Sony Xperia Z to Release Google Edition in the US - Report

You've heard about the Google Edition of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Google Edition of the HTC One. Now it looks like the Borg-like "Nexus experience" may be taking over the Sony Xperia Z, as well, if a report from Android.gs is correct.

The report, saying that the Sony's flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z, would be getting a Google Edition — meaning stock Android, stripped of Sony-specific UI add-ons — came to Android.gs from a "Sony insider who wanted to remain anonymous." So if you trust anonymous sources, get excited; for the rest of us, let's remain cautious.

The anonymous source couldn't confirm an exact release date, but said that the Xperia Z Google Edition would be announced sometime in July. The smartphone already can be loaded with stock Android, through the Android Open Source Project, but it has to be installed, and firmware updates don't come automatically.

Android.gs's report claims that the most likely version of Android for the Xperia Z Google Edition will be Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, but this isn't a nailed-down fact either. The handset will purportedly be sold only through the Google Play store, as is planned with the other Google Editions of popular smartphones.

All the same hardware will be running stock Android, if this report turns out to be correct. That means stock Android on the 5-inch, 1920 x 1080p resolution high definition display on the Xperia Z, which packs 441 pixels per inch. Other features of the Xperia Z include 16GB of storage with a microSD slot for up to 64GB more, a 1.5GHz quad-core Krait processor backed by 2GB RAM, a 13.1-megapixel primary camera, capable of 1080p video capture, and LTE capability.

Of course, the coolest thing about the Xperia Z is that it's rated for up to 30 minutes at 1 meter underwater, something which was pretty unique until Samsung announced the Galaxy S4 Active Wednesday.

Stay with us for more updates on the rumored Google Edition of the Sony Xperia Z, as the special handset either is confirmed, or disappears into the vast tech news rumor-chasm of the internet, never to be heard of again.