Sony's Xperia line of smartphones boasts of a rich history, being one of the longest-existing smartphone brands in the tech market. The newest and best to-date release, the Xperia XZ, builds on the Japanese tech company's heritage of excellence, which has since characterized each of its smartphone releases.

With the Xperia XZ set to emerge as the best of what Sony's faithful have known about the smartphone brand, the following features are deemed as automatic expectations: water and dust resistance, a long-lasting battery, and a superb rear camera.

As the spiritual successor to the lithe but feature-packed Xperia X5, the Xperia XZ is actually a follow-up to the Xperia X Performance, Sony's previous flagship smartphone. A slimmer body on the Xperia XZ departs from the X Performance's thick chassis, albeit retaining much of its high-grade hardware.

Australia is set to get its first taste of the Xperia XZ in a Sony launch event on October 20, in an exclusive partnership with Telstra. The Australian telecommunications company is set to offer the device on an AUD 75 Go Mobile Plus or My Business Mobile plan - both running on a 24-month contract.

Telstra will only offer the Mineral Black color variant of the Xperia XZ, while Sony - through its online and official stores, will also sell a Forest Blue color variant in Australia. Sony's top flagship is set to go head-to-head against Google's Pixel and Pixel XL, both of which were announced earlier this month.

With a retail price of AUD 999, the Xperia XZ will certainly keep Australian Sony fans on their toes as they expect only the best to come out of the smartphone's hefty price tag. Apart from Telstra and Sony's online and official stores, electronics store JB Hi-Fi will sell the device as well.