James Bond will carry around an Xperia Z5 in Spectre

By David Curry Published September 14, 2015

James Bond is prime marketing material for companies that want to add a bit of suave to their products, with the British secret agent’s suit, beer, car, watch, and mobile all up for grabs.

Sony has been the loyal provider of the mobile device for a few films now, but a recent ruckus caused by Daniel Craig, who plays James Bond, pointed to a change in provider. Craig said that Sony’s Xperia Z3+ was not “cool enough” for Bond, even though he was offered $5 million to promote it.

Recommended Videos

The Xperia Z5 seems to have won him over, or perhaps it was the additional money Sony funded into Spectre, the latest James Bond film coming to cinemas on October 26.

In the build up to the movie’s release, Sony plans to upload a few short films with characters from the Spectre series. The short film series starts with Moneypenny — played by actress Naomie Harris — in an action scene that has the Xperia Z5 and RX100 IV camera involved.

Sony later confirmed the short film was on the F65 4K cinema camera, using RX100 IV for slow motion capture. The short film was directed by Danny Kleinman, who has been involved in the design of James Bond sequences.

The short film series probably won’t involve the Xperia Z5 taking a dip in the water however, with reports Sony has ditched the waterproof functionality on the new smartphone.

The deal struck between Sony and Eon Productions has not been made public, but we expect Sony upped the price to keep its place as the gadgeteer for James Bond. Samsung was reportedly also in the running, offering $50 million to outfit James Bond with the Galaxy S6 and potentially the Gear S2 smartwatch.

Since a large part of the production for James Bond is paid for by advertisers, it makes sense that Eon Productions would be interested in finding the best deal on the gadget front. James Bond has never been the best at adapting to new technologies, but Q always has some new wacky technology to test out in the field.

Vodafone UK is also celebrating Spectre with a ‘Bond Edition’ of the Xperia Z5. It will include a Spectre theme, wallpaper and behind the scenes blog from Miss Moneypenny, although we aren’t sure if it will be in character or Naomie Harris talking about life on the set.

Former Contributor

David has been writing about technology for several years, following the latest trends and covering the largest events. He is…

Topics

Phones

Apple has a stacked product lineup slated for later this year

Electronics, Phone, Mobile Phone

Apple has spent much of the past year playing catch-up in the AI conversation, but if a new report is accurate, the company is preparing to remind everyone that it still knows how to ship hardware. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has an unusually ambitious product roadmap stretching across late 2026 and 2027. While annual iPhone refreshes are nothing new, the list of devices in development reads like a company trying to reinvent multiple product categories at once. And honestly? It’s about time.

For years, Apple’s launches have largely followed a predictable formula: faster chips, slightly better cameras, and incremental refinements to products that already dominate their respective categories. That’s not necessarily a criticism — those products continue to sell incredibly well — but it hasn’t exactly been an exciting era for people hoping to see Apple take bigger swings.

Phones

iOS 27’s Liquid Glass slider looks simple, but it’s more useful than I expected

Text, Document, Business Card

Let's be honest: few iOS design changes have sparked as much debate as Liquid Glass. When Apple first introduced it with iOS 26, the internet immediately split into two camps. Some people loved the fresh, translucent look, while others couldn't stand it and felt it made parts of the interface harder to read. I happened to be firmly in the first camp. At the time, I was using an iPhone 14 Pro Max, and installing the update was one of the first things I did. I loved how the new design made iOS feel more modern and dynamic. The transparency effects gave the interface a sense of depth, making the entire experience feel fresh again.

That said, it's easy to understand why not everyone felt the same way. After months of feedback, screenshots, hot takes, and endless debates online, Apple eventually responded by giving users more control. Instead of forcing everyone into the same look, it introduced options that let people choose between a clearer glass effect and a more tinted appearance. With iOS 27, Apple is putting the Liquid Glass debate completely in your hands. A new slider lets you customize the effect exactly the way you want it, whether you prefer a crystal-clear look or something easier on the eyes. Here's what it does and how to make the most of it on your iPhone.

Phones

Apple users are being targeted by a familiar tech support scam

Apple users face a new wave of fake iPhone and iCloud security warnings

iPhone user

AI has made online scams harder to spot by making deepfakes, voice cloning, and fake messages more realistic. Even so, the old tech support scam is still catching victims. For years, fraudsters often posed as Microsoft support workers. Now, reports suggest many are shifting their attention to Apple users.

Consumers are reporting a rise in fake “Apple High Alert” messages that claim an iPhone, iCloud account, or Apple ID has been compromised. These messages are designed to make people panic and react quickly before they can stop to check whether the warning is real.