Only weeks after the launch of new Xperia X, it was obvious that Sony has nothing to offer for the high-end users. What we didn't know then is that Sony has a true flagship phone in the works. The newly announced Xperia XZ is a phone that will challenge Galaxy S7 and others.

As expected, the design and camera performance are the two main highlights of the smartphone. It has a metal design and the same 23-megapixel camera sensor that can be found on the Xperia Z5 flagship, but has an RGBC-IR sensor and laser autofocus. Sony's hopes that new imaging technology will enable better white balance and enhances the images.

It has a 5.2-inch Full HD display that is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of expandable storage and a 2,900 mAh battery. Sony has yet to announce pricing and availability details, but some leaked details suggest that the Xperia XZ will cost €699 in Europe and will go on sale on September 24.

Sony Xperia XZ specifications

5.2-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Triluminos Display with Corning Gorilla Glass protection

Quad-Core Snapdragon 820 64-bit 14nm processor with Adreno 530 GPU

3GB RAM, 32GB / 64GB (Dual SIM) internal memory, expandable memory up to 256GB via microSD card

Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)

Dual SIM (Optional)

Water Resistant (IP65/IP68)

23MP rear camera with Exmos RS sensor, 1/2.3″ sensor, f/2.0 lens, Predictive Hybrid AF, 5-axis stabilizatio, 4K video recording

13MP front-facing camera with 1/3" Exmor RS sensor, 22mm wide-angle f/2.0 lens, 1080p video recording

DSEE HX, LDAC, Digital Noise Cancelling

Fingerprint sensor

Dimensions: 146 x 72 x 8.1 mm; Weight: 161 grams

4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz / 5GHz) MIMO, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS/ GLONASS, NFC, USB Type-C

2900 mAh Battery with Qnovo's Adaptive Charging technology