Sony had made the Xperia Z4 official only a few days before, and had also said that this device is not the company’s this year’s flagship. Now, we have the news that the Xperia Z4 is going to be released in the International markets as Xperia Z3+.
Since the company is going to release a completely different flagship later this year, it seems to skip the Z series as flagship (we are not so sure about this though, but it is definite that Sony is not going to release the Xperia Z5 later this year). To underline that, Sony will market the Xperia Z4 outside Japan as the Xperia Z3+. The info comes from the Sony SCR30 Style Cover Window description mentioning support for the “Xperia Z4/Z3+”.
In this matter, the official blog for the smartphone series has said:
Sony Mobile Japan announced the Xperia Z4 last week, however an international release was noticeably absent. A number of people have criticised Sony for releasing an iterative update to the Xperia Z3, with changes limited to the chipset, 5MP front-facing camera and cap less micro USB charging port. In particular, the design remains essentially the same.
Well given these issues, if Sony does plan to launch the ‘Xperia Z4′ globally it may decide to launch it as the “Xperia Z3+”. This comes from the white paper of the Sony SCR30 Style Cover Window case for the Xperia Z4. Compatible products for the case include the “Xperia Z4/Z3+”. The name would certainly be more appropriate given the iterative nature of the new handset. This would then leave the Z4 open to the more substantial upgrade at some point later (although this would still create confusion over the Japan Xperia Z4).
The Xperia Z4 will be promoted internationally as the Xperia Z3+ and will bear the same hardware as well. Sony is saving up the fanfare for the Xperia Z3+ launch in select countries and is expected to make it available in May. Still, many will be quick to argue that this new naming nomenclature will create confusion within the company and its home country: what happens if the “real” Z4 releases in a few weeks or months? The solution is quite simple, really: All Sony has to do is rebrand the product in Japan. It could be called the “Xperia Z Neo” or “Xperia Z DX” and, assuming it’s the radically redesigned product so many are hoping for, the new name might be the perfect way to distance itself from the “Z” of old. The reverse might also be true: perhaps there will be no Z4 at all overseas and the new product will have a totally new name.
To mention the wrap-up specs, Sony Xperia Z4, aka Sony Xperia Z3+ will have the same OmniBalance design with 6.9mm or thicker profile packing 5.2” 1080p display, 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 mobile processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB expandable storage, 20.7MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, Android 5.0 Lollipop, and 2,930 mAh battery.
