Sony Xperia Z available in the U.K.; phone offered to U.S. buyers for $849

Expected to be launched in the U.K. on March 1st, a number of U.K. retailers have started offering the Sony Xperia Z a day early. The device is being offered unlocked and SIM free for various prices with Phones4U apparently the cheapest option at £489.95 ($745 USD). Unlocked Mobiles is selling the device for £514.98 ($783 USD) and Clove has a price tag on the unit reading £522 ($793 USD), although that includes a free wireless speaker worth £65 ($99 USD).

If you are looking to go the subsidized route, Carphone Warehouse will give you the Black or White Sony Xperia Z for free with a £36 ($55 USD) per month contract. For the same price, Orange gives you a choice of the black or white model of the handset with 600 voice minutes, unlimited texts, and 1 GB of data. Want more voice minutes? For the same price you can have 900 minutes, unlimited texts, and 250 MB of data. If more data is what you need, EE will give you unlimited calls, texts and 20 GB of data for £61 ($93 USD). Crave a purple version of the phone? You can get one exclusively from O2 with a plan starting at £39 ($59 USD) a month.

No U.S. carrier has stepped up to the plate yet to announce that they will be offering the phone in the U.S. If you don't mind missing out on LTE service, you can purchase the Sony Xperia Z unlocked for $849 from GSM Nation. The phone is compatible with AT&T on the 850MHz frequency, which will allow for 3G speed while the 1700MHz frequency coverage allows for EDGE connectivity over T-Mobile's pipeline.

source: UnwiredView