Seems like Sony might be next in-line to bring a stock Google Edition device to consumers. A Sony insider has supposedly confirmed that the Xperia Z will be headed out stock and will be announced sometime in July. Giving more stock and unlocked lovers of a pure Google experience another choice in handsets not locked to a carrier. An Xperia Z Google Edition isn’t going to be all that tricky either. Sony has been pretty open with developers and already have AOSP available for the Xperia Z. It still has to be manually updated and isn’t pushed by Google of course, but the option is there for the Z.
The obvious perk to the Xperia Z over the HTC One and Galaxy S4 Google Edition devices is the water and dust proof aspect of it. How or if the Bravia Engine and the Exmor camera abilities will be in place or not is yet to be talked about. If or when the Xperia Z GE does get announced, you can expect it to be available in the Play Store for around the same $549 to $599 price tag.
If this trend continues through the year, we should see a Motorola device go live (Xphone or Xfone probably), LG and maybe even ZTE. Not so sure about that last one, but it would be a good place for them to head with their already inexpensive devices. That begs to question who will make the official next Nexus phone to though.
What are your thoughts? Are manufacturers and Google onto something here? Is by passing carriers and selling direct Google Edition devices of the most loved devices on the market a good business move? I remember the launch of the first HTC Nexus One ran into some issues in the beginning but ultimately prevailed with the next launched Nexus. Mind you, this is all rumor and mummers for now, but the thought is pretty intriguing.
Source: Android.gs
