Something to consider before buying the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact for $400 on eBay [DEALS]

Without question the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is one of the best smartphones on the market. Fantastic battery life, great camera, all in a bite-sized package that’s perfect for 1-handed use. Today, the Z3c — in black, white, red, and green — was thrown up on eBay where it’s been marked down to a very reasonable 0. It’s a great deal to be sure, one that’s about cheaper than you’ll find on Sony’s website. But before you grab your credit card, keep in mind this is not the US model (D5803) sold direct from Sony’s US store.

This particular model is the D5833. That means if you’re looking to buy for use here in the states, you should be okay if you’re on AT&T (it seems to supports all of AT&T’s frequency bands), but even then we’ve seen reports of weird IMEI editing tricks that needed to be done in order to fully unlock dormant LTE bands. So, proceed with caution.

If you’re looking to purchase for use on T-Mobile, you’ll want to stick with the D5803 model on Sony’s site. For everyone else in other parts of the world, you’ll want to make sure this specific model plays nice with your carrier’s frequency bands before picking it up. In either case, it is a great deal and probably the best small smartphone you an buy right now.

[eBay]

Sony Xperia P2 leaks with flagship specs and compact size

The Sony Xperia Z4 was recently announced with very little fanfare. We drooled over the Sony Xperia Z3, but they didn’t make many improvements with the Z4. We’re still waiting for that killer next phone from Sony, and it looks like the Xperia P2 could be it.

The Xperia P was a mid-range phone released back in 2012. You may remember it for the transparent strip that would light up with a notification. Leaked specs and diagrams have revealed a follow-up to this device, but with flagship specs. According to the leak the new P2 has a 5.2-inch 1080p display with tiny bezels. The camera will be a revamped 12MP shooter. Other specs include a massive 4,240 mAh battery, 3GB of RAM, and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810.

This is one of those leaks that sounds too good to be true. If Sony really does release a device with these top-notch specs and tiny bezels it will be a hot item. The beauty of this device is it has similar specs to the Z4, but the small bezels allow it to be much smaller. Huge phones are just not for everyone. What do you think about the P2 leaks?

[via GSMArena]

Sony officially begins rolling out Android 5.0 Lollipop to the Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact

Sony has announced that two of their best phones from 2014 is now receiving Android 5.0 Lollipop. We’re referring to the Sony Xperia Z3 and Sony Xperia Z3 Compact. The upgrade is headed out to Baltic and Nordic countries first, but Sony promises that expansions will reach more regions a couple of weeks after.

They also mention that other products in the extensive Z lineup will also be getting their upgrades some point after that. Remember that they’ve promised to bring the upgrade to every single device in the Xperia Z family, so you don’t have to wonder whether your older device is on the roadmap.

Here are the changes Sony decided to highlight for those of you eager to upgrade:

• Fresh, streamlined looks – based on Google’s material design, but retaining our minimalistic approach to interface and application design

• New look notifications and lock screen – with fully customizable settings, so you only get the information you really need

• Multi user profiles and guest mode – making it easy for family and friends to use your device, or the creation of dual environments for work and play…

• Android for Work – not only are business-ready Xperia smartphones and tablets unique devices for work – with waterproof form factors, great battery life and productivity features – they will now also be part of the Android for Work ecosystem

• Better storage control and customisation – with the option to easily move applications from internal memory to SD card – giving you more control over your content, particularly useful for devices with slightly less space

Of course, it’s worth noting that specific rollout schedules depend on carrier and market, so if you’re not seeing the upgrade immediately you’ll have to wait for your wireless provider to put a bit more pep into their step. Let us know how things are if you are lucky enough to pull it down today!

[via Sony]

Sony Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact and Z3 Tablet Lollipop upgrade spreads to NA and more EU countries

Sony today announced that the Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade for the Sony Xperia Z3, Sony Xperia Z3 Compact and the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet would start to reach more regions as soon as today, including those in North America and many more countries throughout Europe (it was previously only available in Nordic and Baltic countries).

As most other OEMs have done with Lollipop, Sony integrates the best of the new update’s features — including notifications on the lock screen, mult-user support and a new notification shade — with the suite of software they already provide. That beloved software has also been upgraded with a Material Design look and feel across the board for those who are into that sort of thing.

Want the upgrade? You’ll have to have a computer handy as this is an over-the-wire process. Download Sony’s upgrade tool here (PC and Mac only, sorry Linux folks) and connect your smartphone, and it should find and download the necessary firmware to get you up and running on Lollipop.

Sony also took this opportunity to confirm that the Xperia T2 Ultra and the Xperia C3 will eventually get aboard the Lollipop train. There’s nothing to worry about for folks of other Xperia Z devices — even the very first one — as the company previously announced all of them would eventually see the new drags. Let us know how the upgrade is treating you once it’s hit your smartphone!

[via Sony]