No restrictions on SIM-free Xperia T sales, says Sony

Over the weekend news broke via one British online retailer that it might not be possible to get hold of an Xperia T phone without a contract in the UK. Expansys UK had reportedly told the press that it might be as long as January 2013 before the device was available SIM-free. We contacted Sony Mobile to get their side of the story, and it seems that there's been some crossing of wires over the exact details of the phone's availability.

A Sony Mobile spokesman informed us that the Xperia T will be available "within timescales previously announced through Vodafone, EE, O2, 3, Carphone Warehouse, Phones4U and Tesco." We were told that although it was up to these individual retailers as to how they allocated their stock, there were no Sony-imposed restrictions on whether the phone could be offered SIM-free or not.

In particular, Carphone Warehouse and Phones4U usually offer SIM-free deals in-store on new devices, and there's no reason to expect that they won't do the same for the new Sony flagship. So it looks like prospective Xperia T buyers don't have anything to worry about after all. The phone is expected to become available in the UK sometime next week, likely on or around Sept. 28.

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