Sony Xperia Z5 rumor roundup

The Sony Xperia Z4 (or Z3+) may have been a great device for the Japanese market, but it was certainly not the flagship phone we were all hoping for. The truth is the newest Xperia device is only an incremental upgrade over its predecessor, the Z3. Sony is known for releasing a couple flagship series per year, though. Now all eyes are on the Sony Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact, which are said to be the high-end phones we have all been expecting to see coming from the mighty Japanese manufacturer.

As you can expect, rumors and leaks have begun surfacing and we can now get a slight idea of what to expect. Let’s take you through all the bits of information we currently know. By the way, this Sony Xperia Z5 rumor roundup will continue to get updated as more details emerge. Sony fans and other interested readers should keep this page bookmarked and look out for changes as they continue to appear!

Disclaimer: Keep in mind these are all rumors. None of the information you will find in this article has been confirmed by Sony, so please don’t quote us on these details just yet. With that said, let’s get down to business! 

Design

Sony has been known to play a key role in 007 films’ product placement, and this year seems to be no exception. Sony shared an image last month, sending out a teaser that mentioned an Xperia device with the number “5” in its name. It was a phone that would be “made for bond”, which led us to believe there would be major changes to the design.

Sony is not one to stray from its classic design language, though, and it seems the case will be similar with the Z5 series. The latest image leaks from @vizileaks display a couple Sony smartphones next to the iPhone 5s (for size comparison reasons). These phones (likely the Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Compact), have the same square, sleek design the brand is now so popular for. The device still has a dedicated camera button, the volume rocker and a power button placed on the right side.

The only key difference in here is the power button, which is now larger, but there is a reason for that (more on that in the specifications section). Otherwise, the phone still uses that black slab design that happens to make many Sony fans very happy.

Sony has always been good at making its products waterproof and resistant to active lifestyles, so we can expect that from the Z5 series, as well. So far no leaks have corroborated that, though.

Display

Sadly, we haven’t heard too much about the display yet. The little we have heard comes from website AndroidOrigin. Their sources suggest Sony will finally take the plunge and upgrade to QHD resolutions, but only for the regular version (and the Xperia Z5 Ultra, which we haven’t heard many rumors of). The Xperia Z5 Compact would keep a 1080p display. Other sources do say all new Xperia Z5 phones will come with 1080p displays, though. We are not exactly sure who to trust here.

We haven’t heard a thing about size either, but the Xperia Z4 and Z4 Compact have 5.2-inch and 4.7-inch panels, relatively. We can assume sizes will be similar on their direct successors.

Specifications

This is another area we don’t know much about. The only thing we can put more trust on is the fact that the phone should come with a fingerprint reader, and it is integrated into the power button (hence the larger size).

Aside from this, we have nothing but sourceless rumors coming from multiple sites. Needless to say, we would especially not hold our breath on these details, but here they are. Murmurs say the phone should come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4 GB of RAM, a 21 MP camera (likely Sony Exmor) and a massive 4500 mAh battery. I am really praying for that battery size! Unfortunately, that 820 is pretty much impossible, as Qualcomm recently revealed the chip won’t be seen until Q1 2016. More likely, we are looking at 810 or 808.

Software

There’s not much info on this either, but we can assume the phone will come with the latest Android software. Depending on when the phone is released, that could be Lollipop or possibly even Android M, which should launch along with the new Nexus phones later this year. For what it is worth, Sony has been reportedly testing out redesigned software so it’s possible that the UI experience could get a major refresh for the Sony Xperia Z5 — but it’s really too early to say for sure.

Announcement and release date

Once again, nothing has been confirmed (or even highly suggested) but Sony does have a major press conference scheduled for September 2nd at IFA 2015, in Berlin. Most of us are hoping that is when the new Sony flagship phone will be announced. Regardless, we would say a release is to come before the end of the year. Sony wouldn’t like to miss the Christmas shopping season.

Wrapping up

Sony Xperia Z5 (and Compact) rumors are still very fresh, so keep coming back for more as the details become more clear. Like we said above, this post will continue to be updated as more rumors emerge, so stay tuned to it!

The Xperia Z5 series is looking to be exactly the flagship we were hoping to get with the Z4, so things are starting to look up for the Japanese manufacturer. Those numbers need to start rising, and that won’t happen if Sony sticks with slight upgrades (at least not outside of Japan).

Are you thinking of getting a Sony Xperia Z5 or Z5 Compact? Hit the comments and let us know what you would like to see your next phone touting. Are you happy with the rumors we have so far?