With the Xperia 5 V, Sony completes its current Xperia range. In the Xperia hierarchy, the smartphone sits directly behind the top model Xperia 1 V, which costs around $1,100. Therefore, the Xperia 1 V, officially priced at €999 (~$999), also offers high-end features that you wouldn’t necessarily expect due to its small form factor.
The Xperia 5 V takes an unusual path, thus striking a similar tone to its predecessor Xperia 5 IV: with a size of 6.1 inches and a slim 21:9 display format, our test unit presents itself as a compact smartphone and classy that is equipped with very powerful hardware. The high-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 comes with a long-lasting battery and a camera configuration aimed especially at photography enthusiasts.
Sony’s Xperia 5 V is a powerful camera phone for small hands: with a 48 MP dual camera, the slim 21:9 smartphone manages to replace three lenses. The small 6.1-inch Android 13 phone is also equipped with the lightning-fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and a 5000 mAh battery.
Dual camera with 3 focal lengths and sensor zoom
The number of lenses on the back has been reduced from 3 to 2, but there are still 3 focal lengths (16, 24 and 48 mm), which in principle might not fit. This apparent contradiction is resolved with the new main camera, which works with two different focal lengths, depending on the shooting situation.
Sony also used a triple camera for the Xperia 5 IV, consisting of a 12 MP main camera, an ultra-wide angle and a telephoto lens. In its successor, the Xperia 5 V, the ultra-wide-angle camera still has a resolution of 12 MP (Sony Exmor RS, 1/2.5″, f/2.2, 16 mm), but the telephoto lens. However, it has not been completely eliminated, sinc
The main camera of the Xperia 5 V uses the Sony Exmor T IMX 888 (1/1.35″, f/1.9, OIS), which is the same sensor used in the current Xperia flagship, the Sony Xperia 1 V Our test unit also does not use the full 52 MP, but only a section of it with a maximum of 48 MP to simulate a 48 MP telephoto lens .
When taking photos, the main camera uses a 24mm focal length and creates 12MP photos using 4x pixel binning. If you use the software with the standard 2x setting, the main camera switches to a focal length of 48 mm, thus simulating an optical zoom with almost no loss in quality. Digital magnification works in 0.1 increments up to a maximum of 6x.
We recorded our test shots in the automatic mode of the standard Photo Pro camera software , which offers extensive adjustment options. Continuous shooting is possible at a maximum of 30 frames per second, RAW format shooting is supported, and the camera can automatically focus and track the face or eyes of people and animals in portraits.
In our tests, the main camera offers very good image quality. In daylight, photos are nice and sharp and fine details are clearly visible, even in the darkest areas. The images are also distinguished by a pleasantly natural coloration that is not as strong as on many competing models, such as Samsung.
The software telephoto zoom is also impressive at small zoom levels, but quickly reaches its limits at more than 2x. The Xperia 5 V does a much better job than the Xperia 5 IV at night photos thanks to its larger main sensor.
The main camera records videos in convincing 4K quality at 120 frames per second. However, users who want to use software zoom have to lower the frame rate to 60 FPS. Sony provides two pre-installed applications for video editing:
Video Pro and Camera Pro
Aside from the main camera, the Xperia 5 V offers a solid standard range. Photos taken by the ultra-wide-angle camera are pleasant due to their neutral color rendering and show a lot of detail, but they are always slightly noisy, especially at the edges and corners, even in optimal lighting conditions. The 12 MP selfie camera takes good, sharp photos in daylight with an attractive bokeh effect and can record 4K videos at 60 frames per second.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the zoom level. A click on the enlarged image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Compared to the Xperia 5 IV, Sony has hardly changed anything in the design of its premium smartphone. The Xperia 5 V also makes use of an elongated case with a 21:9 aspect ratio and almost unchanged dimensions. The weight has increased from 171 to 182 grams.
Thanks to its slim construction, the Xperia 5 V fits well in the hand and offers a high-quality feel all around. Both the screen and the back are protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and are joined together by a metal frame. The surface of the matte back cover is smooth, but offers some resistance to fingers thanks to its light rubber coating.
The side edges, slightly thicker than other high-end devices, may not appeal to some. In return, the Xperia 5 V dispenses with a hole or notch for the selfie camera, which is discreetly integrated into the screen frame.
The microSD/SIM slot, equipped with a rubber gasket, can be opened without tools. Available in black , blue and silver for $909, the Xperia 5 V has IP65 and IP68 certifications.
