Sony launches Xperia Z5 premium phone with 4K Display

Kazuo Hirai, CEO of Sony presents the new mobile phone Z5 to the media at the Consumer electronics trade fair IFA in Berlin - REUTERS

Sony grabbed the tech world’s attention recently officially unveiling the world’s first 4K smartphone with a 5.5” 4K Triluminos IPS Display, at IFA in Berlin.

The Sony flagship Xperia Z5 comes in three models – the 5.2” Xperia Z5, the 4.6” Xperia Z5 Compact and the 5.5” Xperia Z5 Premium – the latter of which boasts the 4K UHD (3840 x 2160 / 806 ppi) display.

Not only are Sony’s new smartphones waterproof and dust-tight (IP65/68), they cleverly incorporate a small, but sensitive fingerprint sensor on the power button, which helps remove the hassle of unlocking the device.

The phones feature a rear camera with F2.0 G Lens, dual LED flash and a 1/2.3-inch 23 MP Exmor RS BSI for mobile sensor.

The hybrid autofocus of the camera combines phase detection with contrast detection, realising what Sony says is ‘the fastest autofocus in a leading smartphone’ at a speed of just 0.03 seconds.

The Xperia Z5 range also features image stabilisation and a 5x zoom, for both video and stills.

The Xperia Z5 Premium will allow users to not only capture 4K video, but also to watch it back on its impressive 5.5” 4K UHD display.

To record HD video you are going to need a suitable amount of storage space, and while the Xperia Z5 Premium features 32GB of internal memory it can also take a 200 GB external microSD card, something which is likely to leave the sales teams of a few other manufacturers green with envy.

In addition to all this, the premium model can output video directly to a 4K TV over a MHL connection, enabling users to watch recorded 4K video on a big screen. It is also equipped with 4K up scaling technology that Sony says will ‘enhance the look of non-4K photos and videos’.

For battery life, Sony says the Premium model’s 3430 mAh battery can last up to two days.

The Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact will launch globally from October 2015, while the Xperia Z5 Premium is expected to hit the shelves from November 2015.

Depending on the market, the Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Premium will be available in both Single SIM and Dual SIM variants.

Sony has not yet revealed how much these three new smartphones will cost.