With the launch of the X series of Xperia phones at MWC 2016, Sony left fans wondering whether they were witnessing the demise of the long-running Z series.
Now it seems the Xperia Z5 will be the last in the Z series as multiple sources have seemingly confirmed the news.
Jun Makino, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Sony Mobile, told uSwitch: “I can’t comment on the future, but we will not be releasing a Z6.”
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He also said that Sony is “turning to the next stage, with the Xperia X series”.
This could mean more X series phones in the future, in addition to the Xperia XA, Xperia X, and Xperia X Performance which were announced at MWC this year.
Elsewhere, Sony Mobile Germany has seemingly confirmed that there are no plans to release an Xperia Z6.
In response to a fan enquiry on Facebook, the company said “the Xperia X series is under a completely new concept and will replace the Z series”.
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The X Performance handset will therefore likely be Sony’s flagship handset for 2016, although it looks as though it will only be released in Asia, and possibly the US.
Still, the Xperia X is almost identical to the Performance, although it runs on on a Snapdragon 650 processor as opposed to the Snapdragon 820 which can be found in the Performance.
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Are you sad to see the Z series go? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
