Sony is almost certain to break its long-standing tradition of launching two flagship Android phones every year. Sony usually launches the Xperia 1 flagship series and the cheaper, more affordable Xperia 5 range annually. However, it seems that this year, Sony fans won"t be getting their hands on the Xperia 5 VI smartphone.
During a press conference, as reported by Japanese publication Impress Watch, Sony announced that there will be no Xperia 5 VI release this year. Instead, the smartphone OEM will continue to sell last year"s Xperia 5 V.
This also means that Sony smartphone fans, who are already quite a niche audience, will have only two flagship options this year: last year"s Xperia 5 V and the Xperia 1 VI, which was launched in May 2024.
Sony has also provided the reason why the company is skipping a new Xperia 5 model in 2024. According to Sony representatives at the event, the decision was taken due to a change in "user needs." This likely means the shift of Xperia 5 owners to the Xperia 1 phones.
Although the Xperia 5 series offers almost the same specs as the Xperia 1 phones, its compact form factor seems to be a drawback. Consumers are increasingly drawn to large-screen phones, which explains why Sony is seeing a shift from Xperia 5 to Xperia 1.
While Sony has revealed that it will not be launching an Xperia 5 phone this year, this doesn"t necessarily mean there will be one next year either. The future of the Xperia 5 series is uncertain. Skipping a release for one year won"t solve the problem of consumers gravitating towards large-sized phones.
Sony may need to adapt to the changing "user needs" by either introducing bigger screens to the Xperia 5 lineup or simply discontinuing the series altogether.
Let us know your thoughts on whether you will miss a Sony Xperia 5 phone this year, or you don"t even care about Sony phones anymore.