Sony Xperia 5 V review

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Introduction

Compact. Creative. Powerful. That is how Sony advertises the Xperia 5 V. And it most definitely looks like it will live up to those expectations. The new Xperia 5 V is more compact than the Xperia 1 V but borrows almost everything from that flagship except for the 4K display resolution and the zoom camera.

Indeed, the Xperia 5 usually represents a toned-down version of the Xperia 1 with a more mainstream display and cameras, and this year it's no different. The one thing that distinguishes the Xperia 5 from other Xperia and non-Sony phones is the more compact form factor. In fact, the Xperia 5 is traditionally one of the most compact Android flagships on the market at the time of its release.

The tall but compact and lightweight Xperia 5 V is jam-packed with cutting-edge specs. It has two Gorilla Glass Victus 2 panels and a flat metal frame; there is a bright cutout-free 21:9 120Hz OLED screen and the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, of course.

Sony Xperia 5 V comes with improved front-facing stereo speakers, a trademark of sorts for Sony. There is also the presence of a 3.5mm jack, something that did not hurt its IP65/IP68 ingress protection. And there is a microSD card slot, too, a rarity among smartphones, let alone the top-tier ilk.

Sony truly cares about these almost extinct features, and we have to give them big credit for keeping them around. Plus, the distraction-free display is something you cannot find elsewhere nowadays.

Sony is known for its high-quality cameras, and the Xperia 5 V surely packs the latest tech. It borrows all its three cameras from the Xperia 1 V - the 48MP primary, the 12MP AF ultrawide and the 12MP selfie. There is no zoom camera this year, but Sony has implemented 2x lossless zoom on the main camera, which should make up for the shelved telephoto.

The Sony Xperia 5 V features an improved Portrait mode over the Xperia 1 V, an upgraded PhotoPro app with 4K at 60fps and 120fps modes, as well as slow-mo capabilities. There is also a new story-oriented Video Creator app for content creators and a redesigned Game Center.

And here is the complete specs sheet of the Sony Xperia 5 V.

Sony Xperia 5 V specs at a glance:

• Body: 154.0x68.0x8.6mm, 183g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame; IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min).
• Display: 6.1" OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10, 1080x2520px resolution, 21:9 aspect ratio, 449ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510); Adreno 740.
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM; UFS 3.1; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
• OS/Software: Android 13.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.9, 24mm, 1/1.35", 1.12µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS, 2x lossless zoom; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2, 16mm, 1/2.5", Dual Pixel PDAF.
• Front camera: 12 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/2.9", 1.25µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS; Front camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS.
• Battery: 5000mAh; 30W wired, PD3.0, PPS, 50% in 30 min (advertised), Wireless, Reverse wireless.
• Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 6e; BT 5.3, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive; NFC; 3.5mm jack.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); stereo speakers.

The Sony Xperia 5 V has it all figured out, at least on paper. Yes, there is no telephoto camera, but somehow, we have faith in Sony doing just fine with the 2x lossless zoom. Of course, we can't blame the users who need the real thing, and we can understand them being frustrated.

Okay, maybe it's time for Sony to make a more dynamic refresh rate, but maybe this will come with the Mark VI generation.

Finally, the Xperia 5 V represents a rather modest update over the Xperia 5 IV - it uses the latest Gorilla Glass for its panels, the next-generation Snapdragon chipset, and it ditches the 2.5x telephoto camera for an improved primary that can supposedly do high-quality 2x zoom. The latest is a controversial move, and we are yet to see how this will play out.

Unboxing the Sony Xperia 5 V

The Sony Xperia 5 V comes in a paper box made out of recycled paper. The retail bundle is so "eco-friendly" that you will find nothing else inside besides the phone itself.

There is not even a USB cable. Sony sells its own 30W XQZ-UC1 charger along with a cable, but that's often not the case with chargers by other brands.