Sony Xperia Z5 – Can it be Japan’s best smartphone yet?
Everything we know so far about the upcoming Sony Xperia Z5 Unlike other manufacturers, Sony has a pretty weird schedule when it comes to releasing
flagships. For a few years, they’re introducing two smartphones per year, in order to keep up with
the current models.
To be more specific, one is released in the first quarter of the year, when manufacturers like
Samsung, HTC or LG are also releasing their flagship, while the second one is scheduled for Q3
or Q4, when most phablets and the new iPhone make their debut. Whether this is a good
strategy or not, we cannot tell, but one thing is sure: they make excellent phone.
Actually, with a bit more promotion, they could easily compete with the likes of Samsung or Apple
and sell even more units, but that’s a whole different story.
But let’s get back to the flagships! Back in September 2014, the Xperia Z3 was released. A great
phone, with high end features, just like a flagship should have. A few months after, we were
already thinking about what the Z4 will bring, but surprise!, there was no Xperia Z4, as Sony
prefered to launch the Z3+, while the only Z4s we saw was the Z4v, a Verizonexclusive, and the
Japanese version of the Z3+.
But enough with the past, it’s time to focus on the present, or, if you prefer, on the future. We’ve
put together all the details we currently know about the upcoming Sony Xperia Z5, covering
every aspect – launch date, design, specs and price. Let’s begin, shall we?
Launch Date It seems like September will be a pretty prolific month, as a lot of this year’s top smartphones will
be introduced during it. And yes, we’re also talking about the Sony Xperia Z5, which will most
likely be announced before the IFA 2015 show, in Berlin.
Of course, the Japanese manufacturer hasn’t mentioned anything about this specifically (yet), but
a tweet from Sony Italia made us raise some question marks. IFA 2015 starts on September 4,
while the press conferences will begin two days earlier. And Sony has scheduled one for
September 2.
If you ask us, there are very high chances for this to be the date when the maufacturer’s new
flagship will be announced. On the other side, we don’t exclude the possibility of the Xperia Z5
being presented later this year, as, like the folks from Android Authority pointed, Sony wouldn’t
like to miss the Christmas shopping craze. It would be a perfect moment for their smartphone to
sell very good.
Design From this point of view, we don’t have a lot of expectations, as Sony seems to love the
OmniBalance design too much to let it go for the 5th generation of their flagship. Of course, there
have been a few retouches over the years, but nothing notable.
We’re expecting to see a bit rounder edges this time, with the same aluminum frame and
tempered glass rear panel. Also, a slimmer profile would be really nice, considering the latest
trends, but only if they manage to stuff it with a battery big enough to make it at least through a
full day of intensive use. Yeah, we’re on the “battery life > design” team.
Also, some of Sony’s well known features, like the IP65 and IP68 ratings, which would make the
phone waterproof and dustproof, will most likely be kept, while the latest rumors are pointing to a
fingerprint scanner, in order to take advantage of Android M’s new features.
Currently, there aren’t any clear images with the Sony Xperia Z5, but we do have a few leaked
pictures, which could help us make an idea. First of all, a Twitterbased tipster, known as
@ViziLeaks, posted an image with an iPhone surrounded by two devices presumed to be the
Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Compact.
The source claims that the phones are sporting a metallic build, but we cannot tell exactly.
Also, lately, an image with the third member of the Xperia Z5 lineup, Sony Xperia Z5 Plus (or
Z5+), made the rounds online. Even though we don’t know if this picture depicts the real deal, we
can spot the same OmniBalance Design, mentioned above, but the back seems to be covered in
metal instead of glass.At least that’s how the silver unit looks like.
Still, our recommendation is to take this with a pinch of salt, as this could be just a rendered
image made by a fan, and wait for leaks provided by more accurate sources, like @evleaks or
@onleaks.
UPDATE: A new image with the chassis schematics reveals more details about the
phone’s design!
We cannot tell exactly if the phone in the image is indeed the Xperia Z5, but considering the fact
that the Z4 used the model number E6553 and this one is E6xxx, we don’t exclude the
possibility. On the other side, it can be the Z5 Compact as well.
Specs Since it’s basically Sony’s flagship, we expect the Xperia Z5 to pack an impressive amount of
power, allowing it to compete with some of this year’s top models, like the Samsung Galaxy S6
or the LG G4, but also with upcoming models, like Google’s Nexus 5 2015.
Display
There’s no secret that QHD is the current trend when it comes to resolutions, while some
manufacturers, like Huawei, for example, are still sticking to full HD, in order to conserve battery
life. Well, what if we told you that Sony could take things one step further and load the Xperia Z5
with a 4K panel?
According to Android Authority, the manufacturer is planning to integrate the XReality
technology, already used for content upscaling in their hires TV range, in the next lineup of
highend Xperia phones.
Still, only the Xperia Z5+, with its 5.5″ display, could jump in the 4K train and sport a 2160 x 3840
resolution. As for the regular Z5, it will most likely have a QHD Triluminos panel, just like the
Verizonexclusive Z4v, using the XReality and Precision Color Rendering Technology. We’re
more than ok with this.
Processor, RAM, storage, battery
These are some of the aspects about which we don’t have any information yet, but at a second
thought, it’s not that hard to guess what Sony’s next flagship will hide under the hood.
Apparently, it will be powered by a Snapdragon 820, in a quadcore configuration, alongside a
whooping 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage, while the presence of a microSD card slot
is still a mystery.
On the other side, we don’t know what to say about that 820, because let’s not forget that a lot of
rumors are pointing to a 2016 release for the chip that’s going to make us forget that you can
actually fry bacon on a Snapdragon 810powered phone. Oh, I’m such a joker sometimes…
The 820 is also expected to power this year’s Nexus phones, so let’s just play the waiting game a
bit. Also, if it’s not going to be the 820, the 808 would also be a very reliable option. In terms of
battery, the Sony Xperia Z5 is rumored to have an impressive 4500 mAh power pack. If they
manage to keep a decent profile and also fit this battery, Sony is pretty much going to win from
this point of view. Fingers crossed!
Camera
Sony smartphones have always been loaded with pretty badass snapper and this one shouldn’t
be an exception. According to multiple sources, we could see a 21 MP rearmounted unit, using
the new Exmor RS IMX230 sensor, with optical image stabilization and the ability of shooting 4K
videos. Nothing about cool extras, like laser autofocus and 3D stuff, for the moment.
UPDATE: A tweet from Sony Xperia Great Britain reveals that the phone will feature
‘greater focus’ and confirms the launch date for September 2!
By ‘greater focus’ the tweet could make a reference to a phase detection system, which will
complement the regular autofocus. This feature is already present on the Xperia M5, so adding it
to their next flagship is not a big surprise.
Other features
A lot of manufacturers are taking advantage of the USB TypeC port, but Sony will apparently
stick to microUSB, which has already been confirmed for both the Z5 and Z5 compact, by the
above mentioned @vizileaks.
Otherwise, we’re expecting to see Bluetooth 4.1, NFC and of course, the latest version of
Google’s operating system, Android 6.0 Marshmallow, customized with Sony’s decent user
interface.
Besides this, we’re always waiting for a special features, that wowfeature, as we like to call it,
which could differentiate the Xperia Z5 from the rest of the competitors. No matter if it’s some
special camera technology, an UI tweak or the ability to resist being submerged into water for a
longer period, we’re definitely looking forward to it!
Conclusion September is getting closer with each day and if the rumors turn out to be true, we’ll have a
chance to take a look at the Sony Xperia Z5 in less than two weeks. Until then, we’re absolutely
sure that more and more details about the handset will be emerge, so keep an eye on our blog,
as we will update this article as soon as a we spot a major leak.