T-Mobile’s Bizarre Sony Xperia Z Launch

Earlier this week, T-Mobile posted a teaser video with the tag line “What if your smartphone could do this?” and showing someone dive into the pool with the phone’s camera capturing all of the action without incident. The carrier didn’t say what the teaser was for but it’s widely believed that it’s for the rumored Sony Xperia Z. If it is, T-Mobile isn’t saying.

For weeks now, the Sony Xperia Z has been rumored for T-Mobile’s 4G LTE network. Those rumors gained steam after Sony CEO Kaz Hirai took the stage at the D11 conference earlier this year and proclaimed that the company would be launching the Sony Xperia Z on an American carrier soon though he declined to offer specifics. Evidence though suggests that it will arrive on T-Mobile.

We’ve seen the device pass through the FCC with support for T-Mobile. We’ve seen its software gain approval. We’ve even seen support documents for the Sony Xperia Z show up on T-Mobile’s website, the latter being the biggest sign that a Sony Xperia Z is on its way to T-Mobile’s 4G LTE network.

Earlier this week, those rumors seemed to be coming to fruition with T-Mobile posting a teaser on its YouTube page, depicting a gentlemen filming himself jumping into the pool. As this point, there are only two new upcoming phones that possess this type of functionality. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active which was announced for AT&T yesterday and the Sony Xperia Z.

T-Mobile promised further details on its Facebook page but it has yet to issue any. In fact, the carrier has issued some bizarre statements in regards to the video. We reached out for information about the video and without even mentioning the Xperia Z, a T-Mobile’s spokesperson told us that the carrier “does not comment on rumors or speculation.” Again, without provocation, that was the response.

We were also told that the carrier had no further information to share about the video, an odd response given that T-Mobile promised more details on it on the video itself.

So to break things down:

• Xperia Z is clearly heading to T-Mobile but no one will confirm it.
• Mysterious video appears, shot in portrait mode, depicting a device that has underwater capabilities. Carrier promises details for Thursday.
• Carrier does not issue details.
• Carrier refuses to acknowledge the video and yet, it remains live.

Something doesn’t add up here. The only plausible explanation is that T-Mobile planned something for yesterday but encountered a hitch. What that hitch is remains unknown though it could be the Android 4.2 update that is thought to be coming to the T-Mobile model but is unreleased for the global variants. Perhaps Sony needed to push it back and thus, launch materials for the T-Mobile Xperia Z.

TMoNews suggests that the Sony Xperia Z will be announced next week so it’s not entirely clear why T-Mobile released that teaser. Maybe to take away thunder from AT&T’s Galaxy S4 Active announcement?

The device is clearly going to T-Mobile so the fact that it hasn’t been announced yet is one thing. But the fact that the carrier released a teaser video, promised details, and failed to deliver is even more bizarre.

Hopefully the actual release of the T-Mobile Sony Xperia Z goes a lot smoother than the launch.