Lately we haven’t had much good news to announce from Sony and their efforts. Despite an impressive product portfolio that was recently refreshed at IFA 2014, traction has been nearly non-existent for the Japanese giant in the US. Hopefully, all of that will change later this month when the Sony Xperia Z3v heads to Verizon, the nation’s largest carrier. Following on the footsteps of other premium devices, the Xperia Z3v will retail for $200 on a two-year contract, making it an attractive alternative to Samsung who is starting to struggle as their recent earnings are expected to dip 60 percent.

After the jump, we talk release date and the Sony SmartWatch 3.

While the Xperia Z3 is already available on T-Mobile, getting Verizon to offer the Xperia Z3v is a huge win for Sony. Of course, just offering a phone without a marketing strategy is a bit meaningless if the larger non-tech focused consumer isn’t aware of the product’s existence. Still, this is a great first step for Sony and we can only hope that there will be some form of marketing push later this month. The Sony Xperia Z3 will officially land at Verizon retailers on October 23rd.

Alongside the Xperia Z3v, Verizon will also carry the Sony SmartWatch 3. Though I’ve argued that Sony should exit the wearable market, it’s still a good sign for them to have their products offered in a much more visible environment than the select few Sony retail outlets and Sony’s online portal. The Sony SmartWatch 3 is priced at $250 and will also be available later this fall.

Discuss:

Do you think Verizon offering the Sony Xperia Z3v is a big gain for the company?