Sony Xperia 5 V leak points to significant downgrade

Leaks suggest that the Sony Xperia 5 V will represent a more significant downgrade than we’re used to seeing from the range.

As sure as night follows day, the Sony Xperia 1 V will be followed up by the smaller, cheaper, but similarly capable Sony Xperia 5 V. Sony has been following this formula for years now, most recently with the Sony Xperia 5 IV.

However, the next compact flagship model to emerge from Sony HQ might represent something of a step back. An official-looking Sony Xperia 5 V marketing video has leaked on Reddit via user JB2unique, and has since been uploaded to YouTube. It appears to show a device that completely lacks a telephoto camera.

Previous Xperia 5 models have tended to carry with them a similar camera set-up to their Xperia 1 big brothers. This means a triple camera system.

The two have started to diverge in recent years. Last year’s Xperia 5 IV featured a fixed telephoto camera that lacked the Xperia 1 IV’s fluid optical zoom system. Now, however, Sony appears to be going one fairly major step further in getting rid of the telephoto camera altogether.

Reasons for this are a mystery, but it seems likely that Sony is either cutting costs or saving space – potentially both. If the removal of this telephoto camera leads to more than just a price freeze, as the Xperia 1 V has experienced this year, and results in a full-on price cut, then this might come to be construed as a net positive.

When it comes to saving space, the Xperia 1 V’s main camera sensor is much bigger than before in this year’s model, which will inevitably pose a challenge to the more compact Xperia 5 V. Sony may be forced to diverge with its step-down range in the name of broader photographic progress.

Speculation aside, Sony’s Xperia 1 and Xperia 5 smartphones are niche, pro-focused phones for photography and media enthusiasts. If it’s going to be losing some of that edge in the Xperia 5 V, it might be time for a rethink.