Sony seduces moviegoers with slimline smartphone Xperia 5

Sony's Xperia 5 mobile is showcased at the IFA Consumer Tech Fair in Berlin, Germany on September 5, 2019. REUTERS / Hannibal Hanschke

September 5, 2019

BERLIN (Reuters) – Sony <6758.T> The Xperia 5, an ultra-thin version of its flagship smartphone, debuted in Berlin on Thursday at IFA's consumer electronics show, with the goal of boosting its appeal to its niche audience. in love with video, cinema and music.

The Xperia 5 comes with a 6.1-inch OLED screen in 21: 9 format used by the movie industry and, for photographers and video bloggers, is equipped with a triple camera with a 12 megapixel resolution.

The Android device, a cheaper iteration of the Xperia 1 launched in June, will go on sale in October at 799 euros (884 dollars) with pre-orders next week, told IFA Shigeki Ishizuka, chief executive of Sony .

Despite the number in the name, there was no indication that the device will be allowed to operate on 5G networks, which are beginning to be deployed in countries such as Japan, Korea and the United States.

Sales have declined in the smartphone market, the trade dispute between the United States and China has weighed on the morale of consumers and the industry.

Samsung Electronics <005930.KS>, the world's largest maker of smartphones, unveiled its $ 2,000 folding smartphone, the Galaxy Fold, in Seoul on Thursday.

Apple plans to unveil its latest generation of iPhone on September 10, while Huawei Technologies, the world's number two smartphone maker, will open the Mate 30 compatible 5G range in Munich on September 19.

($ 1 = 0.9040 euros)

(Report by Douglas Busvine, edited by Hugh Lawson)