Sony's next 5G Xperia flagship gets an official announcement date
Leaked Sony Xperia 5 II render
But due to the coronavirus pandemic, this typically huge gathering of the tech industry's top names will feature a limited number of exhibitors and no outside visitors whatsoever. That's bound to make the event far less appealing than usual for some companies, which apparently includes Sony.
Instead of keeping with tradition and taking the wraps off its next high-end handset in the capital city of Germany in early September, the Japan-based tech giant has just officially scheduled a separate "Xperia New Product Announcement" for later that same month. Specifically, 9 am CEST (midnight PT or 3 am ET) on September 17, which is less than three weeks away.
That means Sony has been able to keep the rumored Xperia 5 II (pronounced Xperia Five Mark Two) under wraps pretty close to its launch, with a high-quality render revealing the next flagship design just yesterday and still no word on the upcoming phone's specs and features.
Of course, it seems safe to assume this bad boy will be slightly smaller and cheaper than the 6.5-inch Xperia 1 II powerhouse released a few months back while most likely packing the same Snapdragon 865 processor. The Sony Xperia 5 II should also support 5G connectivity as standard, although if history is any indication, actually using the device on Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile's fastest networks might prove tricky.
Hopefully, Sony will learn from its recent mistakes and join forces with at least one major US wireless service provider for both official 5G compatibility and a timely commercial debut. The Xperia 1 II, mind you, barely went up for pre-order in an unlocked 4G LTE-only variant in June, needing almost two extra months to start shipping stateside.
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