The Sony Xperia Z4 is still being kept under wraps, so it seems almost farcical that Xperia Z5 details could have leaked.
Unbelievably, however, claimed information on three Xperia Z5-branded handsets has hit the web, courtesy of AndroidOrigin’s anonymous ‘trusted source’.
The three handsets in question are the Sony Xperia Z5, the Xperia Z5 Ultra, and the Xperia Z5 Compact.
So what can we expect from the Xperia Z3’s follow-up’s follow-up? For starters, the source claims Sony is targeting a Q4 release.
That gels with the suggestion that the Xperia Z4 is due for a Q2/3 release, and would fit with Sony’s traditional six-month(-ish) release cycle.
The Z5 and Z5 Ultra are expected to carry Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 820 chip. Qualcomm announced the 820 just last month, suggesting we could see the chip land in smartphones later this year.
The source did claim, however, that Sony might push back the release to January 2016, if Qualcomm can’t make the Snapdragon 820 available in time.
Related: Why Qualcomm's ultrasonic finger scanner will be better than Touch ID
What’s more, the Xperia Z5 Ultra is also expected to carry a fingerprint sensor built using Qualcomm’s next-gen sonic Sense ID 3D biometric technology. The Z5, however, won’t ship with this feature.
Displays are getting a boost from the current 1080p panel found on the Xperia Z3 too. Both the Xperia Z5 and Z5 Ultra are tipped to host Quad HD displays across all markets, although there were no details regarding Z5 Compact hardware.
According to the report, the Z5 and Z5 Ultra will also ship with 4GB of RAM and new camera sensors. Optical image stabilisation reportedly won’t feature however, with this now commonplace addition instead pegged to make an appearance a couple of years down the line.
Perhaps the most exciting revelation is that Sony may finally be ditching its Omni-Balance design. While it’s certainly an attractive design approach, Xperia Z handsets have remained relatively unchanged since the firs iteration.
The source claims Sony is eyeing up an ‘all-new design’ which will bear ‘very little in common’ with previous Xperia Z smartphones, including the unannounced Xperia Z4.
We must point out that this is the first we’ve heard about the Xperia Z5 and we have no way of verifying any of this information. As such – and given that the Z4 has yet to be confirmed – these claims should be taken with a hearty heap of salt.
