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Sony trolls U.S. with Verizon-branded Sony Xperia Z2 in Google+ leak (updated)

Updated on 05-01-2014 by Williams Pelegrin: Added in Sony’s statement on the matter. Looks like it won’t happen, folks.

About a week ago, Sony told TechCrunch that the waterproof Xperia Z2 will not be available through carriers in the United States, which means that if you were planning on getting the smartphone with a contract, you’re out of luck. The only way to get the smartphone in the U.S. will be through the company’s online store. Unlocked versions of the device will be available by this summer.

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Sony has a history of launching products too late, with models coming out just when competing brands have better options available. There are also rumors that component shortages may delay the device by up to seven months, which makes getting your hands on the device more complicated than necessary.

After making the announcement, a curious development on the U.S. carrier front has transpired. A photo of the Xperia Z2 bearing the Verizon logo (which you can find at the top of this post) has turned up on Sony’s Google+ page. The image has since been removed, which makes it all the more intriguing.

All the more intriguing was Sony’s response to the post. Reaching out to Pocketnow, Sony said the image, which was a mock-up, was mistakingly posted, with the company reiterating that it will sell the Xperia Z2 unlocked this summer. Sony’s statement doesn’t deny that the Zperia Z2 will make its way to Verizon, nor did it say the image was mistakingly created.

The majority of reviews online have been positive for the Xperia Z2. The device has a 5.2-inch 1080p display, 2.3GHz Snapdragon 801 processor and a 20.7 megapixel Exmor camera. The specs are impressive enough, and some have declared that the Xperia X2 is a worthy contender to other flagship smartphones running Android.

Just because there’s a Verizon-branded Xperia Z2 somewhere doesn’t mean that a launch is imminent. Nonetheless, this revives hope that Sony has come to its senses and has decided to hook up with a carrier in the U.S. We want our Z2.

Christian Brazil Bautista
Christian Brazil Bautista is an experienced journalist who has been writing about technology and music for the past decade…
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