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Sony Xperia Z5 Compact review

8.2/10 AVG.
RATING
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Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
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8.2/10
Informr score
The Sony Xperia Z5 Compact currently has an Informr score of 8.2 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 23 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

What's good

  • Snappy performance for all tasks
  • Over 2 days of battery life during moderate usage
  • Incredibly fast autofocus
  • Highly detailed photos in bright and low light conditions

What's bad

  • 720p resolution display
  • Camera lag issues when navigating app and in-between shots
  • Difficult to adjust to smaller keyboard when typing

While other companies are pushing forward with larger and larger screens, Sony's Xperia Z5 Compact is one of the few smartphones in 2015 that offers a sub 5-inch display. Despite being only 5 inches tall, it manages to be fairly thick at 0.4 inches, leading many experts to call it chunky and chubby. This slight thickness made it feel like a less than premium device to critics, which was only amplified thanks to its plastic sides. With that said, they still found it to be an attractive device thanks to the frosted glass back panel and array of color options. As well, the added thickness and rounded corners provided them with a comfortable fit.

Gracing the front of the Z5 Compact is the petite 4.6-inch, 720 IPS LCD screen. This provides a Retina-like pixel density of 323ppi. While some critics bemoan the fact that it isn't full HD, they all agree it is sharp enough for most people. Still, there are some limitations to this resolution as they were not able to watch some videos at the intended resolution. The screen did deliver in other aspects, however. They describe it as bright with good viewing angles and good color balance. Unlike larger smartphones, they were also able to use the phone one-handed easily. Some reviewers did discover it took them some time to get used to typing on the smaller screen as they had become accustomed to larger ones.

Just because it's small doesn't mean it's underpowered. The Z5 Compact comes with an octa-core processor that consists of four cores running at 1.5GHz for basic tasks and four 2.0GHz cores that kick in during more intensive tasks. This is backed by 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. For the most part, experts experienced fairly snappy performance regardless of whether they were simply browsing the web or playing a 3D game. Thanks to the 2700mAh battery, they were also able to get a full day's worth of life even when leaving 4G on for hours. Moderate usage netted them a whopping 72 hours.

The Z5 Compact comes with the same camera as the Z5. This means a 23MP camera, new autofocus, stronger zoom and optical image stabilization. According to Sony, the camera can autofocus in 0.03 seconds. While experts didn't time it, they were impressed with the incredible speed citing it as one of the fastest they've tested. Bright light situations provided them with detailed shots and excellent contrast between light and dark. Unlike many other smartphones, critics were also able to take excellent pictures in low light conditions as well even without flash. Still, many experts were unsatisfied with the camera due to shutter lag, delay between shots and sluggishness when navigating the app itself.

Experts recommend the Xperia Z5 Compact for people who are looking specifically for a smaller smartphone. Tech Radar states, "If you're looking for a small Android phone right now, this is it. With an incredible battery life, a new high-end processor and some impressive camera upgradesā€¦There's much more to like here than criticize." Android Pit adds, "The Xperia Z5 Compact must be the best 'small' smartphone in the world."


Android
Operating system
Operating system
Android
2 GHz
Processor
Processor
2 GHz
4.6"
Screen Size
Screen Size
4.6"
20+ MP
Camera
Camera
20+ MP
2700 mAh
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


Reviewed
Reviewed

The Sony Xperia Z5 Compact managed to accumulate high marks in just about every category we test for, but the day-to-day experience of using one tells a slightly different story. It takes beautiful photos, but the process of taking them isn't very fun or intuitive. It crushes our hardware benchmarks...

- Michael Desjardin, Reviewed
PC Magazine
PC Magazine

With its powerful processor, good battery life, and solid camera, the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact is a great choice for a one-handed Android device that doesn't trade power for size. It offers more power and better battery life than any of the similarly sized Android competition.

- Ajay Kumar, PC Magazine
Know Your Mobile
Know Your Mobile

A truly one-of-a-kind handset, the Z5 Compact proves that big isn't always better. It's the perfect phone for those who don't want a phablet but still want cutting-edge power.

- Know Your Mobile team, Know Your Mobile
Phone Scoop
Phone Scoop

The Sony Xperia Z5 Compact offers what few other phones do: flagship performance in a petite piece of hardware. The Z5 Compact is refined, small, and manufactured with the best materials. The glass-and-metal combo offers a premium experience, and its waterproof nature makes it all the more appealing...

- Eric M. Zeman, Phone Scoop
Tom's Guide
Tom's Guide

The Sony Xperia Z5 Compact offers speedy performance and excellent endurance in a petite, waterproof frame. But it has too much bloatware to be the best compact phone.

- Cherlynn Low, Tom's Guide


Prices (Where to Buy)




Common Questions



Sony backs up the Xperia Z5 Compact with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.


If your Xperia Z5 Compact has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Sony support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Sony's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.



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Quick view

Screen Size
4.6"

The Sony Xperia Z5 Compact's screen size is 4.6 inches with 720 x 1280 pixels resolution.

Processor
2 GHz

There is a Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 Octa core 2 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The phone runs on the Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system (OS).

Camera
20+ MP

You can take photos with the phone's onboard 20+ MP camera.

There is also a secondary front facing camera with 5+ megapixels resolution.

Storage
32 GB

Internal memory is 32 GB. An external, MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 200 GB) expansion slot is available for increased storage capacity.

Battery
2700mAh

The phone is powered by a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion), 2700 mAh battery. Sony's performance ratings are 890 minutes, 680 minutes Wi-Fi surfing.

Xperia Z5 Compact Specs

Overview
Release Date October 31, 2015
Regions Available USA, Canada, United Kingdom
Operating System Android 5.1 Lollipop

Compare Android Smartphones

Processor Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 Octa core 2 GHz
Internal Storage 32 GB
RAM 2 GB
Hearing Aid Compatible Yes
TTY/TDD Yes
Noise Cancellation Yes
SAR Head: 0.97 W/kg
Body: 0.72 W/kg
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included AC Charger, Manual
Cellular
Networks
GPRS, EDGE, HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE
Mobile / Cellular Data
4G/LTE
Push-to-talk (PTT) No
Wi-Fi Calling Unknown
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) Unknown
SIM card size
Nano-SIM
Dual SIM No
Connectivity
USB Micro-USB 2.0
USB OTG Support No
GPS Type A-GPS
Infrared No
Bluetooth 4.1
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, AVRCP, OPP/FTP, HID, HFP, HSP, PAN
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC, aptX, LDAC
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Mobile Hotspot Yes
Memory Expansion Slot Yes
Expansion Slot Info MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 200 GB)
NFC Yes
Data Tethering Compatibility Yes
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
20+ Megapixels
Zoom
8x digital
Flash
Yes (LED)
Additional Rear Camera Info
Auto focus, Effects, Face detection, Geotagging, Image stabilization, Multi-shot, Panorama, HDR
Video Recording Formats
3GP / 3GPP, H.264 / AVC, MPEG-4, ASF, DivX, XviD, AVI
Video Recording Parameters
Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels)
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
5+ Megapixels
Additional Front Camera Info
ISO, Night mode
Video Recording Parameters
Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels)
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology LCD (IPS)
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution 720 x 1280 pixels
Pixel Density 319 pixels
Size 4.6 inches
Secondary Display No
Sensors Ambient Light, Proximity, Motion / Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Digital Compass
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating Yes
Additional Display Features Capacitive touch screen
Power & Battery
Battery Type Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)
Battery Capacity 2700 mAh
Removable Battery No
Wireless Charging No
Fast Charging No
Video Playback Time Up to 500 minutes
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Up to 680 minutes
Internet Use (Cellular) Unknown
Talk Time Up to 890 minutes
Standby Time Up to 21.7 days
Mixed Usage
Physical Characteristics
Design Type Bar
Material Aluminium
Colors Graphite Black, White, Yellow, Coral
Dimensions [H x W x D] 12.7 x 6.5 x 0.9 cm (5 x 2.6 x 0.4 in)
Weight 138 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Water Resistant
Rugged design No
IP Rating IP 68
Headset Jack 3.5mm
External Speakers Yes
Input / Navigation
Sleep / Wake Key Yes
Home Key No
Input / Keyboard Type Touchscreen
Navigation Type Touchscreen
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor No
More
Additional Information Other Names (AKA): Sony E5803, E5823

Additional Sensors
- Finger Print Sensor
- Pedometer
Related Links Manual (PDF)
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact Reviews
Where to buy Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
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