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Sony Xperia 5 V leaked promo video reveals a major change
The Xperia 5 V promises to be Sony's next premium smartphone, and it could even be cheaper than its predecessor.
Following the launch of the super high-end Xperia 1 V last May, Sony is tipped to release the Xperia 5 V later this year. It is expected to be an upgrade over last year's Xperia 5 IV, and a new leaked promo video has now seemingly revealed some of its key features. If the leaked video is genuine, it could mean that not everything in the Xperia 5 V will be an improvement over its predecessor.
Sony is no longer one of the major players in the smartphone space in 2023, and we hardly ever see the Xperia phones making it to our list of the best phones. The company may have exited from several markets around the world, but it still caters to various niche audiences in a few markets, including the U.S. The current crop of Xperia phones may not offer the best value for your money, but they remain standout options on the market with their terrific camera chops, sleek design, and fantastic displays. They also pack some valuable features for creators, like the Camera Pro and Cinema Pro apps, which offer a Sony Alpha-like experience on a smartphone. If you value those features and are willing to open your wallet to pick up the best Sony phones in 2023, then check out some of your options highlighted in the collection below.
Sony’s Xperia 1 V flagship is coming in May with promises of a ‘next-gen’ camera sensor
The Xperia 1 V will compete with the Galaxy S23 Ultra and Pixel 7 Pro, but Sony needs to price it right for a change.
Sony has scheduled an Xperia product launch event on May 11, where the company is expected to unveil its next flagship smartphone, the Xperia 1 V. In a tweet earlier today, the official Sony Xperia account teased that the device will come with a 'Next-gen Sensor' and offer 'Next-gen Imaging.' The launch event will be held in Japan from 1 p.m. local time/ 6 a.m. CEST. Online speculations suggest that Sony could also announce the Xperia 10 V alongside the flagship device, much like last year when the company unveiled the Xperia 1 IV and the Xperia 10 IV at the same event.
The Sony Xperia PRO-I 5G has a huge camera and an ever bigger discount for Black Friday
The Sony Xperia PRO-I with its massive camera has a pretty steep discount, if you've been eyeing one up.
If you're looking to pick up a professional-grade camera in a smartphone, the closest you'll probably come is the Sony Xperia PRO-I 5G. Sony's smartphones aren't the best in the business, but if there's something that this particular Sony phone does really well, it's being a truly pro smartphone. Not only does it have a pretty crazy primary sensor, but it has a 4K 120Hz OLED display, too. Now it's down from $1,799 all the way down to $1,198 on Amazon for Black Friday.
The new Sony Xperia Stream can convert your Xperia 1 IV into a streaming powerhouse
The new Sony Xperia Stream is a streaming accessory for the Xperia 1 IV featuring a cooling fan and four ports. Read on to learn more.
Sony just wrapped up its second launch event for this month, but unfortunately, it did not launch a new gaming smartphone. Instead, the company has unveiled a new streaming accessory for its flagship Xperia 1 IV -- the Xperia Stream. Unlike gaming controllers like the Razer Kishi v2, the Xperia Stream is only good for streaming as it doesn't include any additional buttons or joysticks. It's essentially a port hub with a fan to help users stream games seamlessly from the Xperia 1 IV.
Sony could revive its gaming smartphone lineup later this month
Sony could revive its gaming smartphone lineup later this month. The company has shared a new teaser highlighting the launch of a new Xperia gaming device.
After unveiling its latest compact flagship, the Xperia 5 IV, last week, Sony now seems to be prepping a new gamer-centric device. The company has scheduled another launch event for later this month, where it will unveil the upcoming device.
Sony to launch a compact Xperia smartphone on September 1, likely the Xperia 5 IV
Sony has announced a launch event for September 1 where it will unveil a new compact smartphone, likely the Xperia 5 IV.
Earlier this year in May, Sony unveiled its latest flagship smartphone -- the Xperia 1 IV. While the company typically launches an Xperia 5 series device alongside its latest Xperia 1 model, the Xperia 5 IV did not arrive with the Xperia 1 IV. This led many to believe Sony had pulled an Apple and dropped the compact flagship model altogether. However, that might not be the case as the company has now announced a launch event for September 1, where it will unveil a new compact smartphone.
Sony's new Xperia 10 IV packs a massive 5000mAh battery and the Snapdragon 695 SoC
Sony has announced its latest mid-range device, the Xperia 10 IV. The handset offers a sleek design, coupled with a large 5,000mAh battery.
Sony is in a world of its own when it comes to Android smartphones - and that isn't meant as a compliment. For the past few years, its flagship devices have been eclipsed by the competition, consistently offering much of the same, but coming in at a drastically higher price. While its strategy might seem baffling to most, it clearly has a consumer in mind when it builds and prices its products. With that said, Sony has announced a new mid-range handset to its line, the Xperia 10 IV.
Sony's new Xperia I IV brings a 4K 120Hz display, improved zoom lens, and a large battery
Sony's new Xperia I IV is here, packing a 4K OLED 120Hz display, Snapdrgon 8 Gen 1 chipset, flagship cameras, and other incremental improvements.
Sony has long given up on the idea of competing against big smartphone OEMs in every market at every possible price bracket. Instead of trying to appeal to mainstream buyers, the company has embraced its identity as a niche player and seems content with catering to a small but dedicated audience. The company's Xperia 1 line has always stood out from the crowd for its unique characteristics and promoting features that have long disappeared from the mainstream flagships. Today, the Japanese smartphone maker unveiled the next iteration of its flagship, dubbed the Xperia I IV.
Sony Xperia Ace 3 leak shows off square design and iPhone SE 2022 size
Sony's upcoming Xperia Ace 3 has leaked in a new set of render images, showing off a mid-range design with the size of an iPhone SE 2022.
Sony phones usually aren't too popular outside of the company's home country of Japan, but Sony still maintains a somewhat-unique hardware design (as unique as a slab of glass and metal can be, anyway) and support for the 3.5mm headphone jack. Now an upcoming Xperia phone has been leaked, and it... looks like most of Sony's other phones.
Sony Xperia 10 IV shown off in leaked renders with a notchless display
Leaked renders of the Xperia 10 IV give us the first look at Sony’s 2022 mid-range offering. Read on to know more.
Following the Sony Xperia 1 IV leak last week, leaked renders of another Sony phone — Xperia 10 IV — has now surfaced online, revealing its design and some specifications.
Xperia 1 IV leaked renders reveal Sony is sticking to the same boxy design
The leaked renders of the Xperia 1 IV give us our first look at Sony's first 2022 flagship. Read on to know more.
Sony's Xperia 1 series serves as our yearly reminder that the Japanese company still hasn't given up on making smartphones. Sony only releases a handful of smartphones each year, and it's the Xperia 1 lineup that gets the most limelight and traction than the company's other phones. The last model in the lineup, the Xperia 1 III, was launched in April last year. Now fresh leak has given us our first look at the company's next flagship smartphone: Xperia 1 IV.
The Sony Xperia Pro 1 might feature a 1-inch primary sensor
Sony is gearing up to launch a new flagship Xperia smartphone called the Xperia Pro 1. Leaks suggest that it will feature a massive 1-inch camera sensor.
In May this year, Japanese smartphone maker Sharp launched the Aquos R6 -- the industry's first smartphone with a massive 1-inch camera sensor. The device's primary camera featured a 20MP 1-inch CMOS sensor with a 7-element lens developed in collaboration with Leica. Soon after that, Leica launched a rebranded version of the Aquos R6, the Leitz Phone 1, featuring the same camera system. Now, leaks suggest that Sony will also offer a similar camera system on the upcoming Xperia Pro 1.
Sony's Xperia division apparently turned a profit for the first time in years
Sony's latest earnings report reveals that its Xperia smartphone business has finally turned a profit for the first time in several years.
Last week, we asked our readers what they thought about the future of Sony's smartphone business. Given LG's recent withdrawal from the industry, many were concerned that Sony would be next. However, there are many clear differences between how the two businesses operate despite neither gaining much traction, and Sony's latest earnings report reflects that. In the Japanese company's latest earnings result, the Mobile Communications division reported a profit for the first time in years, which is promising news for the future of Xperia devices.
Sony’s Open Devices Program releases an Android 11 build guide and binaries for select Xperia phones
Sony has published an Android 11 build guide and software binaries for several Xperia phones via their Open Devices initiative. Read on!
Unlike some major OEMs, Sony Mobile has yet to publish an elaborate roadmap for Android 11 update distribution. The company doesn't even offer a public beta program to evaluate the newest iteration of Android on Xperia smartphones, but that's not the whole story. With every major Android revision, Sony releases software binaries and instructions on compiling the latest version of AOSP for devices that are part of its Open Devices program. Since the codebase of Android 11 has officially been up on AOSP for a while, the Japanese OEM has now released Android 11 compatible binaries along with a step-by-step guide to build AOSP 11.0 for a bunch of Xperia devices.
Sony Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 get temp root access on a locked bootloader with an exploit
Here's how you can achieve root access on the Sony Xperia 1 and the Xperia 5 using a privilege escalation exploit without unlocking the bootloader.
When it comes to bootloader unlocking and custom development, Sony is undeniably one of the most developer-friendly OEMs out there. The company maintains an initiative called the Open Devices program through which they provide tools and guides to the development community to help them compile Android Open Source Project (AOSP) builds on select Xperia devices. Moreover, Sony offers a dedicated online portal for bootloader unlocking, but there is a catch.
Developers bring Android 10 to the Samsung Galaxy A10, Moto G5S, and Sony Xperia SP/T/TX/V with unofficial LineageOS 17.1 custom ROMs
The Samsung Galaxy A10, Motorola Moto G5S, and Sony Xperia SP/T/TX/V have now received unofficial LineageOS 17.1 custom ROM builds based on Android 10.
Not every Android smartphone is eligible to get 3 years of OS and security updates from their makers, but that doesn't mean you have to abandon them after the official support ends. XDA's huge aftermarket development community is undoubtedly the primary driving force behind the custom ROM scene, which is enough to breathe new life into devices that are not being updated by the respective OEMs anymore. The ever-popular LineageOS custom ROM already has a pretty large roster of officially supported devices, while developers frequently use its open source codebase as the foundation for porting newer versions of Android to legacy devices. Now, you can add the Samsung Galaxy A10, the Motorola Moto G5S and a bunch of 2013's Sony Xperia phones to the list of devices unofficially supported by Android 10-based LineageOS 17.1.
Sony Xperia 10 II gets official support for bootloader unlocking
The Sony Xperia 10 II is the latest smartphone from Sony to receive official bootloader unlock support. Read on to know more!
The Sony Xperia 10 II (pronounced as Xperia 10 “Mark 2”) is the latest mid-range smartphone from the Japanese OEM. The smartphone offers Sony's signature 21:9 aspect ratio and a triple rear camera setup with dedicated ultra-wide angle as well as telephoto sensor, but a somewhat dated Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC might be a disappointing factor for potential buyers. Sony has already published the kernel source code corresponding to this phone and added it to their Open Devices Program in a bid to promote third-party development. And now, the OEM is adding official support for unlocking the bootloader of the Sony Xperia 10 II.
How to enable hidden Pixel themes on Sony Xperia phones running Android 10
Here's how you can access the hidden Pixel theme overlays on your Sony Xperia smartphone running Android 10 and apply them via command line.
The Pixel Themes app lets you customize the icon shape, font, accent color, etc. on Google Pixel phones running Android 10. We discovered the existence of the app shortly after Google pushed the second Android Q beta, and managed to get an early preview of its capabilities about a month before the public appearance. As the name suggests, the app is not intended for non-Pixel devices, but the underlying overlays that it toggles can still be found on other devices. Although neither the full-fledged Pixel Themes app nor the AOSP ThemePicker is present on Sony Xperia phones running Android 10, the company has left in a lot of the icon shape and accent color overlays that can be activated via the cmd overlay
shell command.
Sony Xperia 10 II added to Sony’s Open Devices Program
The Sony Xperia 10 II is the latest smartphone from Sony to be added to the company's Open Devices program. Read on to know more!
Sony Mobile's Open Devices program is popular among Android hobbyists and aftermarket developers, given Sony's current market position. The OEM provides necessary tools and guides to the development community, which makes it possible to bring Android Open Source Project (AOSP) builds to select Xperia devices. This initiative can also be used as a base to port well-liked custom ROMs. The Sony Xperia 10 II (pronounced as Xperia 10 "Mark 2") has now become the latest addition to the Open Devices program.