Review and testing of the smartphone Sony Xperia Z5 Dual. Sony Xperia Z5 Smartphone Review: Proven Formula Full Feature Sony Xperia Z5

Xperia Z5 - a new model in the line of smartphones from Sony. The main feature of this product is a revolutionary camera for mobile devices - 23 megapixels and 5x zoom without loss of clarity. Sony Ixperia Z5 will be able to capture all the wonderful moments of life in high resolution. Hybrid AF technology improves the performance of your stills. The resulting images can be called the result of a mastery of speed and precision. In addition to the camera, the Z5 offers customers a stylish design and mechanical protection for the phone.

Yet, Sony Xperia Z5 does not offer any innovative solutions besides the camera. The purchase of this device is recommended for those who do not like Samsung and their Galaxy S6, which was a breath of fresh air for the industry.

The new model, like all Xperia Z Series devices, has a nice design with a mirror finish, metal on the sides and a little plastic. The thickness of the device is 7.3mm, the height is 13cm, 70% of which is occupied by a 1080x1920 screen. Multi-touch is supported - up to 10 single touches. There are several color options for the rear panel to choose from.

Unlike Samsung products and Apple's iPhone 6s, the Xperiz Z5 has a memory card slot that supports 128GB of micro storage and 32GB of on-board storage.

Smartphone Sony Xperia Z5 waterproof. This is ensured by rubber plugs that do not allow water to penetrate when immersed up to one and a half meters. Although Sony still doesn't recommend dipping their phones.

There is little progress in terms of display compared to the Sony Xperia Z3 +. It's still the same Full HD LCD with some additional Sony technologies to enhance the picture. The Sony Xperia Z5 Premium variant has a 4K display, which you can see in operation when viewing 4K videos or photos. The image quality of the regular version of the Z5 is pleasant and clear, the depth of colors is worked out. However, street visibility is not the most outstanding.

Sony Xperia Z5 is released with the Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system, which they later want to replace with the new 6.0 Marshmallow. The interface is simple. And such that in comparison with Android M6.0 it looks too strict. The device is equipped with 3GB of RAM and a 4-core processor with a frequency of 1.5GHz. Android applications literally "fly" with such a filling. After switching on, sagging sometimes happens, but in general, it's okay.

Summing up, we can say that the smartphone Sony Xperia Z5 made with high quality, although it is not top-end in its characteristics. The revolutionary camera will appeal to photographers, and the protective mechanisms will allow you to use the device for a long time.

- Do you remember how it all started?
Everything was for the first time and again ...

Sony promised to make new Xperia Z often - Sony keeps its word. It seems that yesterday we scolded the Z3 + for its boring design, and today we are waiting for a whole family of Z5 devices. It includes three smartphones: the flagship and main Xperia Z5, which we will talk about today, the Xperia Z5 Premium with a royal 4K display and the tiny Xperia Z5 Compact, which has no analogues on the market at all. It's great that all three gadgets turned out to be completely different, with a different target audience; we will talk about each of them, respectively, in separate materials. However, recall that we have already briefly got acquainted with all three gadgets of the Z5 family at IFA 2015. If you have not heard about them before, we strongly recommend that you study that material to make it clearer what it is all about.

⇡ Xperia Z2, Z3, Z3 + and Z5 specifications comparison table

⇡ Details about the appearance, ergonomics and the fingerprint scanner

Let's go back a couple of years ago, at the time of the first Xperia Z. We loved them for their design: they were strict, stately "bricks", the sharp edges of which could cut a hand. And it was really good - the smartphones from the Japanese company turned out to be very, let's not be afraid of this terrible word, stylish. Not even so: they were original. With the increase in the serial number, Sony's pipes became more and more sleek, ordinary. Although, of course, Sony could still be distinguished from any other devices.

“Probably rectangular bricks like the original Sony Xperia Z are completely gone in the River of Times,” we thought when we tested the Z3 +. It is not clear: either the head office of the company is reading our reviews, or they themselves have come up with the same ideas; the fact is that Sony has fixed it - the Z5 looks great.

You can safely greet the straight side edges, matte surfaces, sharp corners with a small radius of curvature and strict straight lines. We missed them. The gadget has added both weight and thickness compared to its predecessor: 154 against 144 g and 7.3 against 6.9 mm. In general, the Xperia is again "okay", and, in our opinion, this is very correct. At the same time, it is quite convenient to work with the device with one hand: it has the same dimensions as the previous Xperia, the hand does not get tired of it even during long communication, and the edges do not dig into the palm. All in all, the Z5 is a pleasure to deal with.

There are no hardware keys on the front panel of the device - the navigation keys of the system are "virtual", and an external speaker is brought out to the space under the screen. In the upper part of the panel there is a lens of the front, 5-megapixel camera and a slot for the earpiece. The front side of the Z5 is covered with a protective glass with a grease-repellent coating that is resistant to damage and collection of "fingers". As usual, Sony does not specify its manufacturer.

The location of the controls remained the same - the power, volume control and camera activation / shutter buttons are located on the right side. The shape of the lock button has changed, and this is in a sense a landmark event - the round protruding power key has not been changed since the first Xperia Z. The Z5 has an oblong shape and, moreover, is somewhat recessed into the body. Such changes are associated with the fact that a capacitive fingerprint scanner was built into it.

As you probably already understood, in terms of the exterior, the Xperia Z5 is very similar to the first "Sockets". However, he also got something from the new Sony smartphones. For example, polycarbonate inserts on the corners of the case - in theory, they soften the impact when the device falls.

Sony Xperia Z5, like many other gadgets of the company, is protected from dust and moisture - the device can be immersed in fresh water to a depth of one and a half meters, the degree of protection is IP65 / 68. True, you should first make sure that the cover of the slot for Nano-SIM and microSD cards on the left end is firmly pressed against the body. The Micro-USB connector has no plug - the connector is waterproof, Sony calls it Cap-less. It is located at the bottom end, next to it there is a strap mount so that the smartphone can be worn around the neck - a rare attribute among modern gadgets. A universal 3.5 mm audio jack is located at the top end.

The back panel of the Xperia Z5 is covered with a frosted protective glass that does not collect fingerprints at all - no matter how much you slide your fingers over the panel, you will not spoil the pristine beauty of the device. At the back is the lens of the new 23MP camera and a single LED flash.

The frame and ends of the device are made of aluminum. The Z5 is assembled well - there is no lack of rigidity in the structure during operation. Nevertheless, if you press on the sides of the device, characteristic colored streaks will appear on the screen - the display is not well protected, so you should handle the device carefully, despite all the “protective corners”. The Sony Xperia Z5 is available in white, black, gold (as in our photos) and turquoise colors.

Last year in Berlin at the IFA exhibition, Sony Mobile Communications presented three models of the upper price range at the same time: to the already familiar Sony Xperia Z5 and Sony Xperia Z5 Compact, they added the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium - the world's first smartphone with a 4K display. Additionally, both older models are available in versions with one or two SIM-cards.

In this review, we will get acquainted with the two-symbol version of the classic flagship - SonyXperiaZ5 Dual. Using his example, let's try to figure out what new Japanese manufacturer can offer and how interesting his product is against the background of direct competitors. To begin with, let's take a closer look at the technical characteristics of the novelty:

Appearance, arrangement of elements

With the release of the fifth generation Zetok, Sony has changed the design concept from OmniBalance to Sense Of Unity. Despite this, we have before us an elegant non-separable glass-metal block, which is well known since the days of the Sony Xperia Z1. But there are changes, and they are in the details. So, Sony Xperia Z5 Dual got a little more strict and straight outlines of the side edges, and thanks to a special treatment, the glass of the back panel became matte, which added practicality to the device. In addition, the smartphone lost its magnetic contacts for connecting the docking station, and the branded round power button received an oblong shape and a built-in fingerprint sensor.

The usual color palette (black, white and gold) has been replenished with green, which shimmers effectively depending on the lighting conditions. In general, the device looks expensive and solid.

The dimensions and weight of the Sony Xperia Z5 Dual have remained almost unchanged, which allows you to operate it even with one hand. But we have some comments on the controls.

If in previous models the round protruding power button was easily found by touch, then the new one has practically no tactile selection (it is slightly recessed) and is characterized by a sluggish short stroke. And the built-in fingerprint scanner does not work as well as we would like.

In particular, there are problems with fingerprint detection, even if most of the available slots are occupied by the same finger. Recognition occurs only when the finger is applied exactly at the angle at which it was scanned. Everything works quickly if positioned correctly, otherwise a PIN can be used.

The position of the volume rocker is also controversial - closer to the two-position camera button. According to the manufacturer, this is done for ease of zooming while shooting, but in practice you need to have a fairly long index finger to reach it. During a call, the volume can be adjusted with your middle or ring finger (holding in your left hand) or your thumb (holding your right hand), but this increases the likelihood of dropping your smartphone.

The front side of the Sony Xperia Z5 Dual is covered with a protective glass. The bezels around the screen are not the smallest: 16.25 mm on the top, 15.5 mm on the bottom and 3.75 mm on the sides. There are a number of familiar elements: proximity and light sensors, company logo, front camera peephole, integrated alert sensor and stereo speakers. On-screen keys.

The sides of the smartphone are covered with a metal frame with a matte finish. It protrudes slightly from both sides of the glass panels for a more secure grip and non-slip on smooth surfaces, but digs into your palm unnecessarily.

On the left side, there are slots for two Nano-SIM and microSD memory cards (covered with a plug with a seal); on the right is the power button, volume rocker and camera key. On the bottom is a micro-USB port and lanyard eyelet, and on top is an additional microphone and 3.5mm audio port.

On the back of the non-separable part of the Sony Xperia Z5 Dual, there is a main camera with flash, an NFC contact area, and the Sony logo.

Like its predecessors in the Sony Xperia Z line, the device is protected against dust and moisture according to Ingress Protection (IP) 65/68 standards. But now the manufacturer does not recommend completely immersing the smartphone in water and other liquids, and improper or inappropriate use of it will void the warranty.

The quality and rigidity of the body of the tested model are at a high level: all parts are perfectly fitted to each other, and during operation nothing creaks or squeezes. Only when twisting, a slight flexibility of the structure is felt, but this is not critical.

Display

The Sony Xperia Z5 Dual has a proprietary 5.2-inch IPS-matrix screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a pixel density of 423 ppi. Yes, this is not a 4K display, but it is more than enough for any task. Phablet lovers can take a closer look at the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium - here you have a 5.5-inch diagonal and record 4K Ulta HD resolution.

The smartphone display leaves a positive impression. The screen is characterized by maximum viewing angles, high contrast levels, bright and saturated colors, however, there is a noticeable deviation towards cold shades.

As before, it is possible to adjust the white balance and primary color channels (RGB), as well as select ready-made image enhancement profiles.

The brightness adjustment range is sufficient for comfortable work on a sunny day or in complete darkness. Automation works quite adequately - without jerks and hiccups. Multi-touch technology correctly handles up to 10 simultaneous touches. There is even a mode of operation with gloves. You can unlock the smartphone by double tapping on the screen. And when working with the camera, the sensor can be blocked.

Audio subsystem

As already mentioned, the Sony Xperia Z5 Dual smartphone is equipped with two multimedia speakers. They are located symmetrically on the front side (bottom and top). The speakers provide high-quality and at the same time loud sound: a wide frequency range is reproduced and the presence of low frequencies is even felt. At maximum volume, they do not wheeze, but high frequencies begin to prevail and the body resonates a little. In general, their capabilities are quite enough for games, watching videos, calls and alerts.

The scope of delivery of the tested model does not include a headset, so the sound in the headphones was tested using the gaming (impedance 60 Ohm) and in-ear Vivanco HS 200 WT (impedance 16 Ohm). Traditionally, for Sony flagships, the sound is very good, and the volume level is sufficient (there is a minimum headroom).

With minor manual adjustments, including changing the equalizer, the sound becomes absolutely gorgeous. For example, the ClearAudio + function adds clarity to the sound by boosting the high frequencies but slightly dampening the mids.

Additionally, there is a radio module for recording and listening to FM radio stations with headphones connected.

Camera

The main camera received a proprietary Sony Exmor RS module (1 / 2.3 ”) with a resolution of 23 megapixels and a fast Sony G Lens with an aperture of f / 2.0. The 35mm equivalent focal length is 24mm, which gives a reasonably wide viewing angle. Additionally, there is a hybrid focusing system, digital image stabilization (SteadyShot) and LED flash. Video is recorded in 4K Ulta HD (30 FPS), 1080p (60 FPS) and 720p (120 FPS) formats.

In sufficient light, the camera focuses just like lightning fast, but speed and accuracy decreases as the ambient light decreases. The resulting frames are characterized by pleasant color rendering, high detailing and good sharpness, which suffers somewhat at the edges of the frame. In most cases, the quality of photo and video content is almost as good as direct competitors, but loses out when shooting in artificial or insufficient lighting conditions. When shooting 4K video, support for the H.265 codec appeared, that is, the quality remains the same, but the file takes up less space. The closest focusing distance for macro photography is 8 cm.

The front camera has a 5-megapixel module, a lens with an f / 2.4 aperture and a wide viewing angle. It copes with its direct duties quite well - the pictures are bright and sufficiently detailed.

The main camera settings menu has changed markedly compared to what we saw in. It has become visually more pleasant and simpler, it works faster and finally learned to remember the photo resolution set by the user when quickly launched through the hardware button on the sidewall. As before, there are many modes and effects available, as well as a choice of manual or automatic shooting modes. True, in manual mode, the resolution of photos is limited to 8 megapixels, and from the settings you can only change ISO, white balance and focus type.

Examples ofphoto- andfilming

An example of daytime shooting from a smartphoneSony Xperia Z5 Dualin resolution 4K Ultra HD at speed 30 fps

Custominterface

The Sony Xperia Z5 Dual model is running the still current Android 5.1.1 Lollipop operating system (an update to 6.0 Marshmallow is expected), on top of which is installed the proprietary Xperia UI shell with the Xperia Home 9.0 interface. Visually, the shell has become even more simple and concise, in many ways resembling stock Android.

As before, there is the ability to change themes, photos and the number of desktops. The "Quick Settings" menu now has the ability to display only the most necessary items.

The manufacturer removed all unnecessary and unpopular functionality, leaving the most needed. Among the useful are pre-installed gadgets (quick access to a number of programs), applications (Sony Xperia Lounge, OfficeSuite, Lifelog, and so on) and services (What's New, Sony Xperia Store, TrackID, Spotify, and so on) for work and entertainment. ... Separately, it is worth mentioning the ability to record video from the screen built into the shell (it turns on in the menu when you hold down the power button).

The smartphone settings menu is made in light colors. There is access to almost all parameters of the device: communication capabilities, appearance, screen calibration, sound effects, etc. The usual power saving modes ("STAMINA") and gesture control capabilities remained in place.

In general, the OS not only looks good, but provides high functionality and just works great (without any hiccups and slowdowns).

Performance and communication capabilities

Sony Xperia Z5 Dual got the top 64-bit SoC processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (MSM8994) at its disposal. It is based on a 20 nm process technology and includes four high-performance ARM Cortex-A57 cores up to 2 GHz and four energy-efficient ARM Cortex-A53 cores up to 1.5 GHz. Responsible for the graphics Qualcomm Adreno 430 with support for OpenGL ES 3.1, OpenCL 1.2, Vulkan 1.0 and DirectX 11.2. The amount of RAM is 3 GB, and the constant is 32 GB (21.5 GB is available to the user). You can expand this space by using microSD memory cards (up to 200 GB). The hardware platform supports OTG mode, which will make it possible to connect an external USB drive, keyboard or mouse using an appropriate adapter.

The performance level is very high. This can be seen both in synthetic tests and in real operating experience: any applications and demanding games work flawlessly, including at high graphics settings (for example, Asphalt 8: Airborne and WoT Blitz). However, almost any load, even not so long and high, begins to slowly warm up the back of the smartphone in the camera area. A high load, and this is primarily games and video shooting in 4K Ultra HD format, warm up the smartphone body to an uncomfortable state in 5-10 minutes. At the same time, the temperature of the processor itself exceeds 60 ° C.

The built-in video player has excellent support for modern audio and video formats, as evidenced by the results of the Antutu Video Tester benchmark.

The Sony Xperia Z5 Dual model supports the robot with modern 2G GSM, 3G HSPA + and 4G LTE Cat.6 mobile networks. Support for two SIM-cards is implemented on the basis of one radio module. During testing, there were no complaints about its work. The earpiece and microphone perform well. The vibrating alert is average in strength.

Communication modules are dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 4.1, DLNA, NFC and Miracast. There is also support for the MHL 3.0 standard.

The wireless modules are working as expected with good speed and the required stability.

The Global Positioning Navigation module supports GPS (A-GPS), GLONASS and Beidou satellite systems. A cold start takes about 5 seconds.

Autonomous work

The capacity of the non-replaceable lithium-ion battery is 2900 mAh. With a moderate load with 50% display brightness (calls, SMS, music, a little internet), it will last for a day and a half of battery life. Using the STAMINA energy saving modes, this indicator can be increased up to 3 days.

As a result of watching HD-video (MPEG-4 / AVC, MKV container, 4 Mbps stream) the device was discharged in almost 11 hours. Gaming simulator using Asphalt 8: Airborne ran out of battery in 3 hours 17 minutes.

The estimated battery life according to the PCMark benchmark was 7 hours and 12 minutes, according to the Geekbench 3 test - about 5 hours, while the GFXBench benchmark gave a result of 199 minutes. In all cases (except for the gaming one), the display brightness was 50%, and the Wi-Fi and GPS modules were also activated.

The battery charging time from the power supply unit (5 V, 1 A) reaches 3.5 hours. The tested model also supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 fast charging technology.

Outcome

This year, Sony Mobile Communications presented a new line of smartphones at MWC, which replaced the Sony Xperia Z. Therefore SonyXperiaZ5 Dualcan be safely called a swan song "Zetok" and one of the best smartphones from Sony. Japanese engineers slowly but surely brought their brainchild to its logical conclusion. The case not only retains its premium look and materials, but is also completely matte, which adds to its practicality. On site protection against dust and moisture according to Ingress Protection (IP) 65/68 standards, although with some remarks from the manufacturer. As before, we have an excellent 5.2-inch Full HD IPS-display, high sound quality, good camera modules (5 and 23 megapixels) and the highest performance thanks to the top-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 and 3 GB of RAM. The device has support for all modern communications, which should meet the needs of a modern user. With each update, the Xperia UX proprietary skin is enhanced to offer superior functionality and responsiveness.

It's nice that the smartphone is devoid of critical flaws, but we still had some comments. These include not the most successful implementation of the fingerprint scanner, the controversial location of the volume rocker and a considerable price. Otherwise, if you are a supporter of Sony Style and want to have a beautiful, solid and powerful smartphone, then the Sony Xperia Z5 Dual is an excellent choice.

Advantages:

• stylish appearance;
• high-quality body assembly;
• protection against dust and moisture (IP65 / 68);
• excellent 5.2-inch Full HD IPS display;
• high-quality audio subsystem;
• good digital camera modules (5 and 23 megapixels);
• productive hardware platform;
• support for global positioning systems GPS, Beidou and GLONASS;
• availability of NFC, Miracast, Bluetooth 4.1 and dual-band Wi-Fi with support for 802.11ac;
• good autonomy;
• support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 fast charging technology;
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Sony xperia z5 review will let you know about all the features of the new flagship in the assortment of the Japanese manufacturer. The Z5 looks beautiful, original and very expensive, its design immediately catches the eye. When developing this model, the manufacturer paid more attention to details. If in previous models the back side was very branded, now this flaw has been corrected with a matte finish. This made the smartphone more practical and had a positive effect on its appearance. The surface of the back cover feels slightly rough and does not look glassy on the outside. In appearance, it can be confused with plastic, painted to resemble metal, but the tactile sensations put everything in its place. The presence of small protrusions of the frame allows you to put the phone on the table and not be afraid that it will be scratched or slipped.

Sony Xperia Z5 design

Another nice addition will be the presence of laser engraving Xperia, located on the left end of the metal frame. This is an important part of device design. The main innovation is the fingerprint scanner built into the side power button. Sony has kept its corporate identity and added functionality to the device. The scanner triggers very quickly and accurately. The presence of a scanner has led to the fact that now the power button has become tighter, therefore, to unlock it, you will have to make a strong press.

There is only one flap in the case, covering the common slot for nano-SIM and memory cards. At the same time, the smartphone remained waterproof.

The front panel of the sony xperia z5 premium review inherited the features of the Sony Z2. The shape as well as the location of the speakers have also been borrowed from previous models. The sound quality remains on par with the Sony Z3. The sound is only slightly louder, and when a call comes in, both speakers function, so you don't miss a call.

Sony Xperia Z5 display

The 5.2 inch screen has a FulHD resolution. It has become one of the brightest in the global smartphone market. The color rendition is as close to natural as possible, but a little cool. The assembly of the device was done flawlessly, all the parts fit tightly, there are no cracks or gaps.

Software

The smartphone works on the basis of the proprietary Xperia Home shell, but now it has more elements from a pure android. As before, the basic software and services of Sony are preinstalled as standard. Firmware updates are delivered over the air, which is extremely convenient. Gradually, the manufacturer releases improvements to the camera and other system applications, regardless of the release of a new version of Android. The updated configuration wizard introduces the main features of the device to the user. The sony z5 premium dual settings menu still has X-reality Pro mode, which now functions more smoothly and accurately. With the onset of a cold winter, you can use the device with gloves.

This feature will be especially useful for our climate. The operation of the fingerprint scanner can be configured in the "Security" item. Up to 5 different prints can be stored in memory. It is recommended to add the same finger several times to increase the response accuracy. The manufacturer used an unusual solution in his device, which surprised us. If the smartphone was unlocked by the owner, then when entering the security section, it will be possible to remove all fingers without specifying a password. Standard applications are sorted into folders and occupy only two menu screens. All the necessary tools from Google and Sony are present.

Camera

Reviewing the sony xperia z5 premium black in Russian, we tested the cameras. The main advantage of the new smartphone is the new 23 megapixel camera. It has instant focusing, 5x lossless magnification, and good image quality in low light conditions. To evaluate the quality of the images, you can see the sample photos below.

The autofocus is very fast, but in exceptional cases it makes mistakes and focuses for a long time, even if you are shooting a simple subject. For example, on a glass of coffee, only the iPhone 6 was normally focused. He instantly took it into focus and corrected the color rendering, while Sony could not catch the object in focus for a long time. In some photographs, the Sony Z5 obtained a more realistic color reproduction. When taking pictures in low light conditions, there may be slight noise and blur. The sony xperia z5 premium smartphone has one major drawback.

When specifying 8 megapixels in the settings, you can configure any parameters, while at the maximum resolution you cannot specify ISO settings, and in addition, scenes are blocked. I would like the manufacturer to improve the capabilities of the camera in future updates, and not only add various shooting effects. Compared to the iPhone 6, the Sony has a wider capture angle, resulting in more objects in the photo.

Sample photo:

The video quality of the sony xperia z5 premium has improved a lot. The manufacturer has done a good job on image clarity, stabilization has become smoother, and focus is faster on the subject. The smartphone can shoot video in 4K resolution. In daytime, the videos are excellent, and at night they are slightly smeared. The best option would be shooting in 1080/60 quality.

Sony Xperia Z5 performance and test results

Sony z5 specifications are very good, so the smartphone is suitable for even the most demanding applications. It works on the basis of the Snapdragon 810 processor. It has one significant drawback - it gets very hot, which no manufacturer has yet managed to cope with. The Z5 becomes less powerful when heated, which is especially noticeable during testing. In everyday use, everything works just fine, especially since the smooth operation is provided by 3 GB of RAM. The only thing is that after rebooting the phone takes quite a long time to fully prepare for work.

When testing in Antutu, the device first scored 61,756 parrots, but then warmed up and the result dropped by 10,000 points.

In general, the results are top-notch and very good even for a flagship. Most of the time, heating is kept within normal limits and is no more than 45 degrees. There are no brakes in games even at maximum graphics settings. Sometimes small slowdowns occur when the processor heats up from a prolonged game.

When watching an HD video at maximum brightness and volume, the smartphone lost 18% of its charge per hour of use. This means that the battery lasts only 5.5 hours. If you run heavy games, then in half an hour the device loses 20%, which means it will work no more than 3 hours. In general, the battery will last for a day of medium-intensive use, but it will have to be charged every evening.

Sound Sony Xperia Z5

The sound quality in the headphones and from the multimedia speaker is top notch. The Z5 sounds much better than all previous models from the manufacturer, but the volume headroom is small. The situation is slightly improved by proprietary technology that optimizes sound for a specific headphone model. In most cases, the sound really becomes better and more interesting. The connection works perfectly, no problems were identified.

Outcome

Sony z5 premium price starts at 43,000 rubles, and the standard model can be found at a price of 35,000. The cheapest version will be the compact - from 26,000 rubles. The smartphone has a stylish body and premium materials of manufacture, as well as a large selection of colors, but the situation is slightly spoiled by the bulging edges. Iron is very powerful, but it doesn't work as efficiently when heated. I would like to believe that the manufacturer's next smartphone will be devoid of all flaws and will become really perfect. First of all, you need to do a good job on the camera and its customization options.

Your rating for a smartphone:

In the second half of 2015, Sony introduced three flagship smartphones at once: Xperia Z5 Compact, Z5 and Z5 Premium. Each of them has its own characteristics, but it is the Xperia Z5 that will fight the popular ones, and. The Z5 does not have many trump cards in its assets - high performance, camera and corporate design. Is this enough to gain popularity in the presence of such serious competitors? In the review, we will try to answer this question.

Appearance

In the fifth generation of flagship smartphones, Sony has remained true to its design and continues to refine it to perfection. In fact, the Xperia Z5 is not much different from its predecessors.

The main differences are in the little things. First of all, it is worth noting the new body colors. There are four colors available: white, black, gold and dark green, which has been with us for testing.

Unlike previous generation models, the body of the smartphone is completely matte, including the back panel made of glass. Sony's green is definitely a success and can be emerald or nearly black in different lighting conditions.

Visually, the smartphone turned out to be very elegant and neat, despite its considerable size. Along the perimeter, the body is surrounded by metal sidewalls separated by plastic corners. They are painted in the color of the case, only the silver power button stands out.

I liked the build quality and material handling very much. According to this parameter, the smartphone fully justifies its positioning. Even the traditional Xperia line cover for SIM and memory card slots is neatly built-in and practically does not stand out on the side. The case is protected from moisture and dust according to the IP65 / 68 standard, while the company's engineers managed to protect the microUSB and 3.5 mm connectors from moisture without using plugs.

It is worth noting the change in the manufacturer's warranty policy. For example, with the Xperia Z3, you could swim and take photos underwater with ease. In the case of the Z5, the company clarifies that this smartphone is not intended to be completely submerged in water - if it stops working after swimming in a river or sea, this will not be considered a warranty case.

The back cover is pretty practical. As we have already mentioned - it is glass, but processed to a matte finish. As a result, fingerprints are hardly visible on it. The glass is also well protected from scratches. The level of durability of the smartphone pleased us, the test copy came to us not new, but there were no visible traces of use on it.

The convenience of use

Sony continues to experiment with placement of controls and the Xperia Z5 is no exception. Traditionally, on the right side there is a power button, a volume rocker and a two-position shutter button and turning on the camera.

The biggest change is the power key. For the first time in the Xperia Z line, it is recessed into the body and received an elongated shape. Obviously, the change in shape was dictated by the desire to build a fingerprint sensor into it. We had no complaints about the location of the key, regardless of the size of the palm, the thumb of the right hand always rested on the button. I did not like the short and uninformative move.

The placement of the volume key raised the most questions. Unlike its predecessors, it was moved closer to the shutter release button. When working with a smartphone, you almost always have to grip the case with your right hand to change the volume, and in horizontal orientation it is convenient to use it only with a long index finger. This remark also applies to the photo mode, during which the rocker acts as a zoom. In general, no matter what hand you take, you will have to get used to it and not the fact that this will happen quickly.

Another nuance is the rather slippery materials of the case. Painted sidewalls and frosted glass, coupled with dimensions, do not give a feeling of grip. The straightened shape of the sidewalls also does not contribute to a comfortable and confident grip, because of this it is inconvenient to lift the smartphone off the table. As for the rest, we had no questions about the layout of the case. The micro-USB connector is located on the bottom edge, there is also a place for attaching the strap. On the top is a microphone and a 3.5mm audio jack.

Display

2015 can rightfully be called the year of 2K displays. Despite the fact that the use of such screens entails losses in autonomy and performance, there is a certain wow effect from such a solution. But Sony decided to keep its trump card for the Xperia Z5 Premium model, and the "regular" Z5 equipped with IPS Full HD display with a diagonal of 5.2 inches.

The screen in the Xperia Z5 is not bad, but the smartphone, which costs about 700 euros when it goes on sale, should make a better impression, especially considering the quality of the matrixes of its main competitors. The main drawbacks of the display, in our opinion, are inaccurate color reproduction, many noted too "acidic" colors, in this sense the screen is more like the early samples of AMOLED matrices. I also did not like the display of white. However, the company has provided several settings for adjusting color reproduction.

The measured contrast level is also far from ideal, in the test sample it was 1: 779. But the range of brightness control pleased. Thus, the maximum level was 520 cd / m2, and the minimum was 4 cd / m2. This range allows you to choose the right level for any situation. The display remains readable in the sun. The Z5 has excellent viewing angles.

Equipment, hardware platform

The Xperia Z5 has the most powerful processor from Qualcomm to date, the Snapdragon 810 (MSM8994). The graphics accelerator Adreno 430 works in tandem with it.

Recall that this processor consists of 4 Cortex-A53 cores operating at 1.5 GHz and 4 Cortex-A57 at 2 GHz. This allows the smartphone to demonstrate excellent performance, both in games and in other tasks. At the moment, in any game at the maximum or close to it the level of graphics, you can count on a smooth frame rate. The payment for this was the heating of the case in the area of \u200b\u200bthe camera. Sometimes the smartphone warmed up quite noticeably, but it did not reach critical overheating.

The amount of RAM is 3 GB, after downloading the user has about 1.7 GB. The volume of permanent memory is 32 GB, there are no other configurations on sale. Although, their absence is not so critical, because the Xperia Z5 is equipped with a microSD card slot.

The smartphone supports wireless interfaces Wi-Fi 802.11ac, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1, as well as ANT + for connecting sports accessories and, of course, LTE and HSPA. The version with two SIM cards was tested. At the software level, the work is implemented similarly to other Android smartphones. In standby mode, both cards are active, you can set call forwarding for the duration of the call.

The Xperia Z5 may well please music lovers. It is worth noting the very high-quality sound in the speakers, there are two of them for music playback, and both are located on the front panel. In terms of volume, they don't match the HTC M9, but they have clear sound. The sound in headphones is excellent, with good detail and sufficient volume. The volume of the spoken speaker is sufficient in almost any situation, except for the metro and the noisy road nearby. I didn't really like the work of the noise reduction system, many interlocutors noted the loss of voice in noisy situations. The vibrating alert is strong, you can almost always feel it in your pocket. An LED is provided to indicate missed events. It is bright and can be distracting in the dark.

For the first time for the Z series, the smartphone received a fingerprint sensor. The device can store 5 prints. Scanning speed is fast, but not maximum. The accuracy is at an average level, it is worth considering that to guarantee quick response on the first try, you should put your finger on the sensor in the exact position in which you scanned it.

Operating system, shell

The smartphone got into the editorial office with Android 5.1.1 on board. Sony still uses its own skin for smartphones, but with each new model it looks more and more like pure Android. The number of preinstalled software is minimal. The speed and smoothness of the interface are at the highest level.

Photographic capabilities

In the ad campaign, Sony focused on the quality of the images captured by the main camera, which is represented by a 23-megapixel Exmor RS3 sensor with an f / 2.0 aperture. For autofocusing, a hybrid system is used that combines contrast and phase focusing types. Sony claims that it achieves a minimum focusing time of 0.03 seconds by using Hybrid AF. And this is true, but adjusted for the amount of light. So, during the day, the camera can focus so quickly that sometimes it seems that it is not equipped with autofocus at all. In low light with focusing, the camera already has problems, both with speed and accuracy.

Photographing is possible in automatic and manual modes. In fact, manual mode simply provides a little more options. In particular, you can choose exposure and sensitivity. Moreover, the ISO value is adjusted only if the selected frame resolution is no more than 8 MP.

The camera starts up and focuses in less than 2 seconds. For quick launch, you can use the dedicated shutter key. The Z5's camera interface is simple enough, but not intuitive and thoughtful enough. In the viewfinder mode, 4 main modes are available - photo in automatic mode, manual mode, video and a choice of additional effects, in the selection window of which both entertainment options and 4K video recording are mixed.

Moreover, in the basic settings, you cannot choose to record video in the maximum resolution, you need to switch to the additional effects mode. Also, you will not be able to immediately start shooting video after starting the camera, you will have to first select the mode. Unfortunately, there are many such software flaws.

There are no complaints about the quality of video recording. Video recording is possible in 2160/30 fps, 1080/60 fps and 720/120 fps modes. You can find examples below.

Unfortunately, for the entire time of use in Kiev, the weather was mostly cloudy and rainy, so the presented photos will not please with bright colors. But on the other hand, taking pictures well in bright sunlight is not an achievement, especially for a flagship. Therefore, you can clearly see the real level of image quality with reduced illumination.

The front camera is represented by a 5-megapixel sensor. Its quality is at a good level, but with a decrease in illumination, a rather aggressive noise reduction mechanism comes into play, which naturally reduces detail.

In fact, despite all the loud statements about the quality of the camera, we were left somewhat disappointed. No, actually the camera is not bad. But in fact, it does not show anything supernatural, especially with a lack of lighting.

Autonomy

The Sony Xperia Z5 is equipped with a 2900 mAh non-removable battery. Initially, we had serious doubts about the combination of the Snapdragon 810 processor and not the most capacious battery. However, during testing, they were dispelled. In reality, the smartphone has demonstrated the ability to work independently for a whole day with very intensive use.

The usage model included the following functions: up to 30 minutes of calls, about 2 hours of surfing the Internet both when connected to 3G and Wi-Fi networks, up to half an hour of games, synchronization with an email account and social networks, a total of 5 minutes of video recording and about 20 pictures. The brightness of the display was adjusted automatically. After removing the smartphone from charging at 9 am, after using in the described mode, we had approximately 30% of the charge left by midnight. Fully charging the battery takes approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes using a conventional 2A charger. By the way, the Xperia Z5 supports Quick Charge.

The numbers speak for themselves, the smartphone lives the whole day without problems and you do not need to start charging after lunch. If the connection to the charger is not expected in the near future, then the proprietary energy saving modes Stamina and Ultra Stamina can come to the rescue. In the first, the wireless interfaces are periodically disabled, the display brightness is lowered, and the second works more aggressively, leaving only basic functions.

Outcome

The Xperia Z5 is the best smartphone Sony has ever made. The slim and beautiful body combines high power and good battery life. The display let us down a bit, or rather its color rendition. In addition, the presence of a 2K display would certainly add points to the smartphone. The camera turned out to be not as good as we were promised, but for most users its capabilities and equipment will be enough for the eyes. Otherwise, it is a well-equipped, modern smartphone. At the moment, the main problem with the Sony Xperia Z5 is cost. With the described disadvantages, at first it will be very difficult for the smartphone, especially given the fact that competitors managed to fall in price and gain popularity, but after the price drop for Z5 it is worth paying attention.