Sony Xperia 5 Review: Pocket Companion For Those On The Move
February 22, 2020Performance: Snapdragon 855, 6GB RAM
Display: 6.1-inch OLED (1080 x 2520)
Storage: 128GB
Battery: 3140mAh (Fast Charging)\
Camera: 12MP (wide, ultra-wide, telephoto)
Rating: 7/10
It’s a niche within a niche. This is the most fitting term to describe the Xperia 5. An astounding device from Sony that, will sadly go unnoticed. When only taken at face value, this phone looks and feels dated. Like its bigger brother the Xperia 1, its top and bottom bezels, though relatively thin, are quite noticeable.
But I’d take it over a hideous notch or massive punch hole any day of the week. The screen has a nice symmetrical look, devoid of a gaping notch or intrusive hole punch. And if you’re a little OCD like me, then the Xperia 5 will appeal to you.
The Look
The phone is constructed quite well and feels as premium as Sony’s flagship smartphone. And because of its narrow dimensions, the 5 feels comfortable to hold one-handed. The 6.1-inch FHD display is calibrated well and produces vibrant colours. But, due to its odd aspect ratio, its better suited to web-browsing and sifting through social media feeds rather than actual media consumption.
When placed side by side with contemporary devices of its ilk, the Xperia 5 looks like it’s from a different era. A device that has already outlived its glory days. Most mid-range phones, already sport an almost ‘edge-to-edge’ display with a circular cutout to accommodate the front camera.
And if you prescribe to this type of reasoning when gauging a smartphone’s worth, then the Xperia 5 isn’t meant for you. In fact, it isn’t meant for the majority of the population. Sony has tailored it to suit a small niche of the market. A group of people who appreciate a powerhouse of a phone that fits snugly in just about any pocket.
Holding the Xperia 5, brings back fond memories of a similarly polarizing phone Sony released more than 6 years ago – the Z1 Compact. It had near-flagship hardware, crammed into a miniature body. Most consumers considered it a daft move by Sony, because to many of them, bigger always meant better.
But, to a budding engineer in khakis, who had to crouch awkwardly while tending to repairs and meander past complicated machinery, it was a godsend. It was small enough that it didn’t shoot out of my pocket due to the slightest body movement, yet was powerful (great camera) enough to assist me with my daily tasks. Those were dark times, but Sony’s pocket-wonder, helped me get through them.
The Performance
Those same advantages apply to the Xperia 5 as well. which to me is a direct descendant of the Z1 Compact. It will appeal to those in my former situation, who consider such a device a necessity, a device that can accommodate their lifestyle. And that, in a nutshell, is its target audience. And to these people, its compactness, as well as the Snapdragon 855 and 6GB of RAM tick all the right boxes.
The performance is blisteringly quick, apps open and quit almost instantly. Demanding gaming titles take a short amount of time to load, and run almost effortlessly. But, doing so will drain the battery very quickly. Despite having less RAM than the Xperia 1, the 5, doesn’t feel like its lacking much in the performance department. The camera however, is a different story.
The Camera
Sony’s 12MP cameras are good but not great. The depth of the details are decent at a distance but close up shots, do seem a little muddled. In low light conditions, picture quality is about average, so you may need to adjust the settings to get the most out of the sensor.
That said, the stabilization and zoom functionality allow you to take good shots from a great distance and with minimal camera ‘shake’. I wish that it had the Xperia 1’s camera, the level of detail that that phone can capture, is nothing short of exemplary.
Should I Buy it?
It’s expensive, there’s no way of getting around that fact. So, if you are looking for a cutting edge device, this isn’t meant for you. However, it will appeal to those who need a slender phone, with near-flagship specs and the coveted bloat free version of Android. It’s basically a slightly watered down version of its bigger brother – which adds to the appeal.
