Telstra nabs Sony Xperia XZ as another exclusive

Telstra will be the only place where Australians can get Sony's latest flagship smartphone - the Xperia XZ - on a contract, when it launches on October 20.

While the Xperia XZ is cut from a similar mould to past Sony flagship devices, the familiar design has received a few tweaks. The most notable is rounded corners, almost reminiscent of older Lumia smartphones.

Key specifications include a 5.2-inch 1080p display, Snapdragon 820 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage, a 2,900mAh battery, side-facing fingerprint reader, 23MP rear-facing camera, and IP68 water-resistance. The Xperia XZ ships with Android Marshmallow, as opposed to the newly released Android Nougat. It should however receive an update later this year.

Anyone who purchases the phone before January 31, 2017, will be eligible for 12 free movie downloads from Sony's Xperia Lounge app. Customers who grab the phone through Telstra before December 25 can enter a draw to win one of 100 1TB PlayStation 4 consoles.

The Xperia XZ will also be available outright through Sony Kiosks and JB Hi-Fi for $999. Telstra and JB Hi-Fi will only offer the phone in black, while Sony will also give customers a choice of "forest blue". Pre-orders through Telstra and direct through Sony start today.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

Read full bio