Sony’s worldwide sales lag behind Samsung and other Android smartphone manufacturers. However, not one to back down from a challenge, the Japanese company looks to put its best phone forward with the release of Xperia Z3v on Oct. 23 in the U.S.

Verizon Wireless, the country’s largest network in terms of subscribers, will carry the phone exclusively at first. T-Mobile carries the Z3, the Z3v predecessor, according to TheNextDigit.

With a subsidized price of $199 with a new two-year contract, the 5.2-inch, full-HD display Z3v will compete head-on in the category that includes Samsung’s S5 alongside Android smartphones from LG, HTC and Apple, which recently introduced the iPhone 6.

Sony touts extended battery life and durable design to go along with proprietary display technology and sound features called X-Reality and S-Force as features that differentiate it from the pack. The Z3v is also waterproof up to five feet of water, has 3GB of RAM, a quad-core processor and comes with 32GB internal memory upgradeable to 128GB. The phone’s rear camera has an impressive 20.7 megapixel resolution.

Yahoo Tech’s Daniel Howley generally views the Z3v favorably while noting hat “Sony took a modified version of its Xperia Z2 smartphone and packed it with some of the software features found on the newer Z3.”

Perhaps no other feature is more unique to the Z3v than the PlayStation 4 Remote Play, and it is something that is indeed unique to Sony. The smartphone can be converted into a wireless controller, the first to allow a PlayStation remote connection. Apple is known for connecting its devices and Microsoft has followed suit, so Sony is taking a step to lure gamers by connecting its popular video game platform with its newest smartphone.

The Sony Z3v can also shoot high-resolution videos and includes wireless charging through Qi technology.