Review: Sony Xperia Z5
By Will Goodbody, Science & Technology Correspondent
Sony’s Xperia range of premium smartphones have risen high in my estimation over time.
They have always looked good, have consistently introduced new features ahead of the competition and in particular have always had a great camera.
The only big criticism around the range has been the speed with which Sony has repeatedly introduced new models.
There have been four models released since the Z1 was first introduced in 2013 – that’s a lot of costly upgrades for early adopters and Sony loyalists in just two years.
This time around, the company has skipped a number and gone straight from the Z3+ (which was in effect the Z4 in everything but name in Europe) to the Z5.
Gone is the clear glass on the rear to be replaced by frosted glass instead.
For those prone to dropping their phones, the shock absorbers on the noticeably more smooth edges are back again.
But the position of the buttons has changed slightly, with the new fingerprint sensor built into the power button on the right edge - positioned perfectly for your thumb (more on that later).
The only waterproof cap on the Z5 covers the nano SIM and microSD slots, as the rest of the ports are now exposed – which is a good thing.
Overall the size is very similar to the Z3+, but it does weigh 10g more – not that you are likely to notice the difference.
Inside it’s powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset and 3GB of RAM as the Z3+.
Sony seems to have resolved some – but not all - of the processor issues in the Z3+ which caused it to get very hot when being used for long periods or to run power hungry apps.
All told though, the device is not lacking power and handles most tasks speedily and smoothly.
There’s 32GB of internal flash memory, which isn’t a huge amount these days.
But the smartphone does have a microSD slot which supports cards of up to 200GB.
The Xperia Z5 retains the same IP65 and IP68 waterproof and dust tight ratings as its predecessor – a feature few other smartphone makers have managed to successfully match.
Interestingly, Sony has once again reduced the battery size, putting a marginally smaller 2900mAh battery in the Z5.
Despite the obvious optimisation improvements, the result is that all the official key battery life measures, apart from talk time, are lower on the Z5 than they are on the Z3+.
In reality, though, it will just about last you a day under normal use and there are of course options to allow you to extend the battery life further if needed.
Arguably the biggest new feature is the main camera, which has been upgraded significantly for the first time in a while.
It now boasts q 23MP Sony Exmor RS sensor and autofocus with a very quick 0.3 second delay.
That makes for noticeably clearer photos, even when there’s movement involved.
The front camera though is the same 5MP unit as was on the Z3+ - which works fine.
The main camera continues to offer the ability to record in a range of resolutions right up to and including 4K.
4K is a nice optional feature to have, although it does take up a considerable amount of space.
It is rendered a little pointless too by Sony’s decision not to put a 4K screen on the Z5 (there is one on the Z5 Premium).
In fact, Sony didn’t even go with the 2K option that many rivals have adopted.
Instead it has stuck with the 5.2 inch Full HD 1920x1080 display, which is perfect for regular HD video, but obviously a problem for anything with more resolution.
A long time after others like Samsung, Apple and Huawei introduced a finger print sensor for security and payments onto their high end smartphones, Sony has finally followed suit.
It has chosen to integrate the sensor into the power button on the right side, which is a perfect place for your thumb if you are right handed, but not so good if you are a leftie.
Nevertheless, it is simple to set up and works really well, and if it doesn’t you can go the password/PIN route instead.
The phone runs Android 5.1 Lollipop and uses Sony’s own user interface, which some people seem to have a problem with, but on the whole isn’t overly objectionable.
Overall the Z5 is a really good phone.
The biggest selling points are the new fingerprint sensor and the look, while the camera represents something of an improvement.
The battery life is something to be conscious of, however, and the failure to upgrade the screen is an opportunity lost.
The Z5 is James Bond’s handset of choice in Spectre.
It doesn’t come with a licence to kill, but in the right hands it certainly will thrill.
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