Troubled smartphone maker Sony Mobile added two new devices to its mid-tier line, which it said offer “advances in camera, design, battery and performance”.

The new devices – Xperia C5 Ultra (pictured) and Xperia M5 – unsurprisingly follow Xperia C4 and Xperia M4 Aqua in the vendor’s line. The smartphones are available in both single and dual-SIM versions, with availability “in selected countries across emerging markets” from the middle of this month.

Last week, Sony revealed it had seen a sharp slowdown in sales, as a result of a strategy “not to pursue scale in order to improve profitability”. It previously said it is looking at halving the number of device variants it will offer, with its non-flagship smartphones hardest hit.

Xperia C5 Ultra
Sony said that from its earlier C3 smartphone, it has “been the front-runner to address the digital native’s need with our PROselfie offering”. The vendor said that the new C5 Ultra device “incorporates an industry first twin 13-megapixel front and rear camera,” although HTC also has a similar device in its line in the shape of Desire Eye.

The device has a large, 6-inch full HD screen (up from 5.5-inches in the non-Ultra branded C4), with a “super-thin bezel for a near borderless display”.

It is powered by a 1.7GHz octacore processor, with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage (expandable via microSD card).

It will be available in three colour variants – black, white, and a “glossy soft mint”.

Xperia M5
Sony said that “following Xperia M4 Aqua’s success in raising the bar and defining the “super mid-range with its camera leadership”, its new device has “an even more impressive” 21.5MP rear camera, including the capability to capture 4K video.

It also has a 13MP front-facing camera, which also supports full-HD video recording.

Xperia M5 has a 5-inch full-HD display, and is waterproof and dust resistant.

It is powered by a 2.0GHz octacore processor from MediaTek, 3GB RAM and 16GB of storage (expandable via microSD card).