Sony’s Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact officially have successors. The Japanese consumer electronics giant has taken the wraps off the Xperia XZ and the X Compact, both of which will go on sale in South Africa soon.
The 5,2-inch Xperia XZ replaces both the Z5 and the higher-priced Z5 Premium, while the X Compact is the direct successor to the Z5 Compact, designed as a premium device but offering a smaller, 4,6-inch form factor.
Both new models offer “triple-sensor” camera technology, along with improved battery life, Sony said at a media briefing in Johannesburg.
The XZ boasts a 23-megapixel Sony-built rear-facing camera that features an imaging sensor, a laser autofocus sensor and an RGB sensor.
“The sensors enrich your experience. For example, the RGB sensor ensures you capture the right colours,” a Sony spokesman explained. The camera can record movies in 4K resolution.
The front-facing camera has received a big upgrade over the Z5, boasting 13 megapixels for ultra-sharp selfies.
Sony has packed in a quad-core 64-bit processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 820) and 32GB of flash memory (expandable to 200GB using microSD cards). The screen has a resolution of 1080p (gone is the Z5 Premium’s power-hungry and expensive 4K display). Battery is rated at 2 900mAh.
The 8,1mm-thick device supports LTE Cat 9, the only device (so far) from Sony that supports this next generation in mobile broadband. It also supports voice-over-LTE and voice-over-Wi-Fi (network dependent).
Qnono adaptive charging technology promises up to two times battery life, Sony said.
The XZ runs Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), though Sony has promised 7.0 (Nougat) should be available by the end of the year.
The 5,2-inch display is ever-so-slightly curved, while the phone comes in metal (called “platinum”, though it’s not really platinum) as well as blue, black and pink plastic options. Pink and “platinum” probably won’t be ranged by South African operators, Sony said.
The phone should be available in South Africa in the first half of October at a recommended retail price of between R13 999 and R14 999.
The X Compact, meanwhile, is a little less powerful than the XZ, though not by much. It has the same high-end camera at the rear, for example, though the front-facing camera is a less-impressive 5-megapixel affair.
The Compact has a 64-bit, six-way processor, LTE Cat 6 support, 720p display and 2 700mAh battery. Unlike the XZ, there is no water resistance (arguably a step backward given the Z5 Compact was water resistant).
“We decided to bring the water resistance part into the premium phones and make the other devices more affordable,” a Sony spokesman explained.
The X Compact will go on sale in South Africa in early October for a recommended R11 999. Three colour variants are available internationally – black, white and a light blue. It’s likely local operators will only range the black model, and possibly the white model. — © 2016 NewsCentral Media
