Sony Xperia Z4 Release Date, Specs Unveiled; Android 5.0 Lollipop Update for Sony Xperia Z2, Z3

Apr 20, 2015 05:36 PM EDT

Sony has recently announced the latest in their flagship Android phone series, the Xperia Z4.  As a follow-up to the Xperia Z3, it certainly promises to be a very successful phone for Sony, even in a very competitive marketplace.  The Xperia Z4 will have a release date some time in Japan during the summer, and will come with the latest version of Android, 5.0.  However, this has left many users of older Xperia devices like the Z3 and Z2 wondering about their Android Lollipop update.

According to Phone Arena, Sony Mobile has finally unveiled the Sony Xperia Z4, after much rumors.  This smartphone by the Japanese giant has been long anticipated, and it was rumored to show at CES and Mobile World Congress this year. 

The Xperia Z4 flagship phone will have a 5.2 inch screen with 1080 x 1920 resolution.  Inside will be a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810 with 3 GB RAM with 32 GB of storage, upgradeable up to 128 GB with the microSD slot.  The camera on the rear is quite something at 20.7 Megapixels, and the front-facing one is also pretty advanced for its kind at 5.1 Megapixels.  The battery will be at 2930 mAh, and the phone is 6.9 mm thin, weighing in at 144 grams.  Compared to the Xperia Z3, it has taken off weight as the Z4 is 8 grams lighter, and it is also .4 mm thinner.  It also has a full metal frame. 

As an added bonus, the handset is IP6 certified for dust and IP5 and IP8 certified for water.   This means that it is protected against "Water projected by a nozzle (6.3 mm) against enclosure from any direction" and can be submerged to 4.92 feet for as long as 30 minutes without damages. 

Of course, the Sony Xperia Z4 will have the latest version of Android, Lollipop (also known as Android L or Android 5.0), right out of the box.  This has led to many wondering when the other Xperia products will be receiving their promised Lollipop. 

Know Your Mobile reported that as of March 31st, Sony has rolled out Android 5.0 to its Xperia Z3 line-up, as well as the Z3 Tablet and the Z2 smartphone.  There isn't any word about when it will be rolling out to other devices of the Xperia series, including the Xperia C3 and the Xperia T2 Ultra.  These devices still have the tagline of "coming soon".  Sony posted a tweet on April 7th to confirm that the Xperia Z1, Xperia Z1 Compact, Xperia Z Ultra, and Xperia Z3 Dual would also be receiving Lollipop a week later. 

The Sony Xperia Z4 will be available in Japan "later this summer".  Unfortunately, we don't have a more specific release date or price, but it will be available in White, Black, Copper, and Aqua Green.  As for the update of older Xperia devices, users of such devices might want to check your "System Updates" on your "Settings" menu to see if it is available now, as Sony continues to roll out the updates.