'Google Edition' Sony Xperia Z coming soon

Agree with the most, without LTE this thing is like jewelry.

This is the google edition phone to get. I'm betting it'll be more expensive than the other phones though.

Absolutley disappointing that google is just selling them in usa. I'd buy one of them, if I could do that in germany.

If there's one device that deserves a Google Edition, it's the Oppo Find 5.

[quote]Would you pick up a "Nexus user experience" version of the Sony Xperia Z? [/quote]

Never. On "Nexus" branded device, lack of external storage is usually implied, and that seals it right there.

I from what I've seen on a few "Vanilla" devices, both phone and tablet, there is nothing there to impress me. Manufacturer's UIs, though vilified be a certain crowd are actually a good thing.

They help make better use of a device and allows for custom hardware. Case in point: My Xperia ZL sports an universal, programmable IR remote control. The oft-mentioned camera software is another. Sony's "Throw" widget is another golden little gem.

Changing devices can be daunting because we are creatures of habit, and tend to resist change, but keeping the will to adapt when good things show up is part of "staying with the times", so to speak. Vanilla is just another interface, and it probably is the blandest of them all. Nothing can please everybody, and "Cyanogen Mod" is a prime example of this; A universal mod from a non manufacturer...

No vanilla for me, I like when things are improved upon. Though all different, of all the various flavors of Android I've used, the plainest all seem to have let me down. Sony's custom UI and gear is what has most impressed me so far, trumping a 10" Asus tablet, amongst others.

I would love to have this phone. My two choices for phones were this or the One, but sadly neither are coming to Big Red. I have heard rumor on this very site that a variant of the One may come to Verizon under a new name with perhaps a slightly different look, but it was rumor, not verified, and no speculation for when, just later??? Anyway, I am hoping that Verizon gets something that will compete with the specs of these beautiful devices I keep seeing popping up on these other carriers.

The Xperia Z is just too big & expensive for me.

Give me a Nexus version of the Xperia ZR & I'll snap it up in a second.

BTW, hey, Sony, what's your replacement for the Xperia Ray?

O.M.G. Last year when there was the whole multiple nexus maker rumor, I was laughed at and told I was living in a dream world when I said it would be awesome if the big 5 all had a Nexus (okay so these are only nexus experience devices.) Phone released and allowed people to choose which phone they wanted based on form factor and specs. But who's laughing now? Me! 'Cause it's happening, all that is left to see is what the new Motorola has to offer.

Xperia G

Will they be releasing a ZL as well?

I would rock one of these for sure. I love Sony's phone cameras as they seem to be far superior to most other mobile phone cameras. It would be neat if they offer their camera firmware as a standalone application so you could install it and make it the default camera despite running vanilla Android. That seems like the most logical course of action in my opinion since most people I have spoken to who have owned or are interested in owning a Sony phone cite the camera as being one of the primary selling points.

Correction: The ZL is offered by Cincinnati Bell, a US carrier.

I'm currently using the C6602 on T-Mobile but obviously don't get LTE. I'm loving this phone thus far and would definitely purchase the XZ GE if it supports T-Mobile's LTE and comes in purple. If not, I'll probably wait for the Honami release.

"Would you pick up a "Nexus user experience" version of the Sony Xperia Z?"

Considering the history of Sony's absolutely horrible update policy, this should be a no brainer.

The only phone not losing anything extraordinary when getting the nexus experience xD

I would ditch moto for a while, if this phone came to Verizon.

Nice, need to know bands. So far Samsung has the best bands for T-Mobile.

Already rolling with my Nexus 4 though and this has the same processor so I'm not sure I'd go for this one either. I do think of the 3 announced this makes the best Nexus experience replacement. Love these new options though, even though you have to pay full price.

Hopefully this will not cost significantly more than the announced alternatives. I like the on screen buttons, water resistance, and potential of the camera. But I will probably still go with HTC for front facing speakers and more internal storage. I know this has SD but with 16GB and SD I still run out of internal space for apps and data that apps insist on saving to internal location.

This is stupid -- just cut the crap with the bloatware, focus on hardware and releases for carriers. ALL manufacturers should do this. The money comes from their hardware, not their damn bloat. This whole "release bloat-infested phones to carriers and 'Google Experience' in the Google Store that nobody buys from" is stupid.

This will likely be the same hardware wise as the Xperia Z now offered on the Sony Store for $630, support for TMobile HSPA+ bands but no LTE, same as the Nexus 4. I wonder if it'll be the same price.

I think I'd rather buy from Sony if I were in the market for one.

Market wise, they'd clean up if they offered 32 and 64GB options, too bad they don't have a twitter to hurl this important information at, it's a bit of a futile thing to do, but would've been worth a try.
You can't respect a public company that doesn't have a twitter, it's mandatory in letting everyone know you're a serious and professional operation, even if the messages posted are few and far between.

I think I'll pass on all Sony phones. Yesterday I was just reading about how all of them come with this Anti-Shatter film on top of the screen and those get scratched up extremely easily and if you take it off you void your warranty. It just seems silly to have to get a screen protector to protect the "screen protector".

Just gonna wait it out for the next real Nexus whenever that may be in which my Nexus 4 is serving me well till then however, the more stock versions of Android in the world the better I say!

Sounds great,except, I've been waiting to see an Xperia Z of "any experience" make it to the US. T-Mobile's version of the Z was FCC approved at least a month ago and still nothing. In US presence Sony makes HTC look like Samsung.

One important factoid that's missing is what bands is it going to support. I would assume full hspa and lte support for att and T-Mobile but I could be incorrect.

My partner has the Xperia Z and it's a beautiful phone but the Sony UI is very overly complicated. Vanilla Android would make this my favourite phone out at the moment. Saying that I do love my Nexus 4.

This is as thin as S4 yet slimmer on the width so ideally should be easier to handle with one hand than the S4. I'm thinking it still should come at $600 due to the less GHz processor.

Now this is tempting. A truer nexus experience compared to HTC and Samsung's offerings. Plus water resistance? Priced right and we may have ourselves a winner here folks.

Maybe not the Sony Nexus I've been waiting for but somehow more compelling than the S4 or the One with stock android. Definitely on the list of candidates when I do need a new phone.

I hope this doesn't replace the nexus program though... I can't afford any of these phones...

it begins...

Unfortunately these phones don't mean anything to Verizon customers :(

Leaving all the recent news aside.

I switched from my Gnex to a GS3 temporarily until the fall to see if there is anything else coming out.

Interested, and the best candidate thus far for Nexus experience. still liking the Nexus 4, wish it had a better camera. I'll likely wait for Nexus 5.

Now if only these "Google editions" would get outside of USA... They make big noise about them but that's all it currently is, offerings to single market.

I am very intrigued by this phone, I have never held a Flagship Android device made by Sony. I have always been I big fan of their (overpriced) electronics.

^^^^^

This is the only phone I've seen so far to tempt me away from my Nexus 4
The water resistance is a huge thing and that 1080p small bezel screen is gorgeous

Well done Sony, spot on! Soft keys make this phone the only real Nexus replacement option if you need a good build quality, water resistant, 5" form factor and 1080p display phone. Did I mention water resistant?! I'm buying!

This really spreads the 'Google experience' around the world, manufacturer-wise. South Korea (with the S4 and of course the Nexus 4), Taiwan (HTC One), and now Japan are in on the action. Maybe we'll see an American made Google edition of the new Motorola XFon?

It is interesting to see all of the different interpretations of "plain vanilla" coming along. It's a good time to be an Android user!

Funny like last year we were hearing a rumour about multiple manufacturers producing multiple nexus devices. It's not technically a Nexus but it's pretty close to it.

More on topic, I would gladly pick it up if I could (only apps and games in my Play store). My hope is that Sony will provide a way to nexify the devices that were already sold. I would actually prefer the Xperia ZL to the Z because of the form factor