Sony Announces Its First Smartphone for Verizon: The Xperia Z3v
Chances are if you’re a longtime Verizon Wireless customer, you’ve never bought, owned, or even tested a Sony smartphone. That’s because the company’s handsets, which are quite good and getting better, have never been available on Verizon. Until now, that is.
Sony announced Thursday that it is bringing its new Xperia Z3v exclusively to Verizon, its first smartphone ever on America’s largest carrier.
Don’t let the name fool you. The Xperia Z3v isn’t exactly the same as Sony’s new top-of-the-line Z3, which the company unveiled at the IFA consumer electronics convention in September.
Actually, the Xperia Z3v is more of a cross between the Z3 and Sony’s last-generation Xperia Z2. Basically, Sony took a modified version of its Xperia Z2 smartphone and packed it with some of the software features found on the newer Z3. It’s a Z2 body with Z3 looks on the screen.
That’s kind of a letdown considering that the Z3’s body is thinner than the Z2’s. In general, the Z3v actually feels fairly thick and heavy compared to something like the Samsung Galaxy S5 or iPhone 6.
But that doesn’t mean the Z3v is a slouch. On the contrary, the Xperia Z3v packs all the same tech specs as the Z3, right down to its quad-core processor and 3 GB of RAM. In fact, the Z3v also supports up to a 128 GB microSD card. That’s a lot of storage space, more than you’ll find on many other smartphones.
Like the Z3 and Z2, the Z3v gets a 5.2-inch, 1920 × 1080 display, which the company says provides owners with more vibrant reds and greens. Sony has also ensured that the Z3v’s screen is especially bright. The handset’s display is one of the brightest on the market, which means you should be able to use the Z3v outdoors without issue.
That screen should prove especially useful for gamers, as the Xperia Z3v supports Sony’s Remote Play, which lets you stream your PlayStation 4 games to and play them on your Xperia Z3v over your home WiFi network. There’s also a mount for the PS4’s DualShock controller that securely holds your phone. Remote Play will hit the Xperia Z3v next month.
One of the things Sony is seriously advertising with the Z3v is its high-res audio support. That means you’ll be able to listen to high-resolution audio files, which offer greater quality against your standard MP3. Whether or not you need this probably depends on your level of music nerddom, but still: It’s an option.
Like its predecessors, the Z3v is both waterproof and dustproof. But whereas the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy S5 is waterproof in up to 3 feet of water for 30 minutes, the Z3v can survive in 5 feet of water.
With a 3,200 mAh battery, the Xperia Z3v should keep chugging along well after your workday ends. Stamina and Ultra Stamina modes extend the handset’s battery even longer than that.
What’s more, the Z3v is the first Xperia product to support built-in wireless charging. So you can just leave the handset on a compatible Qi charging pad, and it’ll start charging immediately.
The Xperia Z3v goes on sale on Oct. 23 for $199 with a two-year contract through Verizon Wireless. The phone has a heck of a lot of competition, though, with Apple’s iPhone 6, Samsung’s Galaxy S5 and Note 4, and offerings from HTC and LG. Is the Z3v reason enough to bring you over to Sony’s side? Stay tuned for our full review to find out.
Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley or on Google+ here.
