Sony Xperia Z3 Specs and Photos Revealed By Big Leak

Sony is expected to announce the Xperia Z3 next month, most likely around the time of the IFA event, but thanks to TENAA (the Chinese equivalent of the FCC), almost all of its specs have leaked out along with some shots of the device.

Despite the big leak, though, there aren't any exciting revelations. The Xperia Z3 seems to be almost identical in shape, size and specs to the Xperia Z2 released earlier this year, which was, in turn, only a minor upgrade to the Xperia Z1 released a few months before that.

The Xperia Z3 seems to be sporting the same Snapdragon 801 chip as the Xperia Z2; however, this time it's clocked at 2.5 GHz instead of 2.3 GHz. Since Snapdragon 801 usually comes at 2.5 GHz, it was strange to see the Xperia Z2 clocked at 2.3 GHz in the first place.

The phone is only a little lighter at 158.4g compared to 163g for the Xperia Z2. The screen and resolution are the same, featuring a 5.2" 1080p display, and it also has the same 3 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage as the default.

If these leaks are real, then this phone has no reason to exist. From the specs we see here, it just looks like a rebranding and relaunching of the Xperia Z2. It's rather strange that Sony would do this just to have something to show at IFA. It's unlikely that most people who are interested in this device, including all the tech media, won't notice it's basically the same phone as Xperia Z2 but with different colors.

What's perhaps even worse is that these specs won't be very competitive by autumn. Sony has had some troubles in the past keeping up with the competition in terms of specs, but with the "One Sony" restructuring as well as the appearance of the Xperia Z1 last year, it seemed like the company had finally caught up and gotten on a good path. Now we see that its phones are already stagnating and falling behind again, which will only make it that much harder to catch up to the competition.

If these specs had come from any other source, it would be very difficult to believe them, but because they're showing up on China's certification agency site it's more believable -- and that means Sony could have a pretty rough holiday season this year.

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Lucian Armasu
Lucian Armasu is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He covers software news and the issues surrounding privacy and security.
  • evenstephen85
    Could be a way to access more markets. I've wanted a Z2, but they're not offered on T-mobile. This may be a way to get around exclusive deals... Just refresh aan existing phone and call it somehting else for other carriers.
    Reply
  • TadashiTG
    Could be a way to access more markets. I've wanted a Z2, but they're not offered on T-mobile. This may be a way to get around exclusive deals... Just refresh aan existing phone and call it somehting else for other carriers.
    If that's the case, it should be named something else. And the flagship device should have better specs
    Reply
  • alextheblue
    "The Xperia Z3 seems to be sporting the same Snapdragon 801 chip as the Xperia Z2; however, this time it's clocked at 2.5 GHz instead of 2.3 GHz. Since Snapdragon 801 usually comes at 2.5 GHz, it was strange to see the Xperia Z2 clocked at 2.3 GHz in the first place."

    What?? First of all, ARM chips operate at various clockspeed options even though the chip maker typically advertises maximum values ("up to" a certain speed). The device manufacturer decides the final clockspeed and determines what is best for each device based on thermals, battery consumption, etc. Second there is no single "Snapdragon 801" chip. 801 platform covers several models, and some of them are only rated by Qualcomm at a maximum clock of ~2.36 Ghz (again final clocks are up to the device OEM).

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snapdragon_(System_on_Chip)#Snapdragon_801
    Reply
  • drakennz
    Perhaps they'll take the Samsung way and have different specs for different markets?
    Reply
  • rdc85
    Looks like i have to hold from upgrade my phone (again) till next gen, I love my xperia SP, wanna stick with Sony as long as I can..
    Reply
  • edwd2
    yes we were waiting for this to come out and buy the cheaper z2
    Reply
  • rdc85
    14017741 said:
    yes we were waiting for this to come out and buy the cheaper z2

    that can be an alternative :D

    Reply
  • atintop
    I think it's a good that this z3 don't have a 2k screen like LG G3 because it useless and drain battery autonomy


    ____________________________________________________________________________galaxy s5 prix acheter galaxy note 4
    Reply
  • scaningireland
    This is quite disappointing by Sony as they are still banking on the same size, design phones. And their specs do not change frequently. I have always been fascinated by Sony, but this one is a disappointment.
    Reply
  • rdc85
    Is this lack of new hw linked to how Qualcom not ready with new proc/soc..
    (sony cannot do like samsung that can design in house soc)
    Reply