Sony Xperia 5 V review

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The Sony Xperia 5 V is part of this incredibly niche segment of compact flagships. Even better, it's not only a top-tier smartphone but also a cameraphone. And it surely delivered across the board - design, display, battery life, speakers, raw performance, camera quality.

The Xperia 5 V is an expensive smartphone, like most of Sony's offers. It will launch at about €1,000 for the single available model - 8GB/128GB.

It is not without an alternative, though, so let's explore a few of those.

The first competitor that immediately comes to mind is the Galaxy S23 by Samsung. It is another compact droid, shorter even, with similarly impressive hardware. The camera department of the Galaxy could be considered more versatile thanks to the 3x zoom camera and the 8K video capturing. The photo quality isn't as pristine, but it's still flagship-grade. The Galaxy S23 now costs below €700, which is something that will sway a lot of potential buyers in its way.

Then there is the Asus Zenfone 10. It is an even more compact phone with a faster 144Hz 5.92-inch OLED and the same chipset. The Zenfone has a less impressive display, an inferior selfie shooter, and no lossless zoom or telephoto camera, and there is no microSD expansion. But let's not forget it's about €200 cheaper smartphone, and it still delivers excellent performance across most aspects.

The €999 Xiaomi 13 is a beautiful little smartphone with a slightly larger display that has Dolby Vision and a real 3.2x telephoto camera with OIS. The Xiaomi 13 has a subpar selfie camera, but everything else, the design included, is flagship-grade.

The €200 more expensive Sony Xperia 1 V is also an option if you want a unique 4K display and a real telephoto camera with variable zoom at that. This Xperia also has double the base storage and larger speakers.

Finally, the Apple iPhone 14 Pro costs the same as the Sony Xperia 5 V and will give you a similar compact body, though heavier due to the different materials. The display and the performance of the iPhone are better, and its cameras are more versatile across the board. The iPhone is also one of the best phones for video recording out there for its excellent video quality, stabilization and seamless switch between the cameras. The photo quality isn't bad either, though not exactly a match to Sony's.

Samsung Galaxy S23 • Asus Zenfone 10 • Xiaomi 13 • Sony Xperia 1 V • Apple iPhone 14 Pro

Our verdict

The Sony Xperia 5 V is a minor update over the Xperia 5 IV - it brings a more powerful chipset, newer Gorilla Glass panels, and an improved main camera at the expense of the retired zoom one. Luckily, 2x zoom is still present, with excellent quality at that.

The Xperia 5 V can also be considered a cheaper alternative, and a more compact one, to the flagship Xperia 1 V with a larger 4K display and a proper telephoto with variable zoom.

At the end of this review, we are left with mostly positive impressions. The Xperia 5 V has one of the best designs on the market - it's a timeless classic with a lovely grip, an impressively compact form factor and a very secure grip. The all-round ingress protection is greatly appreciated, too.

Then there is the cutout-free OLED with excellent properties. Sony hasn't figured out the variable refresh rate just yet, but judging from the outstanding battery life, we think not many users will hold this against them. The latest Snapdragon chip and RAM will always come in handy, as well as the improved thermals.

We like the new stereo speaker setup a lot. And the audio jack. And the microSD expansion.

Most importantly, the Xperia 5 V delivers on every camera promise. It snaps some of the best photos a smartphone can offer in both day and night conditions, across all cameras at that - primary, ultrawide, selfie. Furthermore, the 2x zoom turned out excellent for photos and good in videos, too.

The Xperia 5 V is not a perfect phone, though. It is prone to throttling under peak loads, the overcomplicated camera apps and scattered features are a potential issue, the storage is only 128GB, and the price is €1,000 - the battery charging speed is nothing special either.

The Xperia 5 V targets professional photographers on the go with its many camera apps and features, and we are sure it will find some love from them. The phone is super compact yet powerful and has amazing battery life, which will tip the scales for many users.

Being an expensive device makes the Xperia 5 V a tough sell, but far from impossible. This phone, just like many other Xperias, has a unique charm and innovative set of features - a combo that will make it attractive to the right people for sure.

Pros

• Classic design, compact, lightweight, grippy, well-protected.
• Excellent OLED screen with immersive aspect, 120Hz, HDR10.
• Outstanding battery life.
• Superb speakers.
• The latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.
• Great photo quality across all cameras, day and night.
• Dependable video quality, great sound, top-notch stabilization.
• No-nonsense launcher based on Android 13.
• Plenty of professional camera apps.
• 3.5mm jack, microSD expansion, physical camera shutter key.

Cons

• No charger and no cable in the box.
• No dynamic refresh rate for the screen.
• No telephoto camera, no macro capabilities.
• Throttles under heavy loads.
• 128GB storage is the only built-in storage option.