Why the iPhone 6 Could Render the Release of the Sony Xperia Z2 on Verizon Mute

The Sony Xperia Z2 launched globally in March and with it, the advent of 4K video in smartphones. The Sony Xperia Z2 features an impressive 5.2-inch full HD (1080p) Triluminos display that’s powered by a 2.3 GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 801 with 3GB RAM. Thanks to the powerful processor and 20.7-megapixel Exmor RS camera, the Xperia Z2 can capture video in 4K 30fps, which can be played back on any 4K television. Not bad for a smartphone right? The problem? It’s now been 5 months since the rest of the world got their hands on the Xperia Z2 and it’s yet to make a debut in the US.

During the last few months, we’ve seen what I believe are intentional leaks of the Xperia Z2 with a Verizon logo from Sony though the company swears they’re for internal mockups only. Now more and more info is indicating that the deal between Sony and Verizon will likely happen which would see the Xperia Z2 arrive in the US in Q3 2014. That means that the Xperia Z2 will have been released in other territories for nearly 6 months before the flagship smartphone makes its debut in the US and that’s not even the biggest problem facing Sony if the release window actually holds true.

After the jump, we discuss the obstacles that face the Xperia Z2 in the US come this holiday.

If rumors hold true, the Xperia Z2 will likely arrive sometime around October or November. By then, the phone will have been available for more than 6 months but that’s not the issue. Luckily for consumers, Sony packed the Xperia Z2 with more than enough hardware specs to make sure it will keep up with their growing expectations. With Sony commending little mind share in the US, it’s likely that consumers have never even heard of the Xperia Z2 so if Sony somehow does a big marketing push around the device (which history has shown they won’t), consumers won’t feel as if they’re getting an old phone. For once, Sony’s lack of awareness with consumers is actually in their benefit.

While still completely unofficial, it goes without saying that a new iPhone will launch this Fall. Currently referred to as the iPhone 6 (and likely its name if history is any indicator), it’s believed that Apple will offer their next flagship device in 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch variants. Currently, the iPhone 5S comes only in a 4-inch screen size. Apple rightly or wrongly has been criticized for not offering larger displays yet, something that other companies like Sony and Samsung are infatuated with. All this could change if rumors of the iPhone 6 (mockup pictured left) hold true – and if iOS 8 is any indicator, bigger sizes are coming to the iPhone line.

While Apple obviously didn’t mention new screen sizes at WWDC, iOS 8 which is currently available as a beta to developers curiously allows for apps to be tested in higher resolutions than what Apple currently offers. Speaking of iOS 8, Apple will be bringing to its mobile devices a whole host of features that has impressed developers and press alike. As Rene Ritchie put it:

Prior to today iOS was secure and Android was flexible. Today iOS is secure *and* flexible.

— Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie) June 2, 2014

This is a problem for Sony. Apple already did gangbusters with the iPhone 5S which sold over 9 million units in its first weekend. For context, Sony sold 8.8 million smartphones in Q4 2013 for a total of 39 million units in 2013. The arrival of the iPhone 6 also marks a trend in the industry where many people are out of their two year contracts while others at time skip the ‘s’ model from Apple in hopes of a more radical change in the next iteration from them. If rumors are to be believed, iPhone 6 will be that. It’s likely that Apple will continue to offer the 5S or some version of their smartphone to cater to those who like smaller phones while the iPhone 6 will tackle the growing trend of larger smartphones, something that many people have been wanting Apple to do.

With iOS 8 providing a bevy of new features in what many believe is a more secure and compelling way that at times were unique to Android and new screen options, Apple is likely to have another blockbuster launch and year that could pull Android users towards them and that’s a problem for Sony. While Apple has a lean marketing machine that’s able to provide a compelling marketing campaign, Sony (excluding PlayStation) has been all but absent from consumer eyes in the US. If (and that’s a big if) Sony was planning on using the Xperia Z2 arriving on Verizon as a starting point to familiarize themselves again with consumers then it’s picked quite possibly the worst time to do so.

With Sony’s troubled finances, even if the company does some promotional work on TV, it will likely be limited compared to what Apple will do. This is problematic for Sony in two ways. While marketing dollars spent with little ROI is never good for a company, the bigger issue is Sony’s position with Verizon. The reason we haven’t seen Sony smartphones on AT&T and Verizon hasn’t been due to a lack of interest from Sony to provide its phones to the masses but a lack of interest from carriers.

As far as they see it, there is little to no interest from consumers for Sony smartphones, so why should they spend money marketing their phones and training their staff on products that won’t sell? Then Sony Ericsson, the company last teamed up with Verizon to sell the Xperia PLAY which Verizon would eventually mark down, just to get rid of their inventory. That was in 2011 and Sony has yet to have a meaningful carrier as a partner in North America.

If Sony releases the Xperia Z2 on Verizon during the time that Apple will assault the airwaves with the iPhone 6, then it reasons that the Z2 won’t sell that well. Sony, unlike HTC and LG who’ve had hit and miss products, has little goodwill with carriers and could once again see itself on the wrong end of the negotiation table with carriers who might once again be reluctant in supporting Sony’s future endeavors.

This doesn’t mean Sony shouldn’t bring the Xperia Z2 to Verizon. Instead, it should be a warning to Sony that they need to be more calculating with their plans and that they should be doing everything in their power to ensure the Xperia Z2 gains carrier support and is released in a meaningful way prior to this holiday shopping season. As well-received as the Xperia Z2 has been with the press, with virtually no mindshare in North America, Sony needs to be far more aggressive with its strategy in order to grow and going up against the iPhone 6 could be pure suicide for them.

The cliff note version of this article will read as such. “We should already have the Sony Xperia Z2 on Verizon and AT&T, if not both.”