The Sony Xperia M5 is official with a super fast focussing camera

We always knew that Sony was announcing something on August 3rd and we’d already gotten a very complete leak of the Sony Xperia M5, but it’s always good to see the device announced on Sony’s own terms. As we expected, the star of the show is the Xperia M5‘s rear camera, which sports Sony’s brand new 21.5 MP Exmor RS with Hybrid AF F2.2 sensor. If you’re a bit skeptical about how much better this new camera sensor is, take a look at Sony’s launch trailer which focusses heavily on the new camera:

As for the rest of the Xperia M5’s specs, the list is a familar list from the leak a few days ago: a MediaTek Helio X10 2GHz processor, 3GB RAM, 16GB storage with microSD, 5-inch 1080p IPS display, 13MP front camera and a 2,600mAh battery that Sony says will last two days. Of course, like its Xperia predecessors, the Xperia M5 will also be waterproof, with IP65/IP68 certification for dust and water resistance. Sony says the device will be released sometime in mid-August 2015 “in selected countries across emerging markets”, whatever that means.

What do you think about the Sony Xperia M5? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Sony Mobile via XperiaBlog

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Sony closing its online store this August 28th

In what appears to be a rash move, Sony has decided to shut its online store down come August 28th at 1:00 PM PST. After this date and time, no more sales will be conducted and you will be forced to find your Sony products elsewhere.

The reasoning for making this decision continues to be a mystery. Sony is keeping pretty quiet for now, but they do mention they are working on “improving their online experience” and “will have an exciting new product website that includes their authorized retailers”.

In short: the Japanese manufacturer will no longer sell directly to its customers. Instead, they will point you in the direction of other stores that carry Sony products.

You can go ahead and make any purchases until then. Be sure to use your gift cards if you have any, for they will be useless after the 28th. Everything else should work as usual. You can even make returns if you purchased your products on, or before, closing time.

Does Sony need its own online store?

Of course, purchasing directly from the manufacturer brings a certain level of comfort to a customer. It’s nice to know the website is legit and you don’t have to deal with any third parties. We are just not sure that warm fuzzy feeling should keep the online Sony store open. Maybe it’s just not financially viable for them to act as a retailer.

In the end, it honestly makes no difference to me, as a user. I always buy my Sony products at other stores, anyways. How do you feel about this move, though? Do you worry that it will be impossible to buy your gadgets directly from Sony?

Comprehensive leak outs the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra and Xperia M5 in full

Earlier this week, Sony teased that it would be announcing a new Xperia device on August 3rd, with the emphasis on a new camera. We now know that it’s likely going to be two devices that Sony announces after Russian site Hi-Tech.Mail.ru posted its preview of both devices in full – naturally, it’s been taken down now but not before the photos were nabbed.

Featuring an almost edge-to-edge display, the Sony Xperia C5 Ultra is a sight to behold. Like other Ultra devices in Sony’s repertoire, the Xperia C5 Ultra is in the 6-inch display category, but sounds more like a mid-range device thanks to its 1.7GHz octacore MediaTek processor and 2GB RAM. What will likely be a highlight is the fact that there is a 13MP camera on the front and the back of the device, and the device will allegedly fetch a cost somewhere between $343-359 USD.

The Sony Xperia M5 might carry decent hardware – MediaTek Helio 2GHz chipset, 3GB RAM, 16GB storage with microSD expansion, 5-inch 1080p display, 2,600mAh battery – however, the real star of the show is its rear camera: the Sony IMX230 CMOS sensor. This 21.5MP sensor gives the camera hybrid autofocus, f/2.2, 5x zoom and 4K video recording. Like the Xperia C5 Ultra, the Xperia M5 will also have a 13MP camera on the front of the device. Despite being a smaller device, the Xperia M is understandably a little dearer than the Xperia C5 Ultra, likely coming in about $390-406 USD.

What do you think about these two new Sony devices? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Hi-Tech.Mail.ru via XperiaBlog

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Sony Xperia M5 and C5 Ultra leak in high-res photos ahead of official announcement

Sony’s new Xperia M5 and C5 Ultra handsets won’t be officially unveiled until next week, but that’s not stopping us from getting an early look at the unannounced devices. Earlier today Russian tech site Hi-Tech.Mail.ru leaked both devices in full, giving us a good look at Sony’s upcoming smartphones.

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Sony Xperia C5 Ultra

The Xperia C5 Ultra is arguably the more interesting of the two. It has a big 6.0-inch Full HD display that extends all the way to the left and right sides of the chassis, giving it an almost bezel-free aesthetic. According to the leak, the bezels on the left and right sides measure only .8mm in length, which is very thin.

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The C5 Ultra also sports a 13MP rear and front-facing camera, complete with a front-facing flash. In addition, it’s powered by an octa-core 1.7GHz MediaTek MT6752 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion, as well as a 2930mAh battery. According to recent leaks, the device could launch for somewhere around $350.

Sony Xperia M5

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The Xperia M5 on the other hand looks to feature a similar design aesthetic to that of the Z3 or Z3+, which unfortunately blends in with most other Sony devices on the market. It comes with a 5.0-inch Full HD IPS LCD display, an octa-core MediaTek Helio X10 processor, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and microSD expansion.

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This device also comes with a 13MP camera on the front and back and has IP65/IP68 certification. It will likely launch for somewhere around $400, and will be available in Black, Silver and Gold color options.

What are your thoughts? Do any of these devices interest you?