Besides the Xperia 1 VI and Xperia 10 VI that launched in May, Sony is tipped to launch the Xperia 5 VI later in tandem with the Xperia 5 V’s (review) cycle. As we get closer to the alleged launch date, we’re also starting to see more leaks surface connected to the compact flagship smartphone.
Will the Sony Xperia 5 VI ditch its camera shutter?
The latest rumor going around hails from online German store Alza (via GSMArena) that featured an alleged Spigen case for the Xperia 5 VI. As we all know, Sony hasn’t officially announced the device yet.
While this could be a mistake from the case maker as it could have depicted the Xperia 5 V in the promotional material, there are some hints that point to the depicted handset as a different Xperia model. To that end, it could likely be a render of the upcoming Sony Xperia 5 VI.
Among the subtle hints include the rear camera island which features a repositioned LED flash and microphone hole. It is also rather obvious the Zeiss optics branding seems to be missing from camera rings. However, this doesn’t wholly indicate the imaging partnership will be discontinued as we could likely see the brand in the final version.
Around the device, placements for buttons and ports were almost identical as before, apart from the right side that skipped the dedicated shutter key right below the fingerprint scanner. For reference’s sake, the Xperia 5 V and even the latest Xperia 1 VI featured a camera button on the right. Hence, it is fascinating to see the Mark VI drop the physical key.
Right now, there is no way to verify if this is indeed the final design of the Xperia 5 VI or if the accessories are indeed related to the handset. Knowing Spigen, this might be the real deal.
Nonetheless, we don’t see any solid reason yet for Sony to drop the camera button. Perhaps the change could make way for other design iterations like a different chassis material. Who knows?
Sony debuted the Xperia 5 V last September, so there are chances we could hear more from the brand in the coming weeks or so.
What do you think is Sony’s reason if they were to ditch the camera button in the Xperia 5 VI? We want to hear your answers in the comments.
