Marching on with the line-up of compact flagships, Sony launches the Sony Xperia 5 II that packs top-of-the-line hardware specifications into phones of a smaller footprint. The latest addition to Sony’s line-up of smartphones borrow many from its larger sibling, the Xperia 1 II, showing that one does not always need a larger phone to provide top-shelf performance.
Sony Xperia 5 II
Photography & Cinematography
The Xperia 5 II rocks a triple-camera layout on the back, much like the Xperia 1 II, all of which are of different focal lengths chosen for a wide range of use cases. The cameras cover a 16mm, 24mm and 70mm focal lengths achieved with ZEISS optics coated with the renowned ZEISS T* coating that controls reflection and enhances contrast and colours. The main sensor has a large 1/17” sensor to improve low light photography with enhanced noise reduction through the Bionz XTM for Mobile engine.
Photography Pro is also offered on the Xperia 5 II, which sports a user interface developed with contributions from professional photographers while offering manual controls found on the AlphaTM series of cameras. RAW support is also provided on the Xperia 5 II. Another feature borrowed from the AlphaTM series cameras is Real-time Eye AF so the focus of the portraits is also centred on the window to the soul, even if the subject is moving or have one eye covered. The camera can even achieve 20 frames-per-second(!) with autofocus and exposure on.
Cinematography Pro on the Xperia 5 II offers parameters and colour settings by professional filmmakers and, when combined with the support for 21:9 ratio videography at 24/25/30/60 fps, promises enhanced cinematic expression. The feature, powered by CineAlta, now also allows up to 4K HDR slow-motion video at 120fps done within the smartphone. Playback can be up to 5X slower when set to 24fps. The Intelligent wind filter technology also deploys award-winning audio separation technology for clearer audio recording.
Gaming & Entertainment
The Xperia 5 II comes packing a 6.1” FHD+ HDR OLED display with no notches and an immersive 21:9 aspect ratio with colour reproduction inspired by Sony’s professional technologies used in leading Hollywood studio productions. The use of X1TM for Mobile engine introduces BRAVIA HDR remastering technology to enhance any content on the screen for better contrast, colour and clarity. Complementing the impressive screen is a pair of front-facing speakers with support for Dolby Atmos and Sony’s usual suite of audio-enhancing features.
The screen also comes with support for up to 120Hz refresh rate backed by a 240Hz touch scanning rate. The faster scanning rate means actions are near instantaneous for better control. The wider aspect ratio allows for more to be seen with no restricted field of view and, if the 240Motion Blur Reduction mode is turned on, can go further with 240Hz refresh rate for fast-pace games to be rendered clearly for smooth gameplay.
The build-in Game Enhancer provides a range of features to improve user competitiveness, and users will be allowed to share their gaming session in the form of screenshots, videos or audio clips. An improved HS Power Control also allows for longer gaming sessions without the undesired overheating. The Xperia 5 II also supports connecting to a PlayStation 4 DUALSHOCK 4 Wireless controller and can power through games with tuning in collaboration with Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite Gaming.
Compact & Performant
The Xperia 5 II is designed for one-handed use with a rounded design on the edges and corners for a comfortable fit in the hands and pockets. Despite being only 8mm thick, the Xperia 5 II packs a 4,000 mAh battery with support for fast charging of up to 50% in 30 minutes. Also featured on the Xperia 5 II is IP65/68 water resistance and Corning’s Gorilla Glass 6 on both sides to ensure the phone is as durable as it is beautifully designed.
Pricing & Availability
Sony’s Xperia 5 II will be in available in Malaysia from December 2020 onwards, and will come in Black, Blue and Pink colours. Purchase will be available at Sony Stores KLCC & The Curve, Sony Store Online and the Sony Flagship Store on Lazada. Price is yet to be announced.
