Sony Corp. has quietly launched its flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z4, in Japan. If you’re wondering why the quiet launch, it might be due to the fact that the device doesn’t have any outstanding features to brag about, unlike the other flagship smartphones that recently hit the market.

Its predecessor, the Xperia Z3, was launched in September of last year, and this year’s model is a slight upgrade to that. This quiet launch may also be a foreboding that Sony may be quitting the mobile scene soon.

What you need to know

Though the Xperia Z4 has no standout features, such as a fingerprint scanner or heart rate sensor, it is still IP68 certified, which means it is dust-proof and water-resistant over one meter for 30 minutes. This allows users to take photos in the water without worrying that the device will be damaged after being submerged in water.

The device also comes with new features, such as “cooking mode,” which makes for better food-focused photos, and the ability to put animal faces on subjects’ faces even before you take their photos for a more quirky and interesting photo.

Does the Xperia Z4 come close to the other flagship smartphones of 2015? The basic features do, but it lacks standout features that would make consumers choose this device over other Android or even iOS smartphones. It also doesn’t help that Sony has yet to announce how much the device costs and when it will be available in the global market. If the device is priced in the upper $500 or more range for the basic model, consumers would not likely be interested in purchasing it. It could do well if the price is at par with the BlackBerry Leap.

Image source: http://www.sonymobile.co.jp