Sony Xperia Z5 review
- 5.2in screen
- 1920 x 1080 resolution with 428 pixels per inch
- 7.3mm thick, weighs 154g
- 32GB storage (expandable), 3GB RAM
- Snapdragon 810 processor
- 23-megapixel rear camera, 5.1MP front
- Waterproof
- £549
By all accounts, the Xperia
Z3+ was not a good phone. It was too similar to the Z3 and crippled by a
processor which overheated when you used many of the camera's features.
The Z3+ was nothing short of an embarrassment for Sony as it sought to
rival the iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S6.
But now the
company has tried again. Just five months after the Z3+ burnt out
fingers in more ways than one, the Xperia Z5 has arrived. It has a new
design, a new camera and new features. This is a fresh start just when
Sony needed it most - but is the Z5 any good?
Sony Xperia Z5: Look and feel
Right
out of the blocks, Sony has made some key changes to how its Z flagship
looks and feels. There is still glass on the back - smashable,
crackable glass - but it has a frosted finish which almost feels like
soft touch plastic. I like it, and I like colour too. My silver review
sample is exactly the same colour as number 11 Humbrol paint; you know,
the one you use for the metallic bits of your Spitfire. I digress. It's a
lovely colour and finish, and the other options of gold, dark grey and a
sort of metallic blue/green all look good too.
The
Z5 is slightly thicker and heavier than the Z3+, but the 10g and 0.4mm
difference are pretty much invisible. A small visual change is the power
button, which is flat against the phone's body rather than sticking
out, as it now doubles as a fingerprint reader; I'll come back to this
later.
A final note for the design is to say the Z5 is waterproof
without really trying. The USB port and headphone jack are both exposed,
so only the SIM and microSD card tray need a removable cover to keep
the water out.
Sony Xperia Z5: Screen
If you're familiar
with previous Sony Z phones then there isn't much to report here. It's a
5.2in panel with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a pixel
density of 428 per inch. Unlike some reviewers, I really don't mind that
Sony has stuck to HD and not upgraded to 2K; you really can't see any
individual pixels so it's fine as it is. Brightness could be higher, in
my opinion, and when viewed from an angle the screen turns white images
into a pale pink. There is also the trademark Sony issue where you can
see the screen's touch-sensitive panel shimmering in bright sunlight
beneath the glass.
Sony Xperia Z5: Camera
The rear camera
has been upgraded for the first time since the Z1 in 2013. It's now
23-megapixel, up from 20.7, and has what Sony claims is the best image
sensor ever fitted to a smartphone. There is no denying this lofty
claim. The Z5 takes excellent photos in almost any situation and, to my
eyes, is a match for the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6 (I'm yet to try an
iPhone 6s for any length of time).
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