Everything you need to know about the Sony Xperia Z4
As 2015 draws near the tech rumour mill has turned its attentions to the upcoming throng of key smartphone announcement, with much focus already falling on the Sony Xperia Z4.Despite the Xperia Z3 being just a matter of months old, Sony's frankly ridiculous habit of launching updated flagship phones every six months means the Z4 release date could be a lot closer than you might expect.
Keeping time with these twice-annual launch expectations, a flurry of Xperia Z4 rumours have already started to flow with April being tipped for the phone's release.
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. As well as improving screen quality, the Z4 could be considerably larger than its predecessors. Although latest reports have claimed the phone will feature a 5.4-inch panel, there is still much confusion around the phone's exact sizing.
The impressive additions don't stop their either. Sony has recently announced some new camera technology which is all but guaranteed to debut on the Z4. Eclipsing the Z3's inbuilt snapper, the new IMX230 sensor offers improved auto focus and light management abilities.
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
As you might expect - given the Z3's recent arrival - 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 a pretty good idea of when to expect the iPhone 6 rival though.
Sony’s desire to push new phones out before current models have had chance to fully hit their stride means 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.
Some insiders have even claimed the phone could land sooner than that. With Sony confirming it will hold its CES 2015 press conference on Monday, January 5, it has been suggested the Z4 could make its first official bow on the Vegas stage. We find this hard to believe though.
Far more telling, perhaps, is that the Japanese company has confirmed its new smartphone camera sensor will take its first bow on a consumer device in April.
With the Z4 expected to be the first handset to offer these impressive imaging abilities, this April release would likely follow an MWC unveiling.
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.”
Read More: Samsung Galaxy S6 Release Date, Rumours, News, Specs and Price
Sony Xperia Z4 News
Sony needs its next smartphone to be a consumer hit. The Z3 gained critical acclaim but that didn't stop Sony Mobile haemorrhaging money in 2014.
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-inch-plus 2K panel tipped for inclusion. Such an addition would see a stunning 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution bestowed on the phone.
Although a QHD panel would see Sony keep pace with latest industry trends, it goes against recent comments made by the company. 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 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.
While a QHD panel is all but confirmed, questions still surround exactly what size the phone will be. While it has been widely reported that the Z4 will move to either a 5.4- or 5.5-inch form factor, further leaks have also suggested the handset could retain the Z3's 5.2-inch base. At this stage we remain uncertain exactly where the Z4 will fall on teh size scale.
With the phone's visuals being boosted, it is also believed the Z4's imaging abilities will be dramatically updated.
In mid-November, Sony officially announced the Exmor RS IMX230 imaging sensor. This smartphone-bound camera addition is a 21-megapixel sensor which offers enhanced colour management over past models.
The first CMOS sensor to be built for smartphones, this sensor should take mobile imaging closer to DSLR quality shots for the first time. 192-point auto-focus detection is also on the cards alongside built-in image plane phase detection.
Read More: Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Release Date, Rumours, News, Specs and Price
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.
Read More: LG G4 Release Date, Rumours, News, Specs and Price
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.
This is far from guaranteed, however. Contrasting reports have suggested the Z4 will actually host the same Snapdragon 805 chipset currently found in the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.
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.