No prizes for those who expected Sony to bring the Xperia 5 II to the table in the second half of 2020.
The high-end handset blends the sensibilities of its predecessor with the advanced internals of the Xperia 1 II from earlier this year, granting users 5G in a slim 21:9 package, plus a few other goodies.
When is the Sony Xperia 5 II going on sale?
The Xperia 5 II was announced on 17 September and is expected to be made available for pre-order on 1 October, with retail availability from 15 October.
Related: Sony Xperia 5 review
How much is the Sony Xperia 5 II?
As with the Xperia 1 II, Sony views the Xperia 5 II as a flagship in its own right and as such has priced it in the same realm as OnePlus 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S20 – £799/€899.
It also works out £100 more than the Xperia 5 cost when it launched around the same time last year.
What features does the Xperia 5 II offer?
The 5 II has doubled down on the aspects that are distinctly Sony. On the hardware side, that means a 21:9 HDR OLED display, although, unlike the Xperia 1 II, the 5 II swaps 4K resolution for a super-smooth 120Hz refresh rate.
Sony’s own 12Mp triple-sensor rear camera setup also endures from the 1 II; complete with 20fps burst shooting and eye-tracking autofocus for both people and animals.
There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack, backed up by a wealth of audio technologies, including Hi-Res Audio support, DSEE Ultimate upscaling and more.
A new graphene cooling system helps the phone’s Snapdragon 865 processor work harder for longer, which is ideal when paired with the updated Game Enhancer feature, as well as the Cinema Pro app, which allows for 120fps 4K HDR video capture for the first time on a smartphone.
Here’s the full spec sheet as announced by Sony:
- 6.1in 21:9 120Hz Full HD+ HDR OLED display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB storage
- Main cameras:
- 12Mp 24mm wide w/ OIS
- 12Mp 16mm ultrawide
- 12 Mp 70mm telephoto w/ OIS
- Cinema Pro app enables up to 4K HDR 120fps slow-motion recording
- 8Mp front-facing camera
- Dual front-facing stereo speakers
- Side-mounted fingerprint sensor-cum-power key
- Google Assistant button
- Dedicated dual-detent shutter button
- Android 10
- 5G (sub6)
- IP65/68 certified
- 4000mAh battery
- Up to 21W PD fast charging (18W charger in-box)
- Dolby Atmos support
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Hi-Res Audio/Hi-Res Audio Wireless support
- LDAC support
- DSEE Ultimate audio upscaling
- 360 Reality Audio support
- 163 grams
- 158×68×8mm
- Colours: black, blue
Sony is also launching a series of accessories alongside the 5 II, such as a 21W PD fast charger and colour matched black and blue Style Cover cases with integrated kickstands.
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