Sony Xperia 1 arrives in the United States on July 12th w/ Verizon compatibility

Ben Schoon | May 16 2019 - 11:23 am PT

Sony’s flagships have never been super popular in the United States, but even with that in mind, it’s been strange that the Xperia 1 has taken so long to hit the US market. Today, Sony has announced release and pricing details for its flagship in the States.

In a press release today, Sony confirms that its Xperia 1 smartphone will arrive in the US market on July 12th. That’s several months after it was first announced at MWC and later than when it will be available internationally, but it’s good to finally see the device expanding to the States. Of course, it’s not going to be a quick recommend in the competitive unlocked market at it’s $949 price point – a slightly lower price than when it first popped up.

This unlocked model is the same, mostly, as you’ll see internationally. There’s a Snapdragon 855 processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and Sony’s new first triple-camera array too. There’s also the glass build, 21:9 6.5-inch 4K OLED display, Android 9 Pie, and a 3,300 mAh battery.

Notably, this is also the first full-size Sony flagship sold unlocked with Verizon compatibility. Previously, only some Compact models, mid-rangers, and the Verizon-exclusive Xperia Z3v were sold in the States with Verizon compatibility. However, this is only LTE certified, so do keep that in mind if signal isn’t all that strong in your area.

Xperia 1, Sony’s latest vision for mobile technology, packs a host of highlight features such as the world’s first 4K OLED display in a smartphone with 21:9 CinemaWide display (6.5”), and the world’s first Eye AF in a smartphone with a triple lens camera and up to 10 fps burst shooting with AF/AE tracking for precision focus and exposure. Sony’s Xperia 1 will launch July 12 in the United States at Best Buy, Amazon, B&H Photo, Focus Camera and other participating retail outlets. Xperia 1 will retail for $949.99.

Pre-orders are also open in Europe starting today. In the US, outlets such as Amazon and B&H Photo will be selling the Xperia 1.