It is interesting to watch how the concept of a compact smartphone changes over time. The 5-inch iPhone 4 used to be big, but in the current lineup, the 5,8-inch iPhone Xs is considered small. And indeed, in 2019, the small iPhone really looks small - the average screen size is growing, there's no getting around it. In the case of Sony smartphones, the same rule applies: in the days of Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z1 Compact, the larger flagship had a 5-inch screen, the smaller one had 4,3 inches. And now has a display of 6,5 inches, and the newly announced Xperia 5 - 6,1 inches. And yes, this smartphone also looks quite compact.
Another trend that cannot but rejoice is that the technical differences between the large and small Sony flagships are becoming smaller over time. Xperia 5 is built on the same hardware base, has the same amount of memory (both RAM and permanent), and those small differences that are still there are the result of a reduced device size. And I think the Xperia 5 will sell even better than the Xperia 1.
| Sony Xperia 5 | Sony Xperia 1 | Sony Xperia 10 | |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855: eight cores (1 × Kryo 485 Gold, 2,84 GHz + 3 × Kryo 485 Gold, 2,42 GHz + 4 × Kryo 485 Silver, 1,8 GHz) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855: eight cores (1 × Kryo 485 Gold, 2,84 GHz + 3 × Kryo 485 Gold, 2,42 GHz + 4 × Kryo 485 Silver, 1,8 GHz) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 630: eight cores (8 × ARM Cortex-A53, 2,2 GHz) |
| Display | 6,1 inches, AMOLED, 2520 × 1080 pixels (21:9), 449 ppi, capacitive multi-touch | 6,5 inches, OLED, 3840 × 1644 dots (21:9), 643 ppi, capacitive multi-touch | 6 inches, IPS, 2520 × 1080 pixels, 457 ppi, capacitive multi-touch |
| RAM | 6 GB | 6 GB | 3 GB |
| Flash memory | 128 GB | 128 GB | 64 GB |
| SIM cards | Two nano-SIMs | Two nano-SIMs | Two nano-SIMs |
| Wireless modules | Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n/ac), NFC, Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n/ac), NFC, Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n/ac), NFC, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Main camera | Triple module, 12 + 12 + 12 MP, ƒ / 1,6 + ƒ / 2,4 + ƒ / 2,4, phase detection autofocus, LED flash, five-axis optical stabilization in the main and telemodules | Triple module, 12 + 12 + 12 MP, ƒ / 1,6 + ƒ / 2,4 + ƒ / 2,4, phase detection autofocus, LED flash, five-axis optical stabilization in the main and telemodules | Dual module, 13 MP, ƒ/2,0 + 5 MP, ƒ/2,4, hybrid autofocus, LED flash |
| Front-camera | 8 MP, fixed focus, 23mm ƒ/2,0 | 8 MP, fixed focus, 23mm ƒ/2,0 | 8 MP, fixed focus, 23mm ƒ/2,0 |
| Fingerprint scanner | Yes, on the side | Yes, on the side | Yes, on the side |
| Разъемы | USB Type-C | USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| Battery | 3140 mAh | 3330 mAh | 2870 mAh |
| Dimensions | 158 × 68 × 8,2 mm | 167 × 72 × 8,2 mm | 156 × 68 × 8,4 mm |
| Weight | 164 grams | 178 grams | 162 grams |
| DEF | IP65 / 68 | IP65 / 68 | No |
| Operating system | Android 9.0 Pie / Android 10 | Android 9.0 Pie | Android 9.0 Pie |
The 21:9 aspect ratio screen on the Xperia 1 seemed to me an exceptionally good solution. Such an extension of the case is essentially the only way to maintain the convenience of holding a smartphone in your hands with a growing diagonal. So, the Xperia 5 is even better in this regard - the body width of 68 mm makes it exceptionally comfortable to hold with one hand - the iPhone Xr, which has a comparable screen size, clearly loses.
The Xperia 5 also does not have any "cutouts", "bangs", "unibrows" and other things. True, you can see that, along with a 0,4-inch diagonal, the screen of the smaller flagship has lost a little in resolution. It would have been nice to have the same number of pixels as the Xperia 1 and a higher density, but Sony engineers thought differently. On both sides, the case is protected by sixth generation Gorilla Glass, and a thin metal frame runs along the perimeter to match the color of the case. By the way, about the color - Sony Xperia 5 will be available in black, gray, blue and red, and this range is slightly different from Xperia 1. We have not yet been shown a smartphone in a red case, but judging by the photos, the shade turned out to be extremely successful, very unobtrusive . The bad news is that only two colors will initially be launched in Russia - black and blue, and red, maybe, will be released separately for some holiday. For example, for the New Year. But this is not yet certain.
We haven't had a chance to fully test the Xperia 5 yet, but judging by the results of the Xperia 1, the display is well tuned and calibrated. Here we will also have the opportunity to switch between different display modes - with more honest color reproduction or more saturated colors. But it's definitely not worth drawing any conclusions about the screen without laboratory tests.
The block of three main cameras has shifted from the center closer to the edge of the body, and most likely this was necessary only in order to further emphasize the differences between the Xperia 1 and Xperia 5. The cameras themselves have not changed in any way. But before I remind you of what makes them so special, it's worth taking a short marketing break. The fact is that Sony each time emphasizes that, being a large and diversified company, it tries very hard to embody the achievements of all departments in smartphones. Like, people from Bravia were responsible for the display engine, people from Alpha were responsible for the camera, and guys from CineAlta were responsible for a separate application for shooting video. It all sounds very convincing every time, but do you remember how many years it took Sony for the cameras in its flagship smartphones to stop bewildering against all other competitors?
The triple main camera module is the best that Sony has created at the moment. I emphasize that in Xperia 5 we have exactly the same thing as in Xperia 1, which was already . Therefore, here I will only remind you of the main points. First, high-resolution matrices are a thing of the past, and in the present we have BSI-CMOS sensors with a resolution of 12 megapixels in all three cameras. Second, the two main cameras (26mm equivalent with ƒ/1,6 and 52mm equivalent with ƒ/2,4) have both autofocus and stabilization, and everything else; the ultra-wide-angle module (EGF 16 mm, ƒ/2,4) does without both. But it normal. And thirdly, in terms of shooting quality, this module is the best of everything that Sony has ever implemented in smartphones.
The most undesirable and most inevitable consequence of the smaller body size in the case of the Xperia 5 was a decrease in battery capacity. Although it seems to me that the sacrifice that had to be made turned out to be the minimum possible: it was 3330 mAh, it became 3140. I think that this will practically not affect the battery life, given the smaller diagonal and screen resolution. Let me remind you that the Xperia 1 worked for just over 11 hours in our test, so it is logical to expect similar results from a smaller flagship.
Unfortunately, Sony has yet to release an exact release date for the Xperia 5, nor a price. But I would suggest that sales will begin closer to mid-autumn, and the price will be slightly different from the Xperia 1 in the lower direction. Perhaps, by the way, the company will again give away its legendary headphones for pre-order, so stay tuned - we will definitely tell you about it.
Source: 3dnews.ru