Sony Xperia 5 review: Not so Compact

Small premium phones saw a mini-renaissance of sorts in 2019, but one OEM has been cramming flagship power into a reduced form factor for years.

Sony’s beloved Compact series skipped the Xperia XZ3 generation and when Sony semi-rebooted its smartphone brand with the Xperia 1 with no smaller counterpart, it looked like curtains for Compact fans.

Enter the Xperia 5 — a spiritual successor to the extended Xperia Compact family with almost all of the same features and specs we saw on Sony’s last marquee handset.

With the rumored Xperia 5 Plus on the way and a bunch of other great small phones already available to buy, is the Xperia 5 worth a look in 2020? Find out in our Xperia 5 review!

Sony Xperia 5 review: The big picture

Sony’s long overdue rebrand of its Xperia smartphone brand kicked off in earnest with the launch of the Xperia 1 and the mid-to-entry-level Xperia 10 and 10 Plus in 2018. Instead of a new premium phone, Sony took a detour at IFA 2019 with the reveal of the Xperia 5.

While it numerically sits in the middle ground between the Xperia 1 and 10 series, it’s essentially a shrunken version of the former with many of the same elite specs and features, but with a few tweaks to suit the reduced size.

Priced at $799, the Xperia 5 is competing with other modestly-sized flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S10e, Google Pixel 4, and iPhone 11. Unlike those phones though, the Xperia 5 sticks with Sony’s trend of pushing elongated, 21:9 “CinemaWide” aspect ratio displays, meaning it’s as lean as its pocket-friendly rivals, but actually a tiny bit taller than the Galaxy S10 Plus.

We got our hands on the phone just in time for its debut in Europe in early October. It launched in the US in November, 2019.

What’s in the box

• 18W Power Delivery USB-C charger
• USB-C to USB-C cable
• USB-C to 3.5mm adapter
• 3.5mm earphones

Unboxing a Sony phone has always been a relatively underwhelming affair and that’s still true of the Xperia 5.

The box itself feels cheap and aside from a pair of wired earphones, the only other accessories are an 18W USB-C Power Delivery plug, a fairly sturdy USB-C cable, and a 3.5mm headphone jack adapter (spoiler: this phone doesn’t have a headphone jack).

Design

• 158 x 68 x 8.2mm, 164g
• IP65/68
• Gorilla Glass 6
• USB-C

I could almost write “the Xperia 1 but smaller” and happily move on, but there are a few things we should address. Plus I’m a professional, honestly.

First up, let’s talk size. You might think that the most obvious comparison is its larger sibling, the Xperia 1. But it’s a little more interesting to pit the Xperia 5 against the Compact line’s swansong, the Xperia XZ2 Compact. The Xperia 5 is almost 4mm thinner, but a tiny bit wider, and a lot taller (23mm extra to be exact).

This puts the Xperia 5 in a bizarre situation where you’ve got a thin phone that’s incredibly easy to grip in the palm of your hand, but annoyingly lanky when you’re trying to summon forth the notification bar with the tip of your outstretched thumb.

Like the equally unwieldy Xperia 10, this is another small-yet-tall phone that you’re essentially forced to use two-handed a lot of the time. At that point the slender build actually becomes a hindrance. It’s nice to have a phone that doesn’t overburden your pockets, but unless they’re quite deep it’ll likely peek out of the top.

What you can’t complain about is the build quality. The polished, lightly curved metal frame is glossy, smooth, and a satisfying filling for the glass sandwich panels — made from Gorilla Glass 6 — on the front and back. We’re a long way away from the sharp square edges of past Xperia phones. Hallelujah.

Elsewhere, the design is almost identical to the Xperia 1. There’s an acceptably small forehead bezel, an even smaller chin, and razor-thin bars either side of the screen, but I’d personally take all of that over a punch hole or notch — your mileage may vary.

The only obvious change is the camera bump that’s migrated to the top left of the rear panel compared to the Xperia 1’s central module. I’m not sure why Sony opted to budge it over, but you’re far less likely to cover the lens with a supporting finger when taking a photo now.

Speaking of photography, there’s a dedicated, two-tier camera button on the bottom right side of the Xperia 5 and it works like a charm. It’s also a handy way to quickly access the camera from the lock screen, though it did take a few shots of the inside of my pocket thanks to some accidental presses.

Above the camera button sits the power button followed by a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and finally a volume rocker. That’s a lot of buttons. In fact, it’s too many.

The power key is a fraction too low. I found myself dumped back to the lock screen several times after unwittingly pressing it with my purlicue (I had to look that up) when reaching for the top of the display.

The separate fingerprint sensor is to blame as it sits where you’d expect the power button to be on a normal phone. I’m not sure why Sony couldn’t double up the functionality into a single button/sensor like we saw on the HONOR 20 Pro. In-display scanners have also improved dramatically since the Xperia 1 launched, so it’s a shame to see Sony lag behind with a semi-premium phone.

This is made even worse by the fact that the Xperia 5’s fingerprint scanner is inexcusably terrible. Like the phone itself, it’s long and thin, which is nightmare for those with chunky thumbs. When the stars and moon align you might get a first time unlock, but far more often it takes three or four tries to find the elusive sweet spot.

Even worse, there’s zero haptic or on-screen feedback for unsuccessful unlock attempts unless you wake the phone first. I can’t tell you how infuriating it is to be blocked out after reaching the maximum number of unsuccessful attempts and having no idea that’s the case. This needs a patch ASAP, but as is the fingerprint scanner simply isn’t fit for purpose.

Display

• 6.1-inch OLED
• 2,520 by 1,080 pixels, 449ppi
• 21:9 CinemaWide aspect ratio
• HDR BT.2020

Things inevitably had to give transitioning from the Xperia 1 to the smaller, cheaper Xperia 5. One of those things was the former’s celebrated 4K display. But don’t worry, you really don’t need it.

Sony’s pedigree for delivering excellent displays shines through here. Even with the drop from 4K to 1080p, the Xperia 5 has pixels to spare and the OLED panel is suitably punchy.

It’s boosted by a smorgasbord of pompously-named proprietary Sony tech (“Triluminos,” “X-Reality,” “X1 for mobile”) and an optional Creator Mode, which reproduces the BT.2020 color gamut so you can experience the “creator’s intended vision” when watching compatible movies and TV shows.

Even with the reduced real estate, the Xperia 5 is a dream for movie lovers, especially if you’re watching 21:9-compatible Netflix content that takes advantage of the full CinemaWide display in gleaming HDR.

The same can’t be said for random YouTube clips, however, as the black bars of doom that plague all tall phones are an unavoidable menace.

Performance

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
• Adreno 640
• 6GB RAM
• 128GB storage

I encountered zero performance hiccups while using the Sony Xperia 5, which is exactly what you’d expect from a phone with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 chipset, complemented by a plentiful 6GB of RAM.

The Xperia 5 aced all our performance tests across the board. Notably, the phone hit 60fps on both GFXBench T-Rex and Manhattan tests across multiple tries.

Our overall performance testing score tied the Xperia 5 with the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, ASUS Zenfone 6, and the newly released HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro. While it couldn’t challenge the top performers running the Snapdragon 855 Plus, it still managed to narrowly beat the Xperia 1 which suggests Sony has managed to eke a little more power out of the regular 855 SoC.

Gaming is also a breeze even if you avoid the pre-installed Game Enhancer app completely. The Xperia 5 also comes with 128GB of internal ROM and an optional microSD slot (up to 1TB), so storage isn’t an issue either if you’ve got a bunch of hefty 3D games.

Battery

• 3,140mAh Lithium-ion
• Xperia Adaptive Charging
• Stamina and Ultra Stamina mode
• USB Power Delivery

Aside from the display, the battery is the only other core aspect of the Xperia 5 that’s been downgraded from the Xperia 1. Though, again, it’s less of an issue then you might expect.

The Xperia 5 has a fairly unremarkable 3,140mAh battery. Compared to other small flagships, however, it’s essentially on par with the Galaxy S10e, is only a minor drop for the Xperia 1’s surprisingly small 3,330mAh cell, and is still far larger than the Google Pixel 4‘s measly 2,800mAh cell. It also doesn’t have to factor in the significant power drain from the Xperia 1’s 4K display.

As a result, the Xperia 5 can go a lot longer and harder. I typically managed around 7 hours screen on time with relatively heavy usage (an hour or so of Twitch/YouTube, half an hour of gaming, capturing photos and video, in addition to general use). There’s also an abundance of power saving options including Stamina Mode and Ultra Stamina Mode which provides more juice at the cost of disabling various functions.

Related: The best Android smartphones with the best battery life

The lack of wireless charging is a bit of a head scratcher for a phone in this price range, but the 18W Power Delivery wired charging does a great job topping up your charge in a pinch. It takes around two hours to reach full charge, though the first 50% takes just half an hour.

While it doesn’t have the highest endurance levels, the Xperia 5’s battery performance is a welcome improvement over Sony’s recent efforts.

Camera

Sony has a storied history as a photography and imaging giant, including in the mobile space, but its own smartphones have always flattered to deceive.

If you’ve read our Xperia 1 camera review you’ll know we were ultimately disappointed by the triple-lens camera’s overall performance. The Xperia 5 carries an identical hardware setup and the results are just as underwhelming.

The problems start with the camera app itself. Sony has mercifully stripped back some of its shooting modes that bloated the app in previous iterations, but in doing so it’s managed to obfuscate crucial toggles and options. This includes the bokeh mode, which for some reason is identified as two overlapping circles in the top bar.

For reasons that I can’t possibly understand, Sony has apparently made it impossible to turn off the AI Cam feature which adapts contrast, white balance, and other settings based on object and scene recognition.

The only way to be rid of it is switching to Pro mode, which is also the only place you can control HDR (either on or off, no auto). Likewise, the phone’s night mode is purely contextual and often fails to trigger in dark environments, which is a shame as those times it does activate it actually delivers acceptable low light shots.

This would almost all be forgivable if the AI Cam wasn’t so wildly inconsistent. Color reproduction trends towards a more realistic look (though the white balance is a little yellow) and close-up shots are detailed, but the dynamic range is all over the place at further distances.

There’s also something way off with focus detection. This is especially true for landscape shots or any scene with varied distances between objects as the camera struggles to balance focus between the foreground and background. This leads to the processing software oversharpening background detail like trees and other foliage to compensate, but there are also instances where the foreground descends into mush.

Despite still suffering from wonky focus, things pick up a little with the telephoto lens which captures detailed shots at 2x optical zoom. I’m less taken with the wide-angle camera as the decision to go wider than the competition with a huge 137-degree FOV adds an unpleasant fish eye-like curvature to images.

Portrait mode has a few hiccups with edge detection, but is mostly serviceable. Meanwhile, the selfie camera performs well, though it occasionally stumbles indoors where it sometimes misjudges colors, including skin tones.

On the video front, the Xperia 5 can capture 4K in 30fps or 1080p at up to 60fps. The results are mostly fine, though the stabilization is so-so. If you want even more video capture options Sony has a CineAlta-branded app called Cinema Pro where you can adjust shutter speed, ISO, focus, and tweak the color profile.

Considering Sony’s camera sensors are the foundation of some of the best camera phones on the market right now, it’s frankly bewildering that the best Xperia phones have such mediocre cameras from top to bottom.

You can judge the results for yourselves by checking out full-resolution sample photos here.

Software

• Android 9 Pie

Sony’s take on Android is one of the lighter OEM skins out there. The fonts, colors, icons, and app drawer all have a bit of Sony flavor, but everything else is fairly close to stock Android.

The Xperia 5 runs Android 9 Pie out of the box, but as of December 5 can be updated to Android 10. In recent years, Sony has been one of the better OEMs for rolling out core Android updates, so it’s great to see it continuing that trend here.

When we reviewing the Xperia 5 it was saddled with Pie’s divisive “pill” gestures, or an option to revert back to three-button navigation bar of old. Now, there’s the option for Android 10’s iOS-esque gestures, though even those aren’t perfect.

Side Sense gives you another input method by double-tapping or swiping along the phone’s frame. The effect changes depending on the app you’re using. Unfortunately, it always takes several attempts to find the sweet spot along the phone’s edge. The whole gimmick is quite unreliable, especially the swipe motion which almost always saw me swiping the screen instead.

Sony has taken full advantage of the CinemaWide display when adapting its software and apps. Multitasking benefits greatly from the increased vertical space, as does simply scrolling through Chrome or Twitter as you’ll generally need fewer swipes to get to the content you want to see. There’s also a useful one handed mode that gives your tired thumbs some respite from the elongated screen.

The downside is that there are millions of apps on the Play Store that aren’t optimized for the 21:9 aspect ratio. You can’t escape black bars on the Xperia 5 for very long no matter what you’re doing.

Read more: The many flavors of Android: a look at the major Android skins

Speaking of apps, the Xperia 5 I tested came pre-loaded with a bunch of Sony apps, most of which are serviceable if you really don’t like Google apps, as well as some bloatware like Booking.com, Asphalt 9, and Fortnite Installer. Facebook, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video also came pre-installed.

Aside from the aforementioned Cinema Pro app, the only other Sony app worth touching on is Game Enhancer which is an undercooked game launcher with an irritating floating logo and some huge banner ads for Fortnite and Asphalt 9 at the top.

Overall, the Xperia experience is perfectly functional, but a little unremarkable. It sits in an awkward middle ground that isn’t as clinical and pure as stock Android or as customizable and versatile as the best Android skins like OxygenOS and One UI.

Audio

• Bluetooth 5 with aptX HD
• Dolby Atmos
• Stereo speakers
• LDAC

So if Sony can’t deliver on its imaging prowess on a smartphone, can it at least preserve its heritage as an audio pioneer? Well, yes, unless you want a headphone jack.

The loss of the port will sting for audiophiles and that hurt may rapidly switch to anger when you notice that the Xperia 5 comes with a pair of (cheap feeling, but alright for a freebie) earphones in the box with a 3.5mm connector. You have to use the bundled USB-C adapter to use them.

That utter ridiculousness aside, the Xperia 5 sounds pretty great either via the stereo speakers or rigged up to a pair of decent cans. Bluetooth connections benefit from aptX HD and if you want to go even deeper there’s a DSEE HX upscaler and Dolby Atmos. Between the two you’ve got a raft of EQ sliders and profiles to play around with for music and movies.

One of Sony’s more bizarre innovations is dynamic vibration which is meant to align the phone’s vibration motor with whatever you’re watching or listening to. The haptics are decent, but at higher volumes the timing is a bit questionable. I turned it off pretty quickly.

Specs

Value for the money

• Sony Xperia 5 with 6GB of RAM, 128GB storage: $799 (U.S.), £699 (U.K.)

Small premium phones had been teetering on the brink of extinction until a few notable exceptions hit the market in 2019. There’s still not a huge amount of choice, but what there is represents strong competition for Sony’s not-so-compact phone.

With the underwhelming camera and the quirky, yet impractical tall design in mind, the Xperia 5’s $799 price tag takes it well out of the “no-brainer” category. There are huge caveats that come with recommending this phone and I’d implore potential buyers to give it a try before dropping your dollars.

Related: Best small Android phones

The most high profile rival is the Samsung Galaxy S10e which starts at $749 and has recently dropped to as low as $549 in sales via US carriers. The biggest trade-off is the lack of a zoom lens, but if that’s not a priority the S10e represents a better all-round package.

The Google Pixel 4 is another obvious rival which also retails for $799, though it’s equally hard to wholly recommend the smaller member of the Pixel 4 family due to its woeful battery life and low storage options. If you can live with those, though, the dual-camera is out of this world.

The Google Pixel 3 can often be picked up for less than $500 these days, or you can go even cheaper with the Pixel 3a. Both phones aren’t even close to beating the Xperia 5 on performance, but again, if photography is important to you Google’s phones blow Sony’s efforts out of the water.

If you can stomach the thought of jumping over to the dark side, there’s also the iPhone 11. It’s not Android, of course, but from what we’ve seen so far Apple’s latest is a least worth a look.

That’s just the small phones too. Go a little larger (well, thicker, the Xperia 5 is already tall enough) and you’ve got the OnePlus 7T (and OnePlus 7 Pro), ASUS Zenfone 6, Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro, HONOR 20 Pro, and other affordable flagships that are available in the Xperia 5’s launch regions that cost less (in some cases dramatically so) than the Xperia 5’s asking price.

Moving into 2020, there have been several sales that have put the Xperia 5 into a more reasonable price bracket. At ~$699 the Xperia 5 becomes a lot more palatable, but unfortunately, it’s too little too late. With the Samsung Galaxy S20e and the Pixel 4a on the horizon, the competition is about to get even fiercer.

There’s also Sony’s own plans to consider. The rumored Xperia 5 Plus is expected to debut at MWC 2020, with a larger display (still 21:9, unfortunately), a faster processor, and a headphone jack. It’ll no doubt be more expensive than the Xperia 5 on sale, but still, those are some major and welcome upgrades.

Sony Xperia 5 review: The verdict

The Xperia 1 was an admirable attempt from Sony to get itself out of a creative rut. That same ambition lives on in the Xperia 5 which nobly takes a stab at picking up the torch of the now-defunct Compact line while retaining the power and style of Sony’s retooled flagship series.

The result is an identity crisis that the Xperia 5 has a hard time reconciling. It’s not small enough to be a truly compact phone and, while unique, tall smartphone displays just aren’t practical for day-to-day use both in terms of ergonomics and functionality.

For a phone that still costs more than some of the best affordable flagships, the Xperia 5 has too many pain points — the lackluster camera, awful fingerprint scanner, bland software, awkward design — to fully recommend it to anyone but die-hard movie lovers with limited pocket/bag space who want to watch supported movies in 21:9 on the go.

If Sony can improve on the strong fundamentals — display quality, stellar audio, smooth performance — and find a way to work in its imaging expertise then the only way is up. Just take a little off the top along the way, please.

Sony Xperia 5 in the news

• Sony Xperia 2: What we want to see from Sony’s next flagship
• Sony sends invites for MWC event, likely launching Xperia 5 Plus, new flagship
• Sony Xperia 5 Plus renders shows a ToF sensor and more
• Sony finally reveals which Xperia phones will get Android 10
• Sony Xperia 8 announced: Is it just a one-trick pony?
• You no longer need a Sony Xperia phone for PS4 Remote Play
• Sony Xperia 5 pre-orders now open in US and Europe
• Sony Xperia 5 announced: A smaller Xperia 1, but what else?

That’s it for our Sony Xperia 5 review! Let us know your thoughts on the Compact successor in the comments.