and XZ1 Compact, but those are launching with Android 8.0 out of the box.
Smart home speakers are the in thing in tech these days and Sony is jumping in as well but in a different way. Back when it redefined its Xperia brand last year, it introduced a few new non-phone smart devices, including a certain Xperia Agent. Formerly a prototype, that stationary robot butler has just become a full-fledged commercial product to take on the likes of Google Home, Amazon Echo, and Apple HomePod. Meet the Xperia Hello! And, yes, the punctuation is part of its product name.
Sony unveiled a couple of new products at IFA 2017 yesterday, including two expected Xperia flagship and one odd and unexpected Android mid-ranger. While the Xperia XZ1 and Xperia XZ1 Compact are more or less flagship phones, there was a bit of uncertainty whether it will ship with Oreo or not, considering how close it was to Android 8.0’s launch. Beating LG to the punch this year, Sony proudly said that those two will launch with Oreo from the get go. Even better, Sony is sharing which smartphones will get updated to Android 8.0 in due time.
Sony has two new Android phones for 2017, the Xperia XZ1 and Xperia XZ1 Compact, and they'll be among the first wave of Android 8.0 Oreo devices. Unveiled at IFA 2017 today, the two handsets each wrap Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 in a sleek, if unobtrusive, chassis, while Sony's engineers go cherry-picking the best of the tech from their counterparts in the photography, gaming, and TV divisions.
When Sony launched its new Xperia X line, some of the models lacked the punch to make them appealing as flagship devices. It turns out that the Sony received the numbers proving so as well. At its investor conference in Tokyo, it revealed how its "Premium Standard Models", which included the Xperia X and the Xperia X Compact, didn't live up to their retail goals and, as such, will no longer see new models this year.
High-end Xperia phones like the XZ might get the lion's share of attention, but if you're looking for a more entry-level Xperia device, Sony has you covered there too. Sony launched the Xperia L1 today, revealing a device that may not come with all of the premium Xperia bells and whistles we're used to, but should still serve as a good choice for folks who need a phone on a budget.
On the heels of Sony kicking off the pre-order period for the Xperia XZ Premium in the UK, retailer Clove has also put up the pre-sale pages for the Xperia XA1. The smallest and least “equipped” of the four Xperia smartphones announced at MWC 2017, the Xperia XA1 is, by no means, an underdog. The specs definitely match many of the mid-range models this time of year but, this time, it appears that Sony may have gotten its pricing right.
The Xperia XZ Premium is set to be Sony’s premium, pun totally intended, smartphone for 2017. But even though the company unveiled the smartphone early at MWC 2017 last month, it’s going to take a while before it actually ships to would-be owners. Continuing that theme of being an early bird, Sony has started pre-orders for the Xperia XZ Premium in the UK, giving a glimpse of how much it will cost you when it actually ships in 3 months.