Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
Verdict
Key specs
Critic consensus
“The bottom line is that the Z5 Compact isn’t a great phone, but it is a good one, and it’s also the only game in town if you want something smaller than a typical flagship without sacrificing speed or capability entirely. It’s possible that the release of Apple’s 4-inch “iPhone 5SE” will inspire the other Android OEMs to do some more small-screened experiments, but until that happens, the Z5 Compact is what you want.”
“Personally, I found the OnePlus X performance to be perfectly adequate – actually better than I expected – and its camera and battery life was acceptable if not remarkable. But I never expected them to be anything else. When you boil it all down, the OnePlus X is all about surface: you get what you see. From great styling to great software, if you don’t expect any untold performance depths beneath that gorgeous exterior and price tag you won’t be disappointed.”
“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.”
“Despite its diminutive physical size, the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact has some big shoes to fill and a lot of expectations to live up to. Albeit a little aging now, the Z3 Compact is still a solid device, with a very select market of its own and a group of fans eager for a follow-up to their beloved small, yet powerful handset.In a lot of ways, the Z5 Compact meets the bill. It improves its predecessor in almost every way except perhaps battery life. Most-importantly, it has managed to conserve and carry the series core principles of providing flagship hardware inside a compact and stylish shell.Hence, there are really two distinct ways of evaluating the Z5 Compact. On one hand, it is a beautiful device through and through with top notch performance, design and build quality and it does fill an ever-growing void of powerful sub-5.0-inch devices. But, on the other hand, it is not alone in this niche, as the Z3 Compact is still a solid choice. Furthermore, it is now more tantalizing than even thanks to its continuously falling price tag.In the end of the day it all comes down to whether the Z5 Compact brings enough improvements to the table to justify its €150 or so price difference and more often than not, that depends on your personal needs and opinion.”
Watch before you decide
In Depth
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 upgrades…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.”
What people actually want to know
When was the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact released?
The Sony Xperia Z5 Compact was released on October 31, 2015.
How long does the battery last on the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact?
The Sony Xperia Z5 Compact has a 2,700 mAh battery.
Is the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact water resistant?
The Sony Xperia Z5 Compact carries an IP68 rating.
Note: water resistance degrades over time and manufacturer warranties typically don't cover liquid damage.
Does the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact have a headphone jack?
Yes, the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Does the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact have NFC?
Yes, the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact has NFC. You can use Google Wallet, Apple Pay, and tap-to-pair with Bluetooth accessories.
Where can I get support for the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact?
Visit Sony's official support page for warranty info, repairs, and troubleshooting.
Where can I download the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact manual?
You can view and download the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact manual on our dedicated manual page.
Questions & answers
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Hi PMale. Warranty terms may differ on where you bought the phone. Usually, the phone has 12 months of warranty starting the day you bought the phone. Do you still remember when you bought the phone?