Sony Xperia X Edition: What You Need to Know

Earlier this year Sony announced the Xperia X as the successor to the popular Xperia Z, and now we have all the details for buyers. As the US release date approaches, users will want to know everything about the new Sony Xperia X and Xperia X Performance.

In February, the Sony Xperia X was unveiled at the annual Mobile World Congress expo. But since then we’ve seen popular phones launch like the Galaxy S7, LG G5, HTC 10 and more. Those who have been waiting for Sony’s latest release need not wait any longer, as we now know when it will arrive and pre-order availability.

Probably timed to match many products coming out of Computex, Sony in May announced Here are some key details about the new flagship Xperia X and the $700 high-end Xperia X Performance, both coming this summer. Here’s what we know right now.

The company has been making great phones for years, but most of them were never released in the United States. Worse still, flagship phones like last year’s Xperia Z5 arrived extremely late, and the international model had missing features like a fingerprint scanner.

It’s available for pre-order, though we’re not yet sure if the same move will happen for the new Xperia X. start today From places like Amazon, Best Buy, B&H and more to come soon. These listings were not released in May, but are available for pre-order here on June 22. Here’s what potential buyers need to know.

Xperia X Design

While the company has changed its name and introduced new colors, the phone looks pretty similar to Sony’s other phones over the past few years. Average-sized 5-inch 1920 x 1080p Full HD display, plastic design and aluminum edges around the bezel for added style and durability.

The Xperia X appears to have dual front-facing speakers, a large rear camera, and a fingerprint scanner built into the side-mounted power and wake button, as you can see from the image above. They don’t use front or rear scanners, but they claim the side button sensor is as fast as its rivals.

Again, we’re not sure if the US models will have the fingerprint scanner, but given the price they’re asking for, we’re waiting for them.

Both Xperia X and X Performance will be available in White, Black, Lime Gold and Rose Gold color options.

Xperia X Display

Sony’s smartphones have excellent displays, but this latest version is starting to lag behind the competition, even if higher resolution displays aren’t necessary. Both the Xperia X and the high-end Xperia X Performance feature a 5-inch 1920 x 1080p Full HD resolution. There are no Quad-HD screens like everything from HTC, Samsung and LG lately.

However, the smaller 5-inch 1080p display will likely provide pretty decent battery life, decent colors, and Sony’s engine for improved visuals across the board. We’ll have to try one before commenting further.

Xperia X and X Performance Specifications

Compared to the competition, both of these phones fall a little short of the competition in terms of specs on paper, but they still have a lot to offer. They’re nearly identical, with the X Performance having a slight increase across the board to warrant the higher price point. For those who are interested, the information is here.

As for Xperia X Performace, take the same information as above but with a little improvement. This phone will be released a little later than the original option and comes with 3GB of RAM, a larger 2,700mAh battery and a more powerful Snapdragon 820 Quad-core processor with slightly larger dimensions. We’re not sure if the faster processor and small battery capacity increase is worth the price, but we’ll leave the decision up to you.

Xperia X & X Performance Price and Release Date

Here’s where things get a little tricky. We still don’t know if these phones will have a fingerprint scanner when they launch in the United States, and their specs are already inferior to most of the current competition.

However, the X is available for pre-order starting May 31st at $549 from Sony, Amazon and others. It will be available on June 26 with support from multiple carriers. The pre-order pages were either out of stock or just placeholders, and now on June 22, just four days from its release, all pre-order pages are now live. Order your Xperia X today.

Then there’s the Xperia X Performance, which opens for pre-order on June 19 and will launch towards the end of July. It will retail for $699, which puts it in Galaxy S7 territory, but with lower specs. There’s also a budget model called the Xperia XA for $279.

Both phones look good and have pretty solid specs, but at the same time, users can currently get a Nexus 6P or Galaxy S7 with similar or better performance and features. Either way, stay tuned for more details and expect them to launch in the next few days and for the high-end model in July.