Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact to arrive in the US in February, Sony says

Here’s something that just may surprise you: Sony, the manufacturer famous for its headphones, walkman, and PlayStation 4, will release smartphones into the US once again next month (February 2016). Which phones are soon to see a release? The latest Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact.

The Xperia Z5 is Sony’s high-end contender for the masses, seeing that the Xperia Z5 Premium with its 4K display that’s limited to the photo gallery, videos, and Netflix content (4K) won’t see a release in the US. The Xperia Z5 packs a 1080p display with a 5.2-inch screen, alongside of Qualcomm’s problematic Snapdragon 810 processor (octa-core), 3GB of RAM, and a 2,900mAh battery that can get you up to 2 days of battery life. The Xperia Z5 Compact provides a 720p display (slightly below that of the Z5) alongside of a 2,700mAh battery. Both the Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact are covered in frosted glass, which some see as a sign of a premium-built smartphone.

There is one drawback, beside the fact that both will come with the notorious Snapdragon 810 processor: they will also lack fingerprint sensors, according to a statement made to tech site The Verge:

“Update: January 14th, 4:20PM ET: Sony has informed us that the US version of the Sony Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact will not include a fingerprint sensor.”

What this means for US customers is that, if you pick up the Sony Xperia Z5 or Z5 Compact, you won’t have fingerprint authentication — which is a huge part of Android Pay, Google’s mobile payments service. Sony’s other Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact models, destined for other parts of the world, will feature fingerprint sensors. This is nothing short of a huge blow to what for some Sony faithful was the best phone they could buy at the time. Now that the Galaxy Note 5 has been launched, and the Galaxy S7 is on its way next month (perhaps alongside of the LG G5), it’s likely the case that Sony faithful have moved on to other pastures.

We don’t know Sony’s motivation behind this, except to say that Sony has always made the US second-rate when it comes to customer treatment and device support. If I’m an American customer who wants fingerprint authentication and all the benefits of Android Pay, the Sony Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact would be the last two smartphones on the list for me; in fact, they wouldn’t (and won’t) rank at all.

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