Sony Mobile is bringing high-resolution audio playback to more Xperia smartphones in the U.S. with the launch of the $599 Xperia Z5 and $499 Xperia Z5 Compact.
The two Android 5.1 GSM phones will be available unlocked on Feb. 7 through such retailers as Amazon, Best Buy and B&H.
The phones, unveiled at last September’s IFA, decode high-res audio formats, including Sony-developed DSD, and feature proprietary LDAC technology, which transmits near-high-res audio via Bluetooth to LDAC-equipped Bluetooth headphones and speakers. Both also feature proprietary technology to upconvert lossy music files to near-high-res quality.
The prices include three free movie downloads, including Sony Pictures’ The Walk and Hotel Transylvania 2.
In the U.S., Sony also offers the Z3+, Z3, and Z3v with high-res decoding, also with DSD decoding. Not all feature LDAC. Last summer, Sony began selling the high-res-capable Z4a through Verizon, which no longer carries the model.
Both new models feature 23-megapixel main camera said to offer the fastest autofocusing of any smartphone at 0.03 seconds. Both also feature PS4 Remote Play, which lets users continue playing PlayStation console games on the phones via Wi-Fi when a game controller is attached. And both are IP68-rated, making them dust-right and submersible in more than 1.5 meters of fresh water for longer than 30 minutes.
The full-size Z5 features 5.2-inch 1080p IPS display, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, 200GB microSD card slot, 5-megapixel front-facing camera with Sony Exmor R image sensor, S-Force Front surround sound, two speakers, and 2900 mAh battery.
The Z5 compact offers almost all the same features but comes with 4.6-inch 720p display, 2GB RAM, and 2700mAh battery.
