In the modern world of mobile technology, where it is becoming ever harder for manufacturers to make their devices stand out, Sony have laid down the guantlet to their competitors with the Z5 Premium.

The standard Z5 and slimmed out Z5 Compact are great showcases for the Z5 range's new 23 MP camera, however the Z5 Premium goes one step further.

In a world's first for smartphones, the 5.5" panel on the Xperia Z5 Premium boasts a truly impressive 4K resolution. In pixel terms that's 3840 x 2160 or an unapproachable 807 ppi (pixels per inch).

Overall this makes the Premium the first truly 4K mobile device ever created. Not only does it have a 4K screen, the camera can record in 4K, upload this to compatible social media such as YouTube over high-speed LTE and even output to other 4K screens and monitors via HDMI with the most recent MHL 3.0 specification.

If you want to be ahead of the curve when it comes to mobile, the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium is the only choice for the best camera and visual experience.

23 Megapixel 1/2.3" Exmor RS™

Developing the best cameras in the mobile industry isn't easy, but it's what Sony do. After all, it's their cameras you'll find in many other brands' devices.

This leaves them able to put the best new advances in their own phones, so for 2015 we have the 23 Megapixel 1/2.3" Exmor RS™ For Mobile sensor.

This can pick out more detail than any other leading smartphone cameras and can only be found in the newest Z5 range.

You will also benefit from the award-winning G Lens; a wide-angle 24mm eye that sees more light than the competition and lets you easily frame wide compositions.

Sony have continued their work on the Bionz Digital Image Processing software too, to account for realistic colours and further noise reduction in all types of scenes.

Hybrid Autofocus and SteadyShot

Any modern camera fan will tell you it's not just about hardware, you need decent software to make a good camera too.

Sony have put work in here too, developing the new ultra-fast Hybrid Autofocus. This is capable of focussing in just 0.03 seconds (in accordance with CIPA guidelines) and made possible with two complementary technologies:contrast-detection for accuracy and phase-detection for speed.

Hybrid Autofocus offers you the chance to point and shoot complex landscapes or motion shots faster than ever before. The system also adjusts automatically to keep important subjects clear as you move.

This even happens during 4K video capture, plus SteadyShot technology compensates for movement.

The enhanced Touch Capture function lets you tap anywhere on screen, to immediately focus there and take the shot, all in one single gesture.

Try the new Clear Image Zoom - a 5x lossless digital zoom function. This enlarges your view without the ususal noise and blurring found with digital zooms.

Express yourself

Sony have included a number of excellent features within the camera application to help take the best images.

AR Effect and AR Mask allow you to edit images and portraits with doodles, messages, stickers and face-swapping silliness. You can also utilise Style Portait mode to make beautification adjustments to portraits or selfies. Movie Creator is also available to turn a set of shots, tagged by date or location, into a custom slideshow.

Finally make use of the dedicated camera button to launch the camera swiftly from anywhere within the phone. It's also there to provide tactile control when taking a picture, removing your hand or finger from the screen.

Show yourself

A phone like this hasn't been built to be hidden anyway. The Z5 Premium has an exquisite mirror finish on the reverse, alongside precision-etched Xperia logos to the base and side of the handset.

Technology can make anything better, even something that's already been produced. If you're viewing pictures or video that aren't natively ready for a 4K screen, Sony's upscaling software will fill the screen correctly and make everything buttery smooth at a higher than intended resolution.

Android 5.1

As expected from a product developed by one of the world's leading technology firms, the Z5 Premium is running Google's most recent 2015 version of Android at launch.

Known as 5.1 Lollipop, you receive the most stable and efficient version of Android to date. This also delivers compatibility with the main extensions to Android: Android Auto and Android Wear for vehicles and smart wearables.

Compatible products include Sony's own SmartWatch 3 and SmartBand 2 fitness tracker. You can even connect seamlessly to the Google Chromecast streaming stick.

Security

Connect the Z5 Premium to a main computer and you will be prompted to install the Xperia companion software.

Once connected, you can configure this to locate your phone, make it ring, display a message or even factory wipe it as long as it remains turned on.

Best of all you can completely lock down the phone, so if it is stolen it is impossible to unlock, wipe or retrieve information from it without access to your personal credentials.

For some final security, make use of the new fingerprint sensor, built into the redesigned power button on the phone's right side. With this, no-one other than you or trusted others can unlock your phone.

Core Specifications

The Z range from Sony always delivers the most powerful specification available with current technology.

The Z5 Premium continues in this, albeit with a larger form factor and supreme screen resolution.

Those after something a little smaller, yet still high definition may be interested in the standard Z5. If you're after savings both in size and cost, take a look at the slim and svelte Z5 Compact.

Raw processing power is handled by Qualcomm's current Snapdragon 810 and a very generous helping of 3GB RAM.

The duo makes an excellent experience for power users, allowing for heavy multitasking as well as powerful 3D graphics for games and editing.

As with any top of the range smartphone, you can expect a full range of connectivity options from dual-band Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct Miracast streaming and content sharing, assisted GPS with GLONASS and Beidou support, Bluetooth 4.1, MHL for HDMI output and NFC for one-touchpairing and payments.