Sony may unveil new phone with 4k display

Sony's rumoured 5.5-inch Xperia Z5 Premium handset, which is expected to be unveiled today, could be the first smartphone with an ultra-high resolution 4K display.

It will likely have two smaller Z5 cousins and could look like previous Xperia Z phones. All three Xperia Z5 models are expected to have a 23MP camera and a fingerprint sensor on the side.

This is based on leaks which appear to be corroborated by a recent leaked video from French news site Clubic.com, reported tech news site Mashable on Monday.

The video, which involved an interview with a Sony marketing director, was posted on YouTube but was eventually pulled.

Sony has not officially confirmed the leaks.

The 5.5-inch Z5 Premium's 4K display is said to have a 3,840 x 2,160 pixel resolution.

A variant, the 5.2-inch Z5, has a lower 1,920 x 1,080 pixel resolution, while an even smaller 4.6-inch Xperia Z5 Compact has a 1,280 x 720 pixel resolution.

The Z5 Premium presumably has an incredibly high pixel density of slightly over 800 pixels per inch (ppi), according to a tweet by well-known tech leaker @evleaks last week.

In comparison, Apple's 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus has a lower pixel density of 401ppi for its full HD 1,080p screen.

Mashable noted that the human eye cannot discern improvements in image quality when a screen's pixel density is more than 300ppi at a regular viewing distance.

However, a 4K-capable screen might be more useful for virtual reality applications when the screen is much closer to the eye and pixels can become more noticeable. In some VR headsets, a smartphone is used to project VR images close to a user's eyes.

The three Xperia Z5 phones are said to look similar, with a design which is akin to previous Xperia Z phones - rectangular with slightly rounded edges and a fairly flat back.

@evleaks also posted last week that the Z5's 23MP camera could have "super-fast 0.1-second hybrid 192 Pazovani PDAF autofocus and F1.8 aperture".

CNet said this essentially suggests "improved pictures (in) low-light conditions and quick autofocus".

So, the Z5 phones could perform rather well when taking photos in the evenings, especially as CNet noted that the LG G4 phone, which has an F1.8 aperture like the rumoured Z5, was able to take "better night shots".

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