bocastephen

I just picked up a Sony Xperia Z5 Premium in Singapore and I must say this is a stellar phone. The size is comparable to an Iphone 6, although it weighs a little more, but has a much more polished and luxurious feel to it. The fingerprint reader is in exactly the right spot on the power button along the side of the phone so you are basically unlocking it at the same time you pick it up.

My phone is the reflective gold color and it's really eye catching. The processor is snappy, there is lots of memory and I was given a too-good-to-pass-up deal on a 64GB memory card so make sure I have enough room for those 23MP photos.

I am still playing with the camera, but there is a huge difference between the Sony and my Samsung in terms of color accuracy, focus, saturation and overall clarity.

The phone gets LTE and LTE+ on Singtel, and now that I'm home, LTE on ATT using a Straight Talk SIM. I should have no problems using it as a shared modem to my laptop when I visit Canada and get the $5++ pay-what-you-use tablet plan from Rogers or Bell.

It does not appear that any of the Z5 models are coming to the US and Canada only has the non-premium version in two boring colors - so to get the bigger model and the reflective colors you need to buy it overseas.

Purchasing from the official Sony store at Changi airport was very easy - just called a few days before arrival to put my preferred color on hold, then I was sold the phone at retail less GST and offered 25% off any accessories from the shop. Finding cases is still a challenge as the phone is new, but the Sony shop put on the tempered glass screen cover and I was able to find a clear TPU case in town.

pseudoswede

I really have no idea why Sony is so afraid to enter the US market.

gobluetwo

I had the original Xperia Z and thought it was a fantastic phone compared to contemporaries like the GS4 and iPhone 5. I might've gone for the Z5 rather than the GS6 if it were available in the US and on VZW.

sonofzeus

FYI

http://www.sonymobile.com/us/products/phones/

BTW I luv my Z Ultra ("THE BEAST")

http://www.phonearena.com/phones/siz...ones/9501,7883

paperwastage

yeah, Sony just launched the Z3+ in the USA.... while everyone else is on Z5

^

http://www.xperiablog.net/2015/11/16...-usa-warranty/ (November 16)

bocastephen

Sony pulled out of the US market completely on the retail side - all the stores were closed (I think in Canada too). There was talk of pulling out of the mobile business altogether, but this phone should really be a strong incentive for them to keep going.

Not having retail outlets and needing to sell phones at full price when deals can't be reached with carriers is probably what crippled them. Perhaps they are negotiating with a GSM carrier to resell this model, but who knows when that will be.

Expansys and Amazon have the unlocked version available for shipping right now, so if anyone is interested and will not be passing through Singapore or HK airports (both have Sony stores in the transit areas), or visiting Europe, that might be the only way to order it. If you want the regular size version with the same specs (except non-4K screen), and don't mind boring black or silver, you can buy it in Canada from Bell, but you need to pay the non contract price+tax, activate it, cancel then pay $50 to unlock it - it's actually cheaper to get the Z5P from overseas.

In the end, I got a phone that is better than the IP6S+ in many ways for over $100 less than Apple charges for an unlocked IP6S+

Condition One

Dumb question - if I purchase a Z5 Premium on my next trip to the UK, can I just insert my Verizon sim card when I get back to the States and have it automatically work? I have a Galaxy S4 right now. Thanks!

bocastephen

Unfortunately there is no CDMA model, only GSM so it would not work in the US that I am aware of.

Condition One

Shoot. Been looking for a S4 replacement (I don't think these phones are designed to last more than 3 years) but haven't seen any better options out there, with the exception of the Z5. Thanks!

pseudoswede

I went from an S4 to a 128GB S6. I've been satisfied. YMMV, of course.