Xperia Z5, Z5 Compact US Models Won't Have Fingerprint Sensors

It is really hard to fathom Sony's smartphone strategy and long-term plans these days. Publicly, it says it has no plans (yet) to leave the smartphone market, yet at the same time it seems to be doing everything it can to dig its own grave. While fans in the US were eagerly awaiting the arrival of Sony's most recent, and better, flagships, their enthusiasm may have just been doused with cold water. Sony has confirmed that the US models of the Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Compact won't have fingerprint sensors inside.

Granted, it might not be a complete deal breaker as the functionality is mostly optional. However, it is a convenience that almost every high-end flagship has these days and might even trickle down to mid-range soon, pretty much like GPS once was. In addition, the US isn't just some other market. It is one of the two or three major markets that OEMs strive hard to woo in order to make it big.

And It's not like Sony is adding a new component. In this case, it's the reverse. Sony can't seem to even offer any technical or economic argument for this move, other than "business reasons". It almost looks like the OEM is cooking up negative press intentionally. Too bad though, considering how our first brush with the fingerprint scanning functionality left a mostly positive impression.

That would be a somewhat of a tragedy, given how the Xperia Z5 family is a marked improvement over the previous generations. While the nominal flagship still misses out on the 2K fad, the rest of the specs do look good enough. Now, however, it will become a question of whether that $599 for the Xperia Z5 or $499 for the Xperia Z5 Compact will be worth it for a smartphone you know has been intentionally nerfed for reasons we still can't understand.

VIA: The Verge