Does Sony have something special up its sleeve?. Photo: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Android

Like many of its predecessors, Sony’s new Xperia Z4, which was quietly launched in Japan on Monday, is somewhat disappointing. But a rumored Xperia Z3+ that’s expected to appear in late May could be the real upgrade Sony fans were hoping for.

The Sony Xperia Z4 is official. Photo: Sony

Sony today announced its new Xperia Z4 smartphone, and while many will confuse it for last year’s Xperia Z3 thanks to its familiar design, the device is packing lots of big improvements under the hood — including Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 810 chipset.

Sony’s new Xperia Z4 looks just like last year’s Xperia Z3. Photo: OnLeaks

It’s been more than six months since Sony announced its Xperia Z3, which means a new version must be right around the corner. And thanks to the leaked image above, we already know what it’s going to look like.

Sony’s super-sized Xperia T2 Ultra will get Android 5.0. Photo: Sony

Earlier this year, Sony told users that only the flagship Xperia Z series was part of its Lollipop upgrade plans, leading many to believe everything else would remain on KitKat.

But the Japanese company has today confirmed both the Xperia T2 Ultra and the Xperia C3 are also in line for an Android 5.0 upgrade.

Vive, HTC’s VR headset. Photo: HTC

If there’s one way to encourage developers to build software for a brand new device, it’s to give them that device absolutely free. That’s what Valve and HTC are doing with the new Vive VR headset, which won’t cost a penny if you’re a qualified developer.