Sony Xperia A4 launches in Japan

Today Sony has taken the wraps off its new LTE-enabled smartphone, the Xperia A4. Its design and specifications are largely based on the Xperia Z3 Compact and just like it, the Xperia A4 features IP65/68 dust/water protection. Possible case colors are blue, white, grey and pink.

Sony apparently refrained from using new 64-bit SoCs and instead used Qualcomm's Snapdragon 801 processor with its Adreno 330 graphics. 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage are onboard as well, with the latter being expandable by up to 128 GB via a microSD card. A 21 MP camera with Sony's own Exmor RS sensor is found on the back; the front one is much less impressive but should still be sufficient for selfies and video chats with 2.2 MP. The 4.6-inch display has a resolution of 1280x720 pixels (~319 ppi) - presumably, it is the same Triluminos display as in the Xperia Z3 Compact. The battery has a capacity of 2600 mAh. Finally, the handset runs Android 5.0 Lollipop with Sony's Xperia UI.

According to Sony, the new Xperia A4 will be available exclusively in Japan through the local carrier NTT DoCoMo starting June. Pricing remains unknown for now. Global availability was not discussed but it's quite possible that the smartphone will be re-branded as Xperia Z4 Compact and released worldwide. Sony's Japan-exclusive Xperia A2 has undergone the same procedure in the past, becoming available worldwide as the Xperia Z3 Compact.

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