The march of new mobile hardware at IFA 2015 carries on with Sony, which just introduced an Xperia Z5 family that includes three members.
The main device here is the Xperia Z5, the latest Android 5.1 flagship from Sony. While it may look similar to the Xperia Z4, the Z5 has some tweaks that are worth taking note of. For example, the side-mounted power button that’s long been a stable of Sony’s OmniBalance design language is now also a fingerprint reader. Another new feature is that Sony has engraved its Xperia branding into the side of the Z5 opposite of its volume, power, and camera buttons.
Another notable feature of the Z5 is its 23-megapixel rear camera, which is the first camera upgrade that we’ve seen in an Xperia flagship in a while. The 23-megapixel Exmor RS sensor includes an f/2.0 G Lens and features like Sony SteadyShot and Intelligent Active Mode. Sony’s also hyping the rear camera’s auto focus, saying that it can focus in just 0.03 seconds.
The Xperia Z5 is dust and water resistant, which is a feature that’s good to see returning in Sony’s new flagship. Inside of that shell is a 5.2-inch 1920x1080 display, octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a microSD slot, a 5-megapixel front camera, and a 2900mAh battery.
On the smaller end of the Xperia Z5 family is the Xperia Z5 Compact, which boasts many of the same specs as the Xperia Z5, but with a smaller 4.6-inch 1280x720 display. Its RAM has also been bumped down slightly, going from 3GB to 2GB, and its battery has shrunk from 2900mAh to 2700mAh. Despite those tweaks, the Xperia Z5 Compact looks like a solid option for folks that are still jonesing for a shrunken flagship Android phone.
And now we’ve come to the big ‘un, the Xperia Z5 Premium. Its claim to fame is a 5.5-inch 3840x2160 display. Yep, that’s a whole lot of pixels. It’s kind of crazy to think that we’re getting 4K displays on smartphones, but when you think about the crazy spec race that is the mobile world (especially on Android), it’s really not all that surprising.
Sony has wisely decided to make the Xperia Z5 Premium’s battery larger than the one in the Xperia Z5, packing a 3430mAh battery into its body. That’s a nice upgrade, and Sony says that the Z5 Premium can last for “up to 2 days” on a single charge, but we’ll have to wait to test that for ourselves. Good thing the Z5 Premium has quick charging!
Aside from that high-res display and larger battery, the Z5 Premium is largely the same as the Xperia Z5. That means that it’s got a Snapdragon 810 chipset, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a microSD slot, and a dust and water resistant body.
The Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact will launch in October, while the Z5 Premium is expected to begin rolling out in November. What do you think of Sony’s new Z5 family?
