Releasing a stock Android-powered version of your flagship device appears to be the hot new thing these days. Samsung started it with their Galaxy S4 Google Edition, and HTC followed suit a few weeks later with the ‘HTC One with Nexus User Experience’. Now it appears Sony might be getting in on the action too. An anonymous Sony insider has said that Sony is teaming up with Google to release the Xperia Z Google Edition. While no release date was mentioned, the anonymous insider claimed it would be announced in July.
Obviously, since this is just a rumour, this should be taken with very large grain of salt. But with the other two current major players having already announced stock android models of their main devices, this rumour isn’t that much of a stretch. It is already currently possible to install stock Android on the Sony Xperia Z, thanks to Sony initiating an Android Open Source Project for the device. However, these models aren’t receiving the latest Android firmware updates like the members of the Nexus family and with the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One Google Editions. Since the Sony Xperia Z Google Edition would likely share the same strategy as the Samsung Galaxy S4 Google Edition and HTC One with Nexus User Experience, the smartphone would probably be only available through the Google Play Store, and be available exclusively for the US market.
Update:
AndroidCentral have just advised that they have confirmed independently with their Sony contacts, that a ‘Google Edition’ Sony Xperia Z is indeed coming soon. The phone will be sold in the U.S through Google Play ‘later in the year’ but they were unable to supply any pricing information but it would be expected to be comparable to the current outright pricing of the Xperia Z.
What do you think? Is there any truth to these rumours? Would you be interested in a Google Edition of the Sony Xperia Z? Let us know in the comments.
