Sony Xperia Z4 release date, news and rumors

It might not seem that long ago since the Xperia Z3 was released, but with Sony's rapid release schedule for its flagship smartphones the rumour mill has already been working overtime.

We've started to hear plenty rumours about Sony's next flagship, including one report which reckons the Japanese firm will return to an annual launch of its top device, ditching the recent trend of every six months, though not until after the Z4 launches.

Updates: Passing Japanese certification authorities hints at an upcoming release date, plus rumours of more than one version of the Z4 emerge.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? Sony's next flagship smartphone
• When is it out? Likely to be on shelves in April/May
• What will it cost? A lot - this will be a high-end device

Sony Xperia Z4 release date

Sony announced the Xperia Z2 at MWC 2014 on February 24, so there's a fair chance that the Xperia Z4 will arrive at MWC 2015, which is set to happen on March 2-5.

That will put almost six months between the Xperia Z3 and the Xperia Z4, so it would make sense if Sony is sticking to its 'two flagships a year' plan.

In mid January the Sony Xperia Z4 passed through Japanese certification authorities, which means the handset is still on for an early 2015 unveiling, though exact details on the release date remain absent.

Either way it probably won't hit stores until around April, as Sony is set to release its new Exmor RS IMX230 image sensor in April 2015 (or May if you believe an email leaked via the Sony hack) and the Xperia Z4 is likely to sport the new sensor.

What will it cost?

There's been no information on how much the Xperia Z4 will cost, however as it's a flagship smartphone (and a Sony one at that) we'd expect it to ship with a high price tag.

The Xperia Z3 launched at £549 ($630, AU$849) and we'd expect the Z4 to launch at around the same price.

Rumours have also suggested that Sony could be plotting two versions of its flagship smartphone. There would be a Z4 with a 1080 x 1920 full high definition screen, similar to the one found on the Xperia Z3. The second version would offer a much higher 1440 x 2560 (QHD) resolution.

These rumours claim that the 1080p version will cost less than the QHD version, though we'd take those claims with a pinch of salt.

Sony Xperia Z4 design

The Xperia Z3's attractive OmniBalance design was one of its strongest features, and it looks like Sony won't be straying too far from that template.

According to a source that contacted Phone Arena, the Xperia Z4 will have thinner top and bottom bezels as well as more rounded corners as you can sort of see in the accompanying image.

You may not have to imagine what the Z4 may look like any more, after images apparently taken from the email account of the Sony CEO during the major Sony hack reveals early renders of the Xperia Z4.

It's actually the 5th generation of Xperia Z (credit: Gizmodo)

What can you expect then? Well a mirrored front and rear, the now-traditional oversized power/lock key on the right and three colour options - white, black and yellow. That's if the images are correct, of course.

Annotated images that were included in the leak show that the Xperia Z4 could come with a 1.2mm glass panel and resin bezel.

Another recent rumour suggested that Sony could be releasing a Walkman edition of the Xperia Z4. This version would concentrate on music playing with hi-res audio codec support, two-day battery life and improved S-Force PRO front-facing speakers.

Releasing multiple versions of its upcoming flagship smartphone could be a risky move on Sony's part, but more choice might not be a bad thing for the consumer looking to buy a phone that focuses on their specific interest.

Sony Xperia Z4 screen

There's been a lot of conflicting reports on the Xperia Z4's screen. One area of contention is how large the screen will be.

Early rumours hinted that the screen would be 5.5-inches, a fair bit larger than the 5.2-inch display on the Xperia Z3.

Another rumour suggested that the screen will be slightly smaller at 5.4-inches, though still an upgrade over the Z3.

The latest rumours we've heard about the size of the Xperia Z4's screen claims that neither of those sizes is correct, and instead Sony will be sticking with a 5.2-inch display.

The other detail rumours seem to be conflicted on is regarding the resolution of the screen. Although some rumours claim that Sony is sticking with 1080p as the resolution, other rumours are suggesting it will get a substantial boost to QHD 1440 x 2560, the same as the LG G3.

Perhaps most interestingly we've also heard rumours that both these resolutions are correct, and that Sony will be release two different versions of the Xperia Z4.