Sony Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact coming unlocked to the US next month

Hot on the heels of announcing the brand new pink version of its flagship smartphone, Sony has announced that it’s bringing the Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact to the US market starting next month. Once they land, it’ll mark the first time the company has sold its unlocked smartphones in the States since the Xperia Z3.

Spec-wise, both phones are up there with the best of the phones from 2015…

The flagship Xperia Z5 features a 5.2-inch 1080p display and is powered by Qualcomm’s controversial Snapdragon 810 processor. The chip is paired with 3GB RAM to ensure smooth performance and comes with a 2,900mAh battery which Sony claims can get you through two days’ use on a single charge. What’s more, the 23MP camera on the back is widely regarded as one of the best snappers on the market.

The Z5 Compact boasts many of the same benefits. It has the same camera on the back, is waterproof and its smaller 2,700mAh battery can last two days on a single charge. It has a much smaller, 4.6-inch display with a 720p resolution panel but is powered by the same Snapdragon 810 processor. 2GB RAM and 32GB internal storage round off the specs.

Both phones have MicroSD card support for up to 2TB, and with Marshmallow coming soon to both phones, there’s the potential to adopt a huge amount of external storage as internal memory.

The Xperia lineup of phones is something of an enigma in the US market. You’d be hard-pushed to find a tech enthusiast out there who isn’t aware of Sony’s flagship Android smartphone range, but you’d struggle as equally to find someone actually using one in public. Sony’s marketing and retail strategy is puzzling, to say the least.

When the unlocked Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact hit the market next month you’ll need to pay $599 for the privilege of owning the Xperia Z5, while the Z5 Compact will set you back $499. With the Galaxy S7 launch happening very shortly, it’s hard not to think it’s a little too late for Sony with the Z5, as usual.

Sadly, there’s no word on whether or not the company will launch the 4K display-equipped Z5 Premium which appeared alongside the other two during the IFA announcement last year.