The Samsung Galaxy S5's closest competitor in terms of design and overall functionality, the Sony Xperia Z2 is now coming up for preorder for those who prefer the higher quality sounds and camera of this handset.

On-contract prices for UK retailer Phones4u have already been revealed, as the Sony Xperia Z2 lands with the retailed on April 11--a date that has also been marked by Samsung Galaxy S5 future owners for its global launch.

Android Central reports that the on contract price will start at £47 for a 24-month contract with carriers EE and Vodafone, with the possibility of saving up £42 on the monthly fee for those who will pay £49-99 upfront.

The report also states that you can get either the black or the white version of the Sony Xperia Z2, because the purple version is exclusive to O2. If you are planning on getting the Sony Xperia Z2, it's best to get it via preorder, as it will come with a Sony SRS-BTX300 wireless speaker for free.

Preorders of the Sony Xperia Z2 also comes with a 50% discount on the Smartband accessory and exclusive Sony content that can include music, movies, and games.

SmartBand and Lifelog coming this March

Before the Sony Xperia Z2 gets into stores, however, you can expect Sony's take on health and wellness trackers, the Lifelog and the SmartBand to become available.

Sony first showed off the health tracker accessories during the CES, and again at the MWC 2014, where the announcement of the March release date was also mentioned.

The SmartBand is Sony's answer to wearable technologies, as it is a waterproof wristband that features NFC and Bluetooth compatibility, a micro-USB port, and an extension of tracking capabilities that may be its edge over other health apps.

This is mostly because Sony is going for more than just health-logging--it's more like a Lifelogging approach, where one's interests, entertainment experiences, and other aspects of your life can be logged via the SmartBand.

Everything is collected in the Lifelog app, where everything from your daily habits related to health to the music you listen to and the games you've played. AndroidSpin adds that the Lifelog app is smart enough to distinguish the different activities that you get into, which makes it very useful for those who lead a very active and well-rounded lifestyle.

So how does everything tie up together? It's through the Sony's Core, an activity sensor embedded in the SmartBand SWR10. Initially you can just get the SmartBand and Core in black, but Engadget adds there will be more colour choices in the future. Aside from being a sensor, it also serves as a goal reminder, as you will not only be prompted with notifications via the SmartBand, it will also remind you to check a couple of goals that you've set on your handset.

Sony's entrance into the wearable technology trend is pretty interesting and expansive, to say the least. It would be interesting to see how the SmartBand, Core and Lifelog will play out with the Sony Xperia Z2 when all of these release before April ends.

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