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Sony launches new Xperia M5 challenger

Cape Town - Japanese electronics giant Sony has narrowed its focus on the mid-range smartphone market with the launch of its latest device.

The company on Monday announced the launch of the Xperia M5 Aqua, building on the M4 device which was launched in South Africa earlier this year.

Sony has upped the image sensor on the camera of the M5 to the equivalent of its Z3 flagship.

"We are pleased to present the Xperia M5, this new smartphone highlights Sony's advances in camera technology," said Tony McNulty, vice-president of Value Category Business Management at Sony Mobile Communications.

The camera in the M5 is rated at 21.5 megapixel, is also capable of 4K recording, and has five times zoom. Sony has also upped the game with a 13 megapixel selfie camera.

Financial pressure

According to teardown specialists iFixit, Sony fabricates the camera technology in the iPhone and it is likely that similar technology could be employed in the next generation device from Apple.

Sony claims its 2 600mAh battery also gives two days of running time on a single charge and the M5 is powered by a 64-bit 2GHz octa-core processor mated to 3GB of RAM.

The M5 is also waterproof, like the Z3, but sports a capless USB charging, though you should not charge the device when wet.

Despite the launch of two mid-range and one budget smartphone, Sony has delayed the release of a true flagship.

The Xperia Z3 remains the company's premium device, and it is likely Sony will launch a Z5 rather than a Z4.

The Japanese company has been under pressure with soft sales of its premium devices and announced plans to significantly cut its workforce.

"Restructuring is progressing well and right now we think we will be able to cut 20% of staff at our distribution companies and 30% at headquarters," said chief financial officer Kenichiro Yoshida at a media briefing into the firm's financials.

Loss

Data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) showed that in 2014, the smartphone market in the Midde East and Africa hit record growth of 83%, though that was mainly due to phones priced in the $100 to $200 bracket.

Handsets priced between $250 to $500 fell from 23% to 18%.

"This strategy of targeting the mid and low end of the market has contributed significantly to the success of vendors like Huawei and Lenovo," said Nabila Popal, IDC's research manager for handsets and display solutions in the Middle East and Africa.

Sony's mobile division was hit with a ¥22.9bn ($188m) loss in the first three months of 2015 as competition from particularly Chinese rivals see the company shift its focus to US and European markets.

The Xperia M5 smartphone comes in single and dual SIM flavours, and it is likely the single SIM version will be launched in SA in the fourth quarter of this year.


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