After several leaks about their specs, the Sony Xperia Z5 and the Xperia Z5 Compact are now finally official. The new-generation ‘mainstream’ flagship phone, Xperia Z5, with its pocket-friendlier brother, has been announced in a press event two days before the IFA expo opens for the public.
The routine-sized Xperia Z5 comes with the recognizable 5.2-inch screen seen in the Z2, while the Z5 Compact keeps the 4.6 inches of last year’s Z3 Compact. The Z5 has a Full HD panel using a 428ppi pixel density, while the Compact features a 720p resolution, resulting in 323ppi. Both the screens are IPS units using X-reality and TRILUMINOUS technologies, and with chemical tempered glass on the top, the make of which is still undisclosed. Both the models also come with the IP68 certification for dust and water resistance.
The Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 chipset powers both the new smartphones, using a double quad-core CPU clocking at 2GHz. The Adreno 430 is the graphics processor. There RAM is 3GB on the vanilla version, while the Compact has 2GB only. Both versions offer 32GB of internal memory space, though the Compact may come with only half of that in selected markets. However, the option to expand the memory with a microSD slot is still accessible. The Xperia Z5 as well as the Compact will run on Android 5.1.1 out of the box.
Sony Xperia Z5
The first on the list of new features is the 23MP camera. It works with the custom-made sensor, exclusive to Sony, housed behind a 24mm-equivalent f/2.0 lens. Sony has extensively redesigned the camera application to meet a more modern look as well as to improve the user experience.
The Xperia Z5 bears a design quite identical to the last version, though a few new layout components definitely set it apart. The primary one among those is the reworked power button doubling as a fingerprint detector. The aluminum framework now has a Xperia emblem engraved on the side, while a frosted rear panel replaces its glossy forerunner, aiming to put an end to smudgy backs and to give the front and the sides a more unified look.
The Z5 measures 146mm x 72mm x 7.3mm, which is similar to the Xperia Z3, hence marginally thicker than the Z3+. With the overall weight of 154g, it is heftier than either of the two older generations, but has a smaller battery at 2,900mAh.
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
The Xperia Z5 Compact shares the Xperia symbol as well as the fingerprint detector in the frame, but seems to be chunkier. It measures 127mm x 65mm x 8.9mm and weighs 138g, so it is not too thin; the Z3 Compact did a better job at hiding its waistline. The phone runs with a 2,700mAh battery, which is smaller than that of the Xperia Z5.
While the Z5 Compact spices things up with shades like Coral and Yellowish, the Sony Xperia Z5 is going to hit the markets in Black, Green, Gold and Graphite Black. The smartphones will be on the shelves worldwide beginning October, but the prices are still undisclosed.