We go hands-on with the Z5 Compact and Z5!

Earlier today we had the chance to go hands-on with Sony’s most impressive smartphone yet, the Z5 Premium. While it managed to impress us with its premium build and impressive 4K display and though Sony has not announced the price of the new device as of yet, we expect it to go upwards to 40K, making it out of reach for most people. That’s why we also spent time today with the company’s Z5 Compact and Z5 smartphones – while they’re not exactly what you’d call affordable phones, these devices have a more palatable prices compared to the Z5 Premium.

 

Sony Xperia Z5 specs

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor
• 3GB of RAM
• 5.2-inch full HD display, 1920 x 1080 resolution
• 32GB of expandable storage
• 23-megapixel rear camera, 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS sensor, f/2.0 aperture, phase detection AF
• 5-megapixel front camera with Exmor R sensor
• Single SIM
• 3G, LTE
• WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS,
• Android 5.1 Lollipop
• 2900mAh battery

Sony Xperia Z5 Compact specs

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor
• 2GB of RAM
• 4.7-inch HD display, 1280 x 720 resolution
• 32GB of expandable storage
• 23-megapixel rear camera, 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS sensor, f/2.0 aperture, phase detection AF
• 5-megapixel front camera with Exmor R sensor
• Single SIM
• 3G, LTE
• WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS,
• Android 5.1 Lollipop
• 2700mAh battery

Initial impressions: more of the same, but that’s not really a bad thing

Just like the Z5 Premium, both the Z5 Compact and Z5 sport Sony’s OmiBalance design philosophy. And just like their more expensive brother, both phones have small, but significant changes compared to last year’s models – the corners of the phones are now made out of nylon to better absorb impacts, and a bigger power button to accomodate the integrated fingerprint reader. While the Z5 is the same size as its more premium brother, the Z5 Compact continues the trend of offering a smaller, more pocketable flagship that doesn’t compromise on specs, something that other manufacturers aren’t keen on replicating.

Unfortunately, the Z5 Compact looks slightly more boxy than its bigger brothers, though that’s not really that much of a big deal for people looking for a compact powerhouse.

Anyway, both phones are IP68 certified, meaning they can stay submerged in water as deep as 1.5 meters for as long as 30 minutes without anything bad happening to them.

Both phones also carry the same guts – Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor – though the Z5 Compact has 1GB RAM less than its bigger brothers. It also has a smaller, 4.7-inch HD display and a smaller 2700mAh battery, though we’d wager that it would last longer than its full HD brothers thanks to the more sedate display. It’s also worth mentioning that Sony has decided to go with an almost all-stock Android iteration this time around – a big change over their previous flagships.

No matter the flagship you choose, all three come equipped with Sony’s next-generation Exmor RS sensor, paired with a 23mm wide angle f/2.0 G lens, along with a super fast autofocus that the company claims has a 0.3 second focusing time. Just like the Z5 Premium we didn’t have time to test the camera, but from what we’ve seen in other publications it looks like Sony has a winner in the cameras of the three devices.

As impressive as the Z5 Premium is, Sony’s more likely to move more units of the Z5 Compact and Z5, simply because of the fact that the 4K display is a little overkill, especially with a dearth of native 4K content in the country. Both phones are worthy of being the company’s flagships for this year, though only a full review will reveal if they should be in your shopping list this Christmas.

The Z5 Compact is priced at Php 29,990, while the Z5 is priced at Php 35,990.