Sony Xperia Z5 coming to the US without the fingerprint reader

Sony Xperia Z5 and the smaller Xperia Z5 Compact will both hit the US market in less than a month, as previously announced. Unfortunately, Sony has recently confirmed that both handsets will not have the fingerprint sensor present in the versions available in other areas of the world. To make it even worse, they are not compatible with 4G LTE networks in the States, either.

These two handsets reach the US after the Xperia Z3, as the Xperia Z4v did not launch in the region, although it was very close to reaching it via Verizon Wireless. As 4G LTE and the fingerprint scanner become a must for flagship users in the US, the only attractive features of the Xperia Z5 family remain the high-end 23 MP autofocus camera, PS4 Remote Play, and its extended autonomy. Obviously, both these Qualcomm Snapdragon 810-driven Android handsets are waterproof as all their higher-end Xperia siblings. Additional specs include 3 GB of memory, 32 GB internal storage, and microSD support.

Despite their lack of essential features in their area of the market, the Sony Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact do not come cheap. The larger, 5.2-inch full HD Xperia Z5 will retail for $599.99 USD while its smaller sibling (4.6-inch 720p) is expected to carry a price tag of $499.99 USD. The 4K-display Sony Xperia Z5 Premium might follow them in the US later this year, but there is no official information about its potential arrival yet.