Sony Xperia 5 pre-orders start in Europe (€800) and the US ($800)

The Sony Xperia 5 is a rare example of a (relatively) compact flagship and it’s priced according to its ambitions, not its size. It’s scheduled to ship in early October in Europe and a month later in the US.

Sony’s official online store in France is asking €800 for the phone. The first units will ship on November 2. There’s a big pre-order bonus too - a free pair of WF-1000XM3 truly wireless noise-canceling earbuds worth €250. The catch is that only the first 125 to pre-order will get them, so

Sony Xperia 5 and WF-1000XMR • Xperia 5 color options

This same combo is available in Germany for €850. The Netherlands is getting just the phone (no earbuds) for €800. The phone is yet to show up in the Sony stores in other European countries.

B&H and Focus in the US have started taking pre-orders for the Xperia 5, even though it won’t ship until November 5 – nearly two months from now. The phone costs $800 and it comes alone, neither store will be giving away pricey headphones.

For comparison, the Xperia 1 costs about €950 in Sony's online stores in Europe (it's €50 more in some countries). It's available for less than that from various euro retailers. In the US, prices start at $900.