Photo: Sony

Sony’s new Xperia Z3 Compact, the pocket-sized flagship that was announced at IFA 2014 in Berlin last month, is finally on sale in the U.S. Customers can buy the device directly from Sony’s online store — so long as they’re willing to buy the device outright for $529.99.

The Xperia Z3 is coming to T-Mobile. Photo: Sony

T-Mobile has today become the second U.S. carrier to confirm that it will be offering the Sony Xperia Z3 this month. Unlike Verizon, however — which has its own customized version of the device — T-Mobile will offer the original that was first unveiled at IFA 2014 in Berlin last month.

The Xperia Z3v is essentially a regular Z3 with some Verizon logos. Photo: Sony

Sony has teamed up with Verizon to launch a slightly customized version of the flagship Xperia Z3 smartphone. It’s called the Xperia Z3v, and aside from the Verizon logos emblazoned on its back and front, it’s essentially the same device that Sony announced at IFA 2014 in Berlin back in September.

Don’t unlock your Xperia Z3 Compact’s bootloader if you don’t have to. Photo: Sony

You may want to think twice about unlocking your Xperia Z3 Compact’s bootloader if camera quality is important to you. Sony has warned developers that hacking their devices could degrade camera performance in low light, making images look noticeably worse than they did before.

Screenshot: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Here’s something you don’t see everyday: A smartphone unboxing underwater. British retailer Carphone Warehouse came up with the ingenious idea for the new Sony Xperia Z3 to highlight one of its biggest selling points — its IP68 rating for water-resistance — and it’s just as great as you’d expect.