The Sony Xperia 5 smartphone came to market in 2019. It is equipped with everything you need to appeal to the average consumer. Factory-wise, the device runs on Android 9.0 operating system.
Sony Xperia 5 Specifications
- Release date: 2019, September
- Colors: Blue, Red, Black, Grey
- Dimensions: 158 x 68 x 8.2 mm.
- Weight: 164 g.
- Screen: 6.1" in, 1080 x 2520, OLED
- Camera : Triple, 12MP
- Chipset: Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm)
- CPU: Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485)
- Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM
- Battery: 3140, Non-removable Li-Ion
- Network: GSM / HSPA / LTE
- Operating system: Android 9.0 (Pie)
- Sensors: Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass
If you are curious to find out all the details before reading the full review, visit the page for Sony Xperia 5 Specs, where you will find even the smallest detail about the phone.
Design
Sony has completely carried over the design of the Xperia 1 into the Xperia 5. The elongated display is a feature of all the company's new smartphones. In the next few years, the Japanese will develop the cinematic 21:9 format even in the mid-price segment.
Thus, the Xperia 5 has become narrow, but comfortable to hold. Its width is 68 mm. Almost like the small iPhone 8. This is the narrowest Android smartphone to date. However, its screen is satisfyingly large - 6.1 inches. On such a display it is not only pleasant to play and watch large-format movies, it is also convenient to scroll through the Twitter and Instagram feed.
Display
The Japanese company has done well in terms of the Xperia 5's display. The colour rendering has been calibrated by the experts at CineAlta. The colors are excellent, warm and calm, which is rare for OLED matrices.
If in the Sony Xperia 1 the resolution was 4K, here it is Full HD+. The difference between them is hard to detect. What makes an impression is the absence of enough brightness reserve. On a sunny day, the screen pales slightly. You'll have a hard time reading the text. Samsung, Huawei, Apple's flagship displays are noticeably brighter.
In height, the Xperia 5 can be compared with the cute Huawei P30 Pro (its screen has a diagonal of 6.47 inches). Its width is significantly smaller.
In terms of craftsmanship and materials, the Sony Xperia 5 impresses by embodying Japanese quality. At the base of the body we see a metal frame, and Gorilla Glass 6 protective glass on the front and back. Inside, the device is protected to IP65/68 standard. You can submerge the Xperia 5 to a depth of up to 1.5 metres for no more than half an hour.
This Sony model is available in four colours: black, silver, red and blue.
Fingerprint scanner
It is located on one side. This location is convenient but sometimes creates challenges. Sony has not provided support for facial recognition technology. If you prefer the fingerprint scanner as a way to protect your privacy, this won't be a problem.
Performance
The Sony Xperia 5, like the Xperia 1, runs on a Snapdragon 855 processor. The latter we can no longer define as the top, since the advanced Snapdragon 855 Plus came out in the summer. It's the one that underpins the iconic Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ and ASUS ROG Phone II. In terms of performance, the difference between the two processors is minimal, but here the competitors win in terms of marketing advantage.
In combination with the processor, the Xperia 5 has received 128 GB of internal storage. As if this memory is a lot, but for the standards of 2019 it is a rather satisfactory indicator. If by any chance you don't have enough memory, no problem. A microSD memory card slot of up to 512 GB is supported. The memory itself is UFS 2.1 type. For information - some competitors already offer UFS 3.0. With the latter, the read speed is twice as fast.
Xperia 5 has also received 6 GB of RAM. The result is that the device runs comfortably fast, there are no jams and unnecessary heating of the device.
A nice feature that Sony has included in the Xperia 5 is support for the PlayStation DualShock 4 controler. This means you can connect a controller to your smartphone without cables, giving you better control over the action in games. Xperia 5 is the perfect device for gamers!
Cameras
The Sony Xperia 5 has received three cameras from the Xperia 1. These are an ultra-wide angle module, a main module and a dual optical zoom. With all of them having 12 MP, the latter two cameras also feature optical stabilization. It can be said that this is a standard set for a flagship of 2019. The quality of the photos strongly depends on the underlying processing algorithms. The front camera has a resolution of 8 MP (f/2.0).
In the Xperia 5, the user gets cameras that can shoot better in darkness. There is virtually no noise. The detail is high. There is almost no "distortion" at the edges of the frames.
Auto HDR almost always works true. Focusing by eye (AF on eyes) works beautifully. It is obvious that the collaboration with Sony Alpha engineers has yielded results. Portraits always come into focus.
What is the quality of the photo processing? Comparable to those of competitors - Huawei P30, Samsung Galaxy S10.
Sound
Thanks to Dolby Atmos technology, the Xperia 5 immerses you in a powerful atmosphere. Whether you're a movie buff or a music lover, this device will be a real treat to indulge in your hobby.
Autonomous operation
The Sony Xperia 5, as we've already found out, is smaller than the Xperia 1. This goes some way to explaining why its battery has a smaller capacity. It is now 3140 mAh vs 3330 mAh in the predecessor. The battery stably serves for a full day. The charge lasts for 10 hours of continuous video playback at maximum screen brightness.
Wireless charging is not yet provided by Sony. There is only wired - with 18W, as with the iPhone 11 Pro. This is one of the metrics where the Japanese company needs to work on in its next models.
Conclusion
Those of you looking for compact Android smartphones will be happy with the Xperia 5 model. However, we're not convinced you won't be impressed by its specific form factor. There are plenty of other compact devices on the market that you'll also be able to handle successfully with one hand.
Undoubtedly, the Xperia 5 has many features of excellent quality that are rare in this class of devices. Its aspect ratio is 21:9, which may seem awkward for people with small hands. At the same time, it will be appreciated by other users - those who want to combine watching videos with parallel correspondence with friends. That's right, with Xperia 5 you can do both to the full.
Pros:
- Excellent ergonomics, can comfortably work with one hand;
- IP65/68 protection;
- Powerful stereo sound and excellent headphone audio;
- NFC module for contactless payment;
- High performance;
- State-of-the-art interface;
- Shooting at 960 frames per second in Full HD.
Cons:
- Wireless charging is not supported;
- Slightly slow fingerprint scanner;
- High Price;
- Front camera is not the best on the market.
Sony Xperia 5 video review
Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is based on our team's personal experience with the Sony Xperia 5 and third-party sources. While every effort has been made to provide accurate and reliable information, readers should keep in mind that this is a subjective assessment. The writing of this article was not paid for or sponsored by Sony.
