Bad news: Sony won’t release the Xperia 5 VI this year

Robert Triggs / Android Authority

Sony has launched two flagship Android phones annually for years now, namely the Xperia 1 series and the cheaper, pocket-friendly Xperia 5 range. Unfortunately, the company has revealed that it will skip the Xperia 5 VI this year.

Sony announced during a press conference that it wouldn’t release the Xperia 5 VI in 2024, according to the Japanese-language Impress Watch website (h/t: r/android). The outlet added that Sony would continue to sell the Xperia 5 V instead.

So why is the Japanese manufacturer skipping the new Xperia 5 model, then? Representatives apparently claimed that this was due to a change in “user needs,” pointing to an increase in Xperia 5 owners switching to the Xperia 1 series.

This is a disappointing turn of events for people who want great compact phones as the Xperia 5 series has long offered a 6.1-inch display. A 6.1-inch screen is still taller than small phones of yore, but this is pretty much as small as it gets for a modern Android smartphone.

In saying so, last year’s Xperia 5 V was arguably the low point for the range. Easily the most controversial change was the decision to skip the telephoto camera altogether. So we were hoping Sony would rectify this and offer a variable telephoto camera as seen on the Xperia 1 VI. Nevertheless, the phone still delivered a host of noteworthy features, such as plenty of multimedia apps, a 5,000mAh battery, and a capable main camera with Pro-grade camera apps.

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