Sony has published a press release stating that its Xperia SP will be launching in Canada this summer; this announcement comes just 24-hours after the Japanese manufacturer announced that its Xperia Z will debut in Canada as a Bell exclusive. The SP will be available to purchase on Rogers, Fido and Virgin, and surprising there has been no mention of Bell.

The Xperia SP is a mid-range Android smartphone which features a 4.6-inch 720p HD display, a 1.7GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, a 8-megapixel Exmor rear-facing camera and a 2370 mAh battery.

We do not have any information regarding a specific release date as of yet, but we now know that Sony will only be offering the black version of the handset in the Canadian market.

The full press release can be read below:

July 17, 2013, Toronto, ON – Sony Mobile Communications (“Sony Mobile”) today announced the Xperia™ SP is now available in Canada. The Xperia SP smartphone delivers high quality performance and an exceptional viewing experience with a razor-sharp HD screen housed in a beautiful design. The Xperia SP will be available from Virgin Mobile, Rogers and Fido across Canada.

The Xperia SP offers a premium design and a range of Sony technologies including a high quality screen for the ultimate viewing experience; the latest camera features for impressive pictures and videos; NFC connectivity for One-touch functions; Battery STAMINA Mode for extended battery life; and Sony’s signature media apps for enjoying photos, music, movies and games on the go.

“The Xperia SP is a beautifully-crafted smartphone ideal for those who demand quality and functionality that match their lifestyle,” said Farhad Esmail, Director of Marketing, Sony Mobile Communications. “Consuming, creating and sharing content in HD has never been easier with this premium device.”

Your smartphone experience comes to life
The Xperia SP has a precision-crafted, co-moulded aluminium frame for a seamless look that is both sleek and solid. Adding to the unique design innovation is the colour-changing ‘transparent element’ with customisable illuminations, which you can personalise to alert you of incoming calls and text messages. In addition, the illuminations pulse to the beat of your favourite music and match the album art displayed on your screen.
High Definition brilliance in a premium design
Utilising expertise from Sony’s BRAVIA® TV engineers to create the stunning 4.6” HD Reality Display, the Xperia SP delivers razor-sharp pictures and superior brightness. The latest Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2 delivers an even better viewing experience by analysing your content type and adjusting the image automatically, making it one of the most intelligent smartphone screens around. New real-time contrast optimisation enhances the sharpness, high-quality colour management and noise reduction to create a stunning display.

One-touch functions for easy content sharing
Featured on the Xperia SP are Sony’s One-touch functions, allowing users to easily and instantly enjoy music and photos across an array of devices, such as Sony’s SRS-BTV5 portable speaker and latest range of NFC-enabled BRAVIA TVs, with just a single touch. It’s sharing made easy with no wires, cables, or fiddling with settings necessary.

Sony entertainment on the go
The Xperia SP benefits from Sony’s media applications offering a consistent entertainment experience across Sony’s range of connected devices. The “WALKMAN”, “Album” and “Movies” apps provide online and offline content through a single access point with new ways to enjoy and share that content. The “WALKMAN” application provides access to all your downloaded music, plus Music Unlimited with over 18 million songs to explore from, and Facebook social integration. The “Movies” application gives consumers access to over 100,000 movies and TV series from Video Unlimited while the “Album” application enables easy access to Facebook friends’ photos as well as browsing photos by location.

Key features for Xperia SP

• Precision-crafted, co-moulded aluminium frame
• Super-bright 4.6” 720p HD Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2
• One-touch functions with NFC to display content on your TV or to share music and photos between devices
• 8MP fast-capture camera with Exmor RS for mobile, HDR and Superior Auto for the best photos, even at night or against a strong backlight
• Battery STAMINA Mode designed for better battery life
• LTE-enabled
• Available in black