With almost all Android manufacturer’s user interface overlays starting to melt in to one homogenous, stock-like Android experience, it’s becoming harder and harder for flagship handsets to stand out. They’re all offering much the same experience, so it seems that what platform holders are doing is throwing as many upgraded specs at the problem, and hoping it all sticks.
That’s exactly what Sony did with its Xperia Z3+ (named the Z4 in Japan, and Japan only). That phone was a hasty refresh on one of the company’s most popular models; an update for update’s sake that did little to ingratiate the Xperia brand with consumers burnt out on the current Android update cycle.
The Z5 doesn’t really change that too much, but it does feel like this time around Sony’s taken a more measured, careful ethos. Sony’s Xperia Z5 sits nestled, as the meat in the sandwich that makes up the Z5 range. As before, there’s a mini version, which skimps on specs to target affordability, but it’s joined this time around by a Z5 Premium, which takes the “kitchen sink” approach, stuffing a larger 4K display and a bigger battery for those who chase specifications.
The Z5, as I’ve said, is more considered. Though it’s still more angular than any phone really ought to be, it does away with the overly sharp edges, replacing them with slightly more rounded ones. It’s not quite as softened as it should be, but feels less like it’s going to leave you a with a bloodied hand than handsets past. It also dispenses with the shiny glass back, replacing it with frosted glass that makes it look more premium, and is far less prone to picking up nasty fingerprints. The front’s home to a 5.2″ 16M-color 1080 x 1920 IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen featuring scratch-resistant glass, and an oleophobic coating too, so cleans up easily enough.
The power button, around half-way up the right-side of the handset is now a stealthy fingerprint sensor too. It works like magic; after registering my thumb with the device (by tapping away on the button what seemed a hundred or so times), the phone was able to quickly and successfully scan me in without issue – negating the need for a pin code, password or unlock pattern. In the future, when more retailers start accepting Android pay and other NFC equivalents for payment it’ll make paying for things with your phone even easier than it already is.
The phone’s placement of its squishy volume buttons is a little more problematic though. Located near the bottom of the phone, I found changing volume to be far fiddlier than it really should have been, and I’d have much preferred the volume rocker to be above the power-button-cum-fingerprint-sensor.
On the opposite end of the phone, you’ll find its singular flap, which houses ports for both microSD and nano-sim. The phone is only available in 32GB version, though it’s also just about the only handset available at the moment with support for newer 200GB microSD cards. Whichever way you slice it, storage space shouldn’t be an issue.
The bottom of the phone is where you’ll find the device’s waterproof microUSB port, with an equally waterproof 3.5mm stereo port at the top. Sony’s backed away from its messaging on the Z phones water-proofing, suggesting that users no longer attempt to use the phone while it’s submerged. I happily gave the phone a bath though, with no ill-effects, though – because the review phone was accompanied by a note suggesting I’d be responsible for damages should they happen – I refrained from trying to take photos of my bath-time proclivities.
The decision to stick with Full HD over the 2K and 4K displays some of its competitors are using may seem an odd choice, but it’s a good one in my opinion. It gives the phone better battery life, and with 5.2 inches of screen real-estate, just how necessary is a 4K display, really? The Z5 displays no readability problems whatsoever, leaving me convinced that 2K and 4K screens on mobile phones are just a great big marketing point with a huge battery life penalty.
And though the phone’s screen isn’t capable of natively displaying 4K images or video, its camera is capable of recording video (in a variety of frame rates!) in 4K. You’ve got a 23 MP rear that can record 4K at 30 fps, or 1080p at up to 120fps for those nifty, slow motion kung-fu videos. The front-facing 5.1 will record video at 1080p and 30 frames per second. More important than big numbers where the camera is concerned though are the small numbers. The camera on the Z5 features one of the fastest autofocus on a smartphone, operating with a speed of just 0.3 seconds, which according to the marketing mumbo-jumbo is less than the blink of an eye. The camera’s equipped with a simple-to-use superior automatic mode that should suffice for most users, along with all of the manual control premium instagrammers and hipsters might appreciate. The camera isn’t exactly awe-inspiring, with images showing a bit more noise than I’d like – though I can hardly complain, running an HTC One M8 with its shoddy lens. The problem seems to be software driven rather than a hardware issue though.
The Z5 is a zippy phone, but that’s to be expected – as it actually uses the same processing internals at the Z3+; the very same Qualcomm Snapdragon 810.That means you’ve got a quad-core Cortex-A53 clocked at 1.5GHz and another quad-core Cortex A57 clocked at 2GHz, as well as an Adreno 430 GPU. It also means you’ve got largely the same overheating problems. Sony’s made a few tweaks to keep heat down, but there’s no denying that this phone runs warm, especially during intensive tasks like playing games. General usage is slick and fast, with superlative multitasking; moving in to, out of and around apps was lightning fast.
Sony’s Z phones have always had pretty good batteries – but the battery-life on the Z5 isn’t amazing. Sony’s opted for a 2900mAH battery, sacrificing precious power for a slimmer profile. There are some clever optimisations at work to make the battery last longer than your average smartphone, but not nearly as long as Sony would like you to believe. As with most premium devices, I found myself getting just over a full day’s use out of the Z5 – though your mileage may vary. On days with particularly heavy usage, I’d find myself having to plug in by 7pm. If you’re not the most demanding user, you’ll probably easily get the quoted two days of usage.
I have to admit that I’m not a big fan of the Xperia Launcher and the general user-interface that Sony’s employed on its phones. While it resembles stock Android, there’s a lot of wasted space to be found, giving the whole interface a far more cluttered look than blank space would have you imagine. The phone also houses some nasty bloatware; stuff like News from Sociallife, TrackID and the Xperia Lounge. There’s also a built-in sketching app, but no note taking app which is both silly and strange. Thankfully it’s quick and easy enough to replace the entire UI with something faster, lighter and sleeker – but I really do wish that Sony would get with the times.
There is also the expected PlayStation connectivity, with the Z5 having access to PlayStation 4 remote play. I have to admit that remote play works, and looks better here than it does on the Vita (not really a surprise, given the phone’s specifications compared to the Vita’s), plus it allows you to pair a DualShock 4, so you needn’t fumble about with rear-touchscreens.
Oh, and apparently it also works as a phone. I tested this mythical feature, and found calls crisp and clear – with those on the other end reporting the same. That may have to do with the built-in noise-cancelling microphone, but who uses the phone bits of phones anymore anyway.
Last Updated: November 30, 2015
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Look, if it's good enough for James Bond, it's good enough for me. Sony's Xperia Z5 makes up for the rushed-to-market Z3+, by being the phone that should have been in the first place. With a promising camera, a zippy processor and a crisp, detailed screen, the Z5 is certainly worth considering as your next upgrade.
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Captain JJ never changes
November 30, 2015 at 15:40
Android and Micro USB.
These are reasons enough to choose this above any Apple hipmachine.
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
November 30, 2015 at 15:41
LOL @ hipmachine
Hammersteyn
November 30, 2015 at 15:45
People should take off their IPatch and…
https://49.media.tumblr.com/c15becab5b168a89bde02c1aa00dffeb/tumblr_nrf1d3zkDj1qet17vo1_500.gif
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
November 30, 2015 at 15:48
WHYDYOULEAVETHEKEYSUPONTHETABLE?
HairyEwok
November 30, 2015 at 15:55
HEWANTEDTO
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
November 30, 2015 at 15:56
FATHER!
HairyEwok
November 30, 2015 at 15:56
MURDERED!
Hammersteyn
November 30, 2015 at 15:43
https://49.media.tumblr.com/49d67d1e1e0ea26625176f712f62c9d6/tumblr_n9la81T18g1qbzi8to1_500.gif
Captain JJ never changes
November 30, 2015 at 15:48
Even without Android. That micro USB trumps the Apple-exclusive data port.
Hammersteyn
November 30, 2015 at 15:51
Gotta get them hooked into buying other Apples somehow
Captain JJ never changes
November 30, 2015 at 15:54
That’s like making Tomb Raider a timed exclusive hoping that it’ll sell more Xbones.
Oh wait.
Hammersteyn
November 30, 2015 at 15:59
hehe
WitWolfy
November 30, 2015 at 16:03
I played TR 2 so HARD on my Xbox One… 10/10 would bang. Sure made me buy an Xbox One among other reasons…
Captain JJ never changes
November 30, 2015 at 16:05
I’ll buy TR when it’s on a good sale on Steam one day. They screwed a lot of old-time fans by going timed exclusive.
WitWolfy
December 1, 2015 at 07:26
Guess MANY Sony fanboys probably felt the same when Final Fantasy went multiplat. But hey, thats life.
Captain JJ never changes
December 1, 2015 at 08:03
That’s not at all the same thing.
The one is excluding it from a bunch of it’s fans, the other the broadening it’s horizon. You’d have to be a pretty sour ass to have an issue with a game being made available to more people.
Alien Emperor Trevor
November 30, 2015 at 15:46
But can it play Crysis?
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
November 30, 2015 at 15:50
Sure, you drop it, you have a Crysis
Hammersteyn
November 30, 2015 at 15:51
It just might.
RinceThis
November 30, 2015 at 15:47
You lose all the numbers again Geoff? How much for the phone?
Alien Emperor Trevor
November 30, 2015 at 15:47
If you have to ask, you can’t afford it. *run*
Captain JJ never changes
November 30, 2015 at 15:48
I always ask.
Hammersteyn
November 30, 2015 at 15:52
Got a Xperia C3 recently. It’s a phone for people that can’t afford Z series. It’s the same thing when you buy a car really.
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
November 30, 2015 at 15:53
But how does it handle in your big ogre hands?
Hammersteyn
November 30, 2015 at 15:58
It’s bigger than the Z3. But you get a bit more for what you pay for in my opinion coming in at under R4000
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/compare/Sony-Xperia-C3,Sony-Xperia-Z3/phones/8758%2C8764
WitWolfy
November 30, 2015 at 16:01
It’s exactly the same size as a Z3.. compared it to one of my buddies’ Z3 on Friday.
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
November 30, 2015 at 16:01
Z3 is such a silly BMW
Captain JJ never changes
November 30, 2015 at 16:01
The M-Coupé disagrees
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
November 30, 2015 at 16:02
Yes, you like your silly C(k)oups
But yeah, that MCoupe is one of the daftest looking beemas out there
Captain JJ never changes
November 30, 2015 at 16:03
Plus it had a lot of power for that weight…and no assists. No TC, no ASR.
Last of the scary BMWs that were still exciting.
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
November 30, 2015 at 16:07
Exciting as in you don’t know who is going to laugh at you today?
Captain JJ never changes
November 30, 2015 at 16:09
I don’t know, I don’t drive a VW.
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
November 30, 2015 at 16:16
Hence why everyone gives you crap, they know you are used to it
WitWolfy
November 30, 2015 at 16:01
IKR?!? Always looked like the Batmobile to me as a kid.
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
November 30, 2015 at 16:03
Batmobile for midgets maybe
Hammersteyn
November 30, 2015 at 16:03
lol
Aries
November 30, 2015 at 16:21
LmK
HairyEwok
November 30, 2015 at 15:52
It’s cool and all, but can it run Crys… err I mean Witcher 3.
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
November 30, 2015 at 15:52
You missed it by 5 minutes
HairyEwok
November 30, 2015 at 15:53
check again with that f5
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
November 30, 2015 at 15:53
I don’t do the F5, just now you post some nasty pics
HairyEwok
November 30, 2015 at 15:56
Witcher 3 is the new norm. Crysis has it’s PC killing glory.
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
November 30, 2015 at 15:59
Has or had?
HairyEwok
November 30, 2015 at 16:03
I’m not correcting it, you’re not going to f5 anyway.
Hammersteyn
November 30, 2015 at 16:03
XD
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
November 30, 2015 at 16:05
Attaboy, I AM ALLERGIC TO POTENTIAL NASTY PICS!
#OneShotAtSpelling
Hammersteyn
November 30, 2015 at 15:59
He doesn’t F5. Even if you fix a comment he still points it out unless you reply *fixed to your own comment
*Runs
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
November 30, 2015 at 16:00
Thin ice
Hammersteyn
November 30, 2015 at 16:03
Am I lying?
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
November 30, 2015 at 16:04
Nope, but the insolence levels today is interesting. Either that or you are training for a marathon with all the *running*
WE HAF STANDERDS HEAR AWN LAGZ
Hammersteyn
November 30, 2015 at 16:09
hehehehe
Hammersteyn
November 30, 2015 at 15:53
I bet you read the comments first 😛
WitWolfy
November 30, 2015 at 16:00
It can run Witcher 3.. In remote play… 😉
WitWolfy
November 30, 2015 at 15:58
Got this phone so that I could play PS4 games on remote play…
Hammersteyn
November 30, 2015 at 15:59
How much?
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
November 30, 2015 at 16:01
Let’s just say two kidneys are overrated…
Captain JJ never changes
November 30, 2015 at 16:01
I hear the PS4 is quite the rip-off. ;P
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
November 30, 2015 at 16:01
Haha
GG
WP
Hammersteyn
November 30, 2015 at 16:04
Oh you
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
November 30, 2015 at 16:05
I wouldn’t know
Captain JJ never changes
November 30, 2015 at 16:06
Honestly though, jokes aside, I’d pick the PS4 if I had to take a console now.
But I’d somehow have to make an Xbox controller work on it. 😉
Admiral Chief - CHAAARGE!
November 30, 2015 at 16:07
Ag, I won’t mind either of them tbh, just I think the IndieStation is better for free games and all
HairyEwok
November 30, 2015 at 16:09
3rd party xbox remote with a usb receiver? XD
Captain JJ never changes
November 30, 2015 at 16:09
SOLD
WitWolfy
December 1, 2015 at 07:28
It’s like R500 a month or something.. Not too expensive.
Hammersteyn
December 1, 2015 at 08:22
That’s a lot of beer money. Possibly even a game
Sageville
November 30, 2015 at 16:01
Cell phone reviews too…
HairyEwok
November 30, 2015 at 16:07
You won’t believe it, hold on to your seats now…… they review accessories too -gasps- i know right like omgwtf XD Lagz know that we use mobile phones a lot since power outages are the norm.
Gavin Mannion
November 30, 2015 at 16:16
It looks nice but can it run iOS? Else it will become a ballache in 12 months to try and keep it running properly.
Captain JJ never changes
November 30, 2015 at 16:41
I have a 4-year-old Samsung Tablet. The thing runs better than anything else I have. Battery life is stellar too.
WitWolfy
December 1, 2015 at 07:28
iOS??? I just threw up a little in my mouth.
meir
November 30, 2015 at 23:27
Very nice review ! Very nice device. I will buy the sony z5 very soon (days)
WitWolfy
December 1, 2015 at 07:29
Buy? Good luck its like R12500. The Z5 Premium is like R14000+ thanks to its 4K screen and all.
Ghost In The Rift
December 9, 2015 at 12:55
Still love my Z1, don’t see the need to fork out money similar to the price of a Titan 980, damn whats wrong with me.