You can all it innovation, a marketing ploy or even desperation. But the fact is Sony released its first Xperia Z in 2013. It is now 2015 and we’ve been introduced to the new Z5 and Z5 compact. It’s a tad alarming how fast the company has been cranking out new smartphones, when their overall sales of their mobile division hasn’t been that great. However, they have had some kind of success in the eastern and southern hemisphere.
This means Sony has released a new flagship twice a year since 2013. It’s a similar strategy taken by some sports video games like FIFA from EA Sports. Every year they release a new title, improve in gameplay and chisel away some of the imperfections of the version before. The two new models from Sony are almost identical, leaving the size of the display and battery, alongside the thicker design of the Z5 compact, as the most significant differences. Now, there is a 5.5-inch Xperia Z5 Premium model with a 4K display, but we won’t be seeing that until later this year.
In looks
The devices are still beautiful. Sony has never faltered in the design department. But it might be a little surprising for some that the new Xperia Z models aren’t as round and smooth around the corners like its predecessors. Even though it now has a better grip, the harder edges have made way for the new fingerprint sensors, which have become standard now for all flagship phones in the market. The fingerprint sensor, which is also the power button, is located to the right of the device in the middle. Sorry, left-handers.
Back to its overall design, the new Xperia has a sophisticated matte finish on the back, still including the font and back glass casing. As mentioned before, Sony has never taken a back seat when it comes to elegance in design. The same can be said for its weight. It’s not too light and it’s not too heavy. As Goldilocks would say, it’s just right. My comrade Lance, across the Atlantic, told me that holding the device just felt right. You know that you are holding a premium device, without any real discomfort.
There are smaller tweeks to the new phones as well, like the headphone jack and the USB charging port not needing to be covered. Remember, it remains dust and waterproof. The battery life also remains in tact, as Sony guarantees that 2-day longevity.
Under the hood
As usual, the performance is always given an upgrade. Unfortunately, as a former Xperia Z owner, Sony’s native theme and various software tends to make the experience a little sluggish. The company has been plagued with this for quite some time now. It’s really a shame since the flagships have always been gorgeous to look at and other aspects of the phone have been applauded. This has been yet another slight miss in what could have been a contender with the Galaxy S6.
Here are the side by side specs of both the Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Compact:
Xperia Z5
5.2-inch, 1080x1920 (428 ppi) resolution with scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating, X-Reality Engine and Triluminos display
23 MP, 5520x4140 pixels with phase detection autofocus, LED flash rear camera
5.1 MP, 1080p, HDR front-facing camera
3GB of RAM, 32GB storage (with microSD card slot)
Android Lollipop v5.1.1, Qualcomm Snapdragon 810, quad-core 1.5 GHz CorteA53 & Quad-core 2 GHz Cortex-A57, Adreno 430
Non-removable Li-Ion 2,900 mAh battery
154g, 7.3 thickness
White, Graphite Black, Gold, Green
Xperia Z5 Compact
4.6-inch, 720x1280 (323 ppi) resolution with scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating, X-Reality Engine and Triluminos display
23 MP, 5520x4140 pixels with phase detection autofocus, LED flash rear camera
5.1 MP, 1080p, HDR front-facing camera
2GB of RAM, 32GB storage (with microSD card slot)
Android Lollipop v5.1.1, Qualcomm Snapdragon 810, quad-core 1.5 GHz CorteA53 & Quad-core 2 GHz Cortex-A57, Adreno 430
Non-removable Li-Ion 2,700 mAh battery
138g, 8.9mm thickness
White, Graphite Black, Yellow, Coral
