Sony Xperia 5 V features some nice upgrades, including a new main camera, a new chipset, and an improved pair of speakers, just like its bigger brother. While the Xperia 1 is Sony’s top-of-the-line camera phone, the Xperia 5 Mark V also boasts the same cutting-edge main camera. It uses the new IMX 888 sensor, which has an innovative stack design that enhances light-gathering capabilities and reduces noise. However, unlike the Xperia 1 or last year’s Xperia 5, the Sony Xperia 5 V doesn’t have a telephoto cam, which we’ll explore more in the camera section.

The Xperia 5 V is a smaller and more affordable version of Sony’s flagship camera-centric smartphone, the Xperia 1 Mark V. In this review, we’ll explore whether the Sony Xperia 5 V is the right choice for photography enthusiasts.

Design and Ergonomics

Compared to the Xperia 1, the Xperia 5 Mark V is more compact, and this is noticeable both in hand and on the front. The phone has a full HD display instead of the 4K1 on the Xperia One. The phone’s design is similar to that of the Xperia 1, but there are some differences. Sony Xperia 5 V is a squared-off black rectangle, tall and narrow, as we’ve come to expect from Sony.

One new feature this year is the Gorilla Glass fixed at 2 on the back, with a smooth matte texture that’s different from the rough, grippy one on the Xperia One. Similarly, rather than having a ribbed texture on the aluminum frame, the Xperia 5S is smooth, just like on the Xperia One Mark V.

The phone has a mic on the backside in the camera bump, which picks up the voices of your subjects even better when recording video. As with previous Xperia phones, you get a dedicated two-step shutter button for the cameras, and you also get solid ingress protection, rated at IP65/IP68.

Display and Audio

Sony Xperia 5 V has a 1080p OLED display that measures 6.1 inches, with a tall 21×9 aspect ratio and a 120Hz refresh rate. Although it doesn’t offer the same definition as a 4K display at 449 PPI, the display is still very sharp. The contrast is excellent, and it supports 10-bit color and HDR10 video, but not Dolby Vision.

The phone provides you with many color options, and you can achieve great color accuracy in the settings. The display is quite bright, although the maximum brightness depends on your color and white balance settings. The most we achieved is around 650 nits with the manual slider, and it boosts to nearly 910 nits in auto-brightness mode in bright light.

High Refresh Rate and Storage

Similar to previous Sony phones, the Xperia 5 V offers only one option for high-refresh-rate, which can be enabled or disabled. Once enabled, the display will switch to a 120Hz refresh rate, even when idle, except for frame rate-specific content and apps. The phone comes with 128GB of internal storage, which can be expanded using MicroSD, a rare feature for flagship phones. Another unique feature of the Xperia 5 Mark V is its 3.5-millimeter headphone jack.

Additionally, the phone features a pair of front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support, equipped with a new amplifier that provides higher driving voltage, resulting in good loudness and rich sound quality. You can listen for yourself with the provided link.

Sony Xperia 5 V has a side-mounted fingerprint reader integrated into the power button, which is quick and accurate. The phone’s interface bears a striking resemblance to stock Android 13 and has a similar layout. However, it has several custom features, such as Side Sense, a handle on the side of the phone that opens a menu of shortcuts to apps and features, most of which are customizable. Another feature is the Multi-window switch, which is essentially two task switchers stacked on top of each other, intended for navigating and opening apps in split-screen mode.

Video Editing and Connectivity

The brand-new Video Creator app allows for basic video editing directly on the phone. It even includes an auto-editing feature where selecting the media in up to 4K resolution automatically stitches the clips together. While the app is primarily tailored for vertical videos, it also works with landscape videos. Another app lets you connect the phone as a monitor for a Sony Alpha camera, and there’s a paid service called Music Pro that enables you to record singing and instruments and upload them to the cloud for professional-level processing.

Gaming and Camera Apps

Sony Xperia 5 V performs excellently in benchmarks, as you’d expect from a flagship phone. It has enough power for multitasking and gaming, but its thermal management is subpar – it displayed heavy thermal throttle during our prolonged stress test. However, Sony claims that the new chipset’s better efficiency and the 40% larger heatsink mean users will no longer experience overheating, unlike on past phones.

Like the Xperia 1, the Xperia 5 features a game enhancer accessible both within a menu and as an in-game overlay. The UI has been updated for the Xperia 5. The phone comes with three separate camera apps: Photo Pro, Video Pro, and Cinema Pro. While not new, these apps offer a few new features this year. If you want to learn more about these apps and their features, keep reading.

New Camera Features and Performance

In addition to what was seen in the Xperia 1, Sony Xperia 5 V introduces a couple of new camera features. In the default Photo Pro app, you can now access all frame rate options, including 120 FPS slow-mo, when recording videos. Another new feature is support for electronic stabilization when recording wide dynamic range videos. The Xperia 5 Mark V features the latest flagship chipset, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 gen 2. It’s both more powerful and more power-efficient than the Snapdragon HN1 and last year’s model, and it comes with LPDDR5X RAM.

Sony Xperia 5 V has two cameras on the back: a new 48-megapixel main camera and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera. Sony got rid of the telephoto camera, but the new Quad Bayer main sensor provides two times lossless zoom to make up for it. The main camera’s default 12-megapixel photos are excellent, with accurate colors, contrast, and dynamic range, and abundant detail that looks natural. The bokeh mode and portraits are impressive, with the subject well-exposed and detailed, and the background nicely blurred.

Low-Light Photography and Zoom Quality

Although there’s no telephoto camera, the two times lossless digital zoom is great, with high levels of detail and sharpness, and no artifacts. Sony’s low-light photography has been improved with the cutting-edge sensor and newly developed Night View mode. The nighttime photos are superb, with outstanding color saturation, low noise, and a nicely wide dynamic range. However, the Night View mode can’t be controlled and only kicks in if the phone decides the scene is dark enough – and even then, it takes a few extra seconds to process the photo.

Without Night View, one could argue that the darker look is more natural. The photos taken at night with two-times zoom are of high quality. Realistic colors and well-controlled highlights are visible without the night View mode. The night view introduces a bit of noise, but you get a brighter exposure. They are bright and detailed with low noise, good dynamic range, and excellent color saturation. Although they may not be on par with the non-zoomed photos in terms of per-pixel quality, this is not unexpected.

Video Quality and Stabilization

Additionally, the footage is more detailed and sharper. The wide dynamic range mode also supports electronic stabilization, and Steady Shot stabilization is available for all cameras at the high-quality setting. It does an excellent job of smoothing things out without affecting the video quality. At night, the 4K videos from the main camera are good, with realistic exposure and enough detail. The colors and contrast look nice, but the dynamic range could be better.

The 4K video quality of the main camera is good with lively colors, wide dynamic range, and good contrast. The natural look of the video is praiseworthy, but the quality of fine details is slightly subpar. There is also a wide dynamic range mode for video recording that provides more pleasant colors, higher contrast, and better-controlled highlights.

Ultra-Wide Camera Performance and Selfies

Moving on to the ultra-wide camera, it is one of the best. The photos are detailed with natural rendition, spot-on sharpness, and low noise. The colors are true to life, and the dynamic range is wide. The ultra-wide camera also captures excellent photos at night with well-exposed, detailed, and sharp shots with impressively low noise.

The ultra-wide camera’s 4K video quality is similar to the main camera, but with a much wider field of view. The wide dynamic range mode offers excellent detail and sharpness, more contrast, and better processing. Selfies from the 12-megapixel front-facing camera are also very good with good contrast, accurate colors, and natural rendition.

Battery Performance

Like the Xperia 1, Sony Xperia 5 V is powered by a 5,000mAh battery. It performed very well in our battery life tests, with an endurance rating of 130 hours. Although it charges at a maximum of 30 watts, it supports wireless charging. Charging time is not too impressive, and it’s even slower if the phone is slightly warm. Unfortunately, there is no charger or cable included in the box.

Final Thought

Overall, the Sony Xperia 5 V is a great package with a waterproof build, an excellent display and speakers, excellent battery life, a powerful chipset, and killer cameras. It is not a cheap phone, and this year, they have trimmed the zoom camera to avoid eating into the sales of its bigger brother. Some of the features here, like the multiple camera apps, are definitely for a niche audience. Nonetheless, Sony fans and people looking for a cutting-edge compact flagship should be pretty happy with the Sony Xperia 5 V. If you’re looking for alternatives, Samsung’s Galaxy S23 or Asus Zenfone 10 are worth considering.

FAqs

1. What are the key features and specifications of the Sony Xperia 5 V?

The Sony Xperia 5 V, also commonly known as the Xperia 5 IV, is a flagship phone packed with advanced features. One of its primary specifications is its Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset which powers the phone to perform at optimal levels. This smartphone is also 5G enabled, supporting high-speed internet and data transfer. The Xperia 5 V is furnished with an OLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz for smoother visuals. It leverages a robust main camera system which combines three 12MP sensors and delivers a zoom feature. Moreover, it has 8GB of RAM for smooth multitasking and 128GB of storage, expandable via the microSD card slot, for ample data storage.

2. What is the battery capacity, and does Sony Xperia 5 V support wireless charging?

The Sony Xperia 5 V has a decent battery life, powered by a 4000mAh battery. It also supports 30W fast charging capability that juices up the device quickly. However, wireless charging is not available in this smartphone, unlike the iPhone 14 Pro and some Samsung Galaxy models.

3. How does the camera of the Sony Xperia 5 V compare with the iPhone 14 and the Samsung Galaxy series?

The Xperia 5 V holds its ground when compared to the iPhone 15 and the Samsung Galaxy counterparts. The main Xperia 5 V camera system leverages three 12MP sensors for different focal lengths, and this versatile camera system definitely holds its own against its competitors. Features like shutter button, white balance, and bokeh effect heighten its camera performance. Despite not carrying as many megapixels as some competitors, the Xperia 5 V delivers photos with good dynamic range and detail.

4. How is the display quality of the Sony Xperia 5 V?

The display quality of the Sony Xperia 5 V is exceptional. It features a 6.1-inch OLED screen with a Full HD+ resolution and HDR support, providing vibrant colors, deep blacks, and excellent viewing angles. The display also offers a high refresh rate of 120Hz, making for smooth scrolling and gameplay. Overall, the Xperia 5 Mark V’s display is one of its strongest features, providing a visually stunning experience. So, if you’re someone who values a high-quality display on their smartphone, the Xperia 5 Mark V is definitely worth considering.