After having showcased the Xperia XZ Premium’s beautiful 4K display at the MWC this year, the company had made its phone available to other markets apart from the US. Fortunately for those who have been patiently waiting, the phone, along with the Xperia Touch and XA1 Ultra, will have a release date in the US coming up soon.
Sony has announced that the Xperia XZ Premium will be available for pre-order from Amazon and Best Buy starting from June 12, following a week after which, the phone will be officially launched. Starting June 19, users will be able to buy the fully unlocked from Amazon, Best Buy and other participating retailers. The phone will not come cheap, carrying a hefty price-tag of $799.
According to Engadget, when the phone does come out eventually, it will be the second phone, apart from the Samsung Galaxy S8, to feature gigabit LTE compatibility. For the price, users will also receive the ability to capture slow-motion videos at 960 fps, a segment-first. The Xperia XZ Premium can do this thanks to its Motion Eye system that is able to scan images five times faster than before. The 5.5-inch display of the phone also supports HDR apart from 4K video streaming, which will be a nice take away for users wanting to maximize the potential of their phone.
Of course, apart from the Xperia XZ Premium, Sony is also releasing the Xperia Touch projector and the XA1 in the US as well. The Xperia Touch projector, which is a battery-powered Android projector will also go on pre-order from June 16. The projector, however, comes at the cost of $1,700 and will only be available at Sony Square in New York. The other product that Sony intends on releasing is the Xperia XA1 Ultra, which is meant to serve as a phone for the photographically inclined. The main USP of the device will be its 16MP front-facing selfie camera which is also optically stabilized, producing high-quality shots. The phone is also a mid-ranger and will be sold for about $400. Pre-orders for the phone are also going to start from June 12, after which the availability of the phone will begin from June 21 online and will then make its way to stores on July 2.
Considering that the demand for a phone like the Xperia has been fading of late, the company should hope to win back customers and redeem itself through the sheer quality and premium spec-sheet that the company’s line-up is usually known for.