Sony is launching its new Xperia Z3 waterproof smartphone through Verizon and T-Mobile.
The phones are hitting US stores on the heels of their unveiling last month at a trade show in Berlin, as Sony ramps up efforts to expand its tiny US market share by getting to the American market faster.
Its Xperia Z1 phone took months to arrive, by which time it felt old. Sony didn't found a US wireless carrier for the Z2 earlier this year.
The Verizon phone comes out on October 23, just a month after Apple's new iPhones and a week after the October 17 release of Samsung's new Galaxy Note 4. A release date for the T-Mobile version hasn't been announced.
T-Mobile is carrying the standard version. For the Verizon model, dubbed Z3v, Sony is adding the ability to charge the phone wirelessly with an optional accessory, without needing to plug in a traditional USB cable.
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It's a capability coming to many smartphones but often requires buying a special back cover on top of the charging accessory. The two models have slightly different dimensions, even though both screens measure 13 cms diagonally.
Both versions let people play Sony PlayStation 4 games through the phone while on the porch or in another room, away from the TV. The phones can withstand drops in the swimming pool and have 20.7 megapixel cameras capable of recording video in ultra-high definition, or 4k.
The Verizon version will sell for $200 with a two-year contract, or $600 without one. T-Mobile pricing hasn't been announced yet.
Sony has had a tough time breaking through the highly competitive smartphone market. Sony's market share doesn't even rank in lists of the top five smartphone makers. In the trend-setting US market, Sony has suffered further from late releases.
