Sony Xperia Z5, Z5 Compact Now In The US, No Fingerprint Scanner

Nearly half a year since it introduced its new flagship smartphones to the world, Sony is finally bringing at least two out of three of them to the US market. That's right, the time has come for the Sony Xperia Z5 and its smaller sibling, the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact, to come to the shores. Toting high end specs, they come with Sony's usual entourage of features like two-day battery life with STAMINA mode, PS4 Remote Play, and a competitive main camera. This is definitely Sony's latest. Whether they're the greatest, you'll have to read the fine print a bit.

Let's do a quick rundown of the core specs of the Xperia Z5:

• Display: 5.2" Full HD 1080p (1920x1080 pixels), IPS LCD display

• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core 64 bit processor

• RAM: 3GB

• Internal Storage: 32GB, microSD card slot up to 200GB (SDXC supported)• OS: Google Android 5.1 (Lollipop)

• Camera: 23MP camera with Exmor RS for mobile image sensor, with fast autofocus, 4K video capture and output, 24 mm wide-angle G Lens, 5x clear image, without loss of quality, HDR for photos and videos, ISO12800 Photo / 4000 Video, SteadyShot with Intelligent Active Mode, Superior Auto

• Front-Camera: 5MP with Exmor R™ for mobile image sensor, Full HD 1080p for video chat, 25 mm wide-angle lens, SteadyShot with Intelligent, Active Mode, Superior Auto

• Battery: 2900 mAh

And here's the sheet for the Xperia Z5 Compact:

• Display: 4.6-inch HD 720p TRILUMINOS display for mobile X-Reality for Mobile (resolution N/A)

• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core 64 bit processor

• RAM: 2GB

• Internal Storage: 32GB, microSD card slot up to 200GB (SDXC supported)

• OS: Google Android 5.1 (Lollipop)

• Camera: 23MP camera with Exmor RS for mobile image sensor, with fast autofocus, 4K video capture and output, 24 mm wide-angle G Lens, 5x clear image, without loss of quality, HDR for photos and videos, ISO12800 Photo / 4000 Video, SteadyShot with Intelligent Active Mode, Superior Auto

• Front-Camera: 5MP with Exmor R™ for mobile image sensor, Full HD 1080p for video chat, 25 mm wide-angle lens, SteadyShot with Intelligent, Active Mode, Superior Auto• Battery: 2700 mAh

In almost all aspects except the display, RAM, and battery, the Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Compact are quite similar, which means you will be getting most of Sony's boasted features. That includes the much bragged about two-day battery life, which is really only possible if you activate STAMINA mode near the end. If you have a PlayStation 4, you'll be able to play your favorite games anywhere inside the house, as long as you are on the same Wi-Fi network as your console and have a wireless DUALSHOCK 4 controller ready. There's also support for HI-Res audio on both smartphones, something Sony knows a great deal about.

That said, neither the Xperia Z5 nor the Xperia Z5 Compact can be considered Sony's greatest, especially in the US. On two accounts. That title might very well be reserved for the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium, which comes with an almost ridiculous 4K display. Sadly, Sony hasn't made any hints when this one is coming to US shores.

The second reason is a bit more contentious. Apparently, the US models of these smartphones don't have a fingerprint scanner. Or, as some claim, the hardware is actually there but disabled. It is still quite perplexing why Sony chose to cripple their flagship in one of the biggest smartphone markets in the world, especially considering how commonplace fingerprint sensors have become. With both sporting NFC chips, the opportunity for a more secure Android Pay support is also lost because of this.

Still, if those don't daunt your shopping decisions, then the Xperia Z5 can be yours for $599.99, while the Xperia Z5 Compact goes for $499.99, available unlocked from Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H. The Xperia Z5 comes in colors of Graphite Black, White, Gold, and Green. The Xperia Z5 Compact, on the other hand, has coatings of Black, White, Coral, and Yellow.