If you thought the Xperia Z3+ was a bit of an underwhelming launch for 2015, then hold on to your hat. Sony has something else up its sleeves. Yes, the Xperia Z5 family has been announced, and it's heavily laced with tech treats to set you on a flagship smartphone high.
The Sony Xperia Z5 family is comprised of three flagship handsets, the regular Xperia Z5, the small and mighty Xperia Z5 Compact and the new king of bling, the Xperia Z5 Premium.
Let's start at the top with the Z5 Premium. This is the world's first smartphone with a 4K, 3840 x 2160 pixel, display, letting Sony flex its entertainment muscles. This is the device that will let you capture, share and natively view 4K content.
Its 5.5-inch 4K display has a ridiculous 801ppi and is packed into the familiar OmniBalance design. Sony's justification for stepping up to 4K is that there's no 2K content, and there never will be, so Quad HD phones make no sense at all. That argument perhaps defies logic, but 801ppi!
The regular Xperia Z5 has a 5.2-inch 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution display which sounds relatively sensible by comparison and the Z5 Compact is downright normal at 4.6-inch 1280 x 720, as it was before.
Aside from that 4K display, the Sony Xperia Z5 family is very much a story of similar spec devices. All three have a brand new Sony Exmor RS sensor, that's set to blow everything else out of the water.
It's now 23-megapixels and has been built in coordination with Sony's digital imaging experts, employing Sony Alpha technologies. That's why Sony is claiming 0.03 second focusing speeds using the new Hybrid AF phase detection system. Sony is talking up these cameras a lot and we're expecting great things from all the Z5 handsets.
Elsewhere, the Xperia Z5 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset. The Z5 and Z5 Premium get 3GB RAM and 32GB of storage, while the Z5 Compact settles for 2GB RAM and 16GB of storage.
All the handsets feature a fingerprint scanner on the side in place of the old power button. The aim here is to give you a secure unlocking method that's natural, using one press, rather than needing you to wake the phone and then unlock it. It's also ready for payment services in the future.
As previously, these Xperia handsets launch with a range of Sony technologies onboard, supporting high-res music and noise reduction (if you use the new MDR-NC750 headphones), offering PS4 Remote Play and plenty more besides.
Although the build is very close to previous Xperia Z models, there's a new frosted effect for the rear glass panel, with lovely results. The handsets are slightly squarer, with the Xperia branding engraved on the side, which we think looks great.
You'll be able to get the Z5 in white, black, gold and green. The Z5 Compact comes in black, white, yellow and coral.
The Z5 Premium gets special treatment. It's not just available in silver, but it's mirrored, so it's super bling around the back. It might be a fingerprint magnet, but we actually quite like it. It also comes in gold and black.
The new Sony Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact will be launching in October 2015, the Z5 Premium is due to follow in November. Local pricing is still to be confirmed, but you can expect that Z5 Premium to have a premium price tag.