After launching the well-regarded Xperia XZ smartphone a few months ago, Sony is adding a new model featuring a faster processor, a higher-resolution display, and a camera that can record video at up to 960 frames per second, for super slow-motion movies.
The Sony Xpera XZ Premium will be available this spring. Sony hasn’t said anything about the price yet, but the fact that it has the word “Premium” in its name should provide a clue.
Another clue? There’s a smaller, cheaper model called the Sony Xperia XZs which launches April 5th, and that model is priced at $700.
Both phones have Sony’s new 19MP Exmor RS camera with support for super-slow motion video, predictive hybrid autofocus, and a feature that starts buffering as soon as your camera sees motion, allowing you to capture pictures from before you hit the shutter button.  And both phones have 13MP front-facing cameras.
Other features both phones share include USB 3.1 Type-C ports, 3.5mm headphone jacks, 4GB of RAM, 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, Quick Charge 3.0, Android Nougat software, stereo front-facing speakers, microSD card slots, and IP68 water and dust resistance ratings.
A feature they both lack? The US models won’t have fingerprint sensors… which would be more surprising if it hadn’t also been true for the last few flagship phones released by Sony.
But here’s why the Xperia XZ Premium earns its name: the phone has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and a 5.5 inch, 3840 x 2160 pixel HDR IPS LCD display, making it one of the only smartphones with an ultra HD display (one of the only other models I can think of is an older Sony phone).
It comes standard with 64GB of storage and has a 3,230 mAh battery.
Meanwhile, the Sony Xperia XZs will be available with a choice of 32GB or 64GB of storage and the phone features a 2,900 mAh battery. It has a 5.2 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel IPS display and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor.
While the older Snapdragon chip isn’t as powerful as the newer model, it does have one key advantage: it’s available. Most smartphone makers are expected to have to wait until after the Samsung Galaxy S8 launches before they can ship devices with Snapdragon 835 chips. That helps explain why the Xperia XZs is expected to ship before the XZ Premium.