Sony is joining the vanilla Android club as reports emerged that the Japanese firm is preparing a version of its flagship smartphone - with all the powerful hardware specs but taking the new label Xperia Z Nexus.

You read it right - stock Android is coming to the first Sony smartphone hit following a long spell of misses that seem to last forever. This time around, the Xperia system will not run as the spotlight is on the latest Android version and nothing more.

A report filed this week by Android Geeks indicated that Sony and Google are collaborating for the immediate release of the Xperia Z Nexus, which should start its rollout shortly after the June 26 debut of the Nexus-flavoured Galaxy S4 and HTC One.

Since the release is coming too soon, expect only the Jelly Bean 4.2.2 on the gadget but as in previous stock Android offering, this Xperia is surely on the priority queue once the Jelly Bean 4.3 (or Key Lime Pie) hits the update pipeline.

Like the GS4 and the One before it, the Xperia Z Nexus will be showcased in the toughest of form, brandishing its impressive quad-core processing might, a 5-inch Full HD 1080p screen and the top-notch 13MP main cam shooter - all bearing the hallmarks of the vaunted Sony craftsmanship.

And like the original Xperia Z, this Google edition will boast off incredible resistance to water and dust, giving the Nexus brand a direct challenger against the Galaxy S4 Active that Samsung unpacked this week.

But there is one slight bad news. Like its Nexus siblings, the Sony handset will initially ship in U.S. territory only so international buyers will have to wait a bit more before test driving the Google behemoth.

Google Play Store should start selling the Xperia Z Nexus on July but the pricing remains a mystery. However, the range should be within the price tag vicinity of the GS4 Nexus and the HTC One Nexus, which retail at $US649 and $US599 respectively.

Now with flagship smartphone brands taking on the raw Nexus form, is it possible that LG and Google would simply nix the rumoured Nexus 5 and release an Optimus G Nexus instead?