Sony Xperia Z5 UK release date, price & specification rumours: Three new Sony Xperia Z5 phones tipped for IFA 2015

Sony Xperia Z5 UK release date, price & specification rumours The Sony Xperia Z4 (known in the UK as the Sony Xperia Z3+) was something of a disappointment, but the Sony Xperia Z5 is on its way. Sorry - the Z5s (plural) are on their way! Here we round up the rumours to bring you the latest on the Sony Xperia Z5 UK release date, price, specification and new features. The Sony Xperia Z4 was something of a disappointment, but the Z5 is on its way. Sorry - the Z5s (plural) are on their way!

By Marie Brewis | 28 Aug 15

The Sony Xperia Z4 (known in the UK as the Xperia Z3+) was something of a disappointment, but the Sony Xperia Z5 is on its way. Sorry - the Z5s (plural) are on their way! Here we round up the rumours to bring you the latest on the Sony Xperia Z5 UK release date, price, specification and new features. Also see Best smartphones 2015 and Best Android phones 2015.

Sony is holding a press event prior to Berlin's IFA 2015 show on 2 September (also see: What to expect from IFA 2015). The Sony Xperia Z5 is hotly tipped to make an appearance - along with a Sony Xperia Z5 Compact and Sony Xperia Z5 Premium! (We forgive you for the Z3+ now, Sony.) The firm accidentally revealed the details, according to Phandroid and leaked images come via Xperia Blog.

We'll be bringing you full details of the new phones on Wednesday (2 September), but come back before then for news of how to watch the Sony press conference live.

Sony Xperia Z5 UK release date and price: When is the new Sony Xperia coming out?

Even before the Xperia Z3+ arrived, there were rumours that another phone would arrive from Sony this year and it, in fact, would be the real flagship device for 2015. With a Z4 already available, this new handset will be the Xperia Z5 and it is thought that the device will be announced in September at IFA 2015 – a technology trade show which takes place in Berlin Germany.

IFA 2015 is scheduled for 4-9 September and the press conferences where all the announcements are made typically happen just before. Sony's IFA 2015 press conference will be held in 2 September.

Of course, there will be no official price for the Xperia Z5 until it's announced but we expect it to fetch around £500 SIM-free when it does arrive. We predict it will go on sale sometime in the second half of September following IFA 2015. Also see: Best new phones coming in 2015.

Sony Xperia Z5 specification and feature rumours: What to expect from the new Sony Xperia phone

After moderate upgrades over the last few flagship Xperia Z phones, it looks like the Xperia Z5 will be the biggest jump for a long time – and it's much needed.

It seems the Z3+ is suffering from overheating issues due to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor but the Xperia Z5 will come equipped with the new Snapdragon 820 and it will have a whopping 4GB of RAM matching the OnePlus 2.

Furthermore, it's rumoured to have a huge 4500mAh battery which should provide excellent battery life (the LG G4 and Samsung Galaxy S6 have 3000- and 2550mAh batteries respectively for comparison). The main camera on the Xperia Z5 is expected to be the latest 23Mp Sony Exmor RS IMX230 CMOS sensor, which will support 4K video recording and HDR capabilities.

Other details are a little hazy with a Quad HD resolution (1440x2560) rumoured for all three models (see below) - but we think that's unlikely - and a Qualcomm Ultrasonic Sense ID fingerprint scanner found on the Ultra.

We've not seen any really decent leaked images yet but a few reports suggest that Sony is going back to the drawing board on design so we could have a fresh new look for the Z5 range. USB Type-C is an unsurprising rumour and we expect Sony to continue to offer waterproofing.

Sony Xperia Z5 Compact and Sony Xperia Z5 Premium: Three new Sony phones on the way

Not only is Sony rumoured to be launching the Z5 at IFA, it looks like there may well be three models coming at once (insert joke about buses).

Sony has proven itself as the best smartphone maker of 'mini' versions of flagship phones – we love the Xperia Z3 Compact so it's great to hear that we'll be getting an Xperia Z5 Compact for those whose want a smaller but still premium smartphone.

The Xperia Z5 range will also see the return of the Ultra model, in a way, following the 2013 launch of the Xperia Z Ultra with a huge 6.4in screen making it one of the biggest phablets around. We can expect something similar this year but the Z5 Premium will be 5.5in and although Quad HD is rumoured this could be the first 4K phone on the market.

We'll update this article as and when we hear more details on the Xperia Z5 range but let us know what you think below - in the poll and the comments.

Sony Xperia Z5 poll
Source: Sony Xperia Z5 UK release date, price & specification rumours: Three new Sony Xperia Z5 phones tipped for IFA 2015