When the Xperia XZ spec sheet dropped into our inbox back in September something unusual caught our eye. It seemed HQ had created an entirely new metal for this smartphone.
“The back is made from high purity ALKALEIDO™ metal” it read, “adding depth, shine and brightness to the finish.”
Suitably intrigued, we made it our mission to track down the creator of this rare material. Our search led us instead to Shinji Kanada, a Mechanical Team Group Leader based in Sony’s mechanics department in Tokyo.
What exactly is ALKALEIDO™?
It is an entirely new form of aluminium. The Xperia XZ was the first time it was used in a smartphone.
And are you pleased with the results?
Yes. Typically, after the anodizing process, you can still see slight lines from the material showing through on the surface. With ALKALEIDO™, this situation is much improved. This gives it a shiny, ‘shimmery’ look that we think is beautiful from every angle. It is really challenging to create glossy aluminium, especially a large part like the full back section of the Xperia XZ, and in high volumes.
What does it mean?
We were inspired by a kaleidoscope for the shiny, beautiful look we wanted to create.
Aluminium + Kaleidoscope = ALKALEIDO™
“The back is made from high purity ALKALEIDO™ metal” it read, “adding depth, shine and brightness to the finish.”
Suitably intrigued, we made it our mission to track down the creator of this rare material. Our search led us instead to Shinji Kanada, a Mechanical Team Group Leader based in Sony’s mechanics department in Tokyo.
What exactly is ALKALEIDO™?
It is an entirely new form of aluminium. The Xperia XZ was the first time it was used in a smartphone.
And are you pleased with the results?
Yes. Typically, after the anodizing process, you can still see slight lines from the material showing through on the surface. With ALKALEIDO™, this situation is much improved. This gives it a shiny, ‘shimmery’ look that we think is beautiful from every angle. It is really challenging to create glossy aluminium, especially a large part like the full back section of the Xperia XZ, and in high volumes.
What does it mean?
We were inspired by a kaleidoscope for the shiny, beautiful look we wanted to create.
Aluminium + Kaleidoscope = ALKALEIDO™
