Sony Xperia 5 II review: a smartphone almost as competitive as the competition

With its Sony Xperia 5 II, the Japanese brand Sony remains on its fundamentals. Despite its price of 899 euros, the phone offers a rather anachronistic compact format and above all in the face of very fierce competition. Does the manufacturer’s high-end smartphone have the means to compete?

Design: an attractive format good in all respects

With its high-end product, Sony renews its rather atypical format with fairly compact dimensions. The Xperia 5 II is very pleasant to use with a width of 6 centimeters and a weight of 163 grams. First of all, it offers greatly improved ergonomics. The buttons for volume management, as well as the unlocking, fall perfectly on your fingers for a pleasant grip at all times. The phone even has the luxury of having a dedicated location for taking pictures. The experience of handling is optimal thanks to its very compact format.

In the visual choice made by the Japanese company, the smartphone does not fit into what the market currently offers. Where most devices in circulation choose a notch or a punch, the Xperia 5 II prefers to integrate a thin border at the top of its screen. A questionable choice after all, but which can be understood in the desire to remain in continuity. Similarly, the rear photographic lens takes up very little space compared to all the harmony offered. The mobile also offers a practical IP68 certification but which is not to be tested.

The Sony Xperia 5 II remains a beautiful smartphone object, even if it ignores some popular choices on the market today.

Touch screen: a star not highlighted enough

This is a choice that has already been made on the manufacturer’s previous high-end models. The Sony Xperia 5 II offers an OLED panel that measures a total of 6.1 inches. This touch screen, capable of displaying content in Full HD is integrated in the 21: 9 format. A special arrangement that is the signature of all Sony phones on the market today. Still in the provisions in place, know that the panel also offers a refresh rate of 120 Hz for fluidity at all times on this smartphone. On paper, everything seems to come together for the Xperia 5 II to deliver one of the best possible performance in terms of touchscreen.

The technical sheet of the Sony phone available on MeilleurMobile

In fact, a tiny detail comes to stop this beautiful mechanism. According to the measurements made by the 01net laboratory as well as our own experience, the screen suffers from a real lack of brightness. In bright light or in the sun, the measurement of 541 cd / m² is not felt on a daily basis. It is however detected with the naked eye and remains detrimental for a device aimed at the high end. For the rest of the arrangements, the OLED quality of the panel has a lot to do with the performance of the Sony phone.

Performance: the Snapdragon 865 at the level of the best products

Within the Sony Xperia 5 II, it is a technical sheet worthy of the high-end that is inserted. As usual, Sony trusted the American founder Qualcomm to equip its star product. The processor is a Snapdragon 865, which has just been overtaken by the 888, but which shows a beautiful resilience. It is accompanied by 8 GB of RAM as well as 128 GB of internal storage. Finally, everything is completed with an Adreno 650 graphics chip which has already proved its worth, in particular for running mobile games.

When this great set is tested, it is clear that the phone meets all your expectations. It achieves a very good score on the Antutu V8 benchmark with a registered mark of 548,301 points. In use, the Sony phone perfectly meets all expectations, whether for mobile gaming or very intensive use. A slight regret however, if the phone ticks all the boxes, it lacks a little nothing to make it exceptional. It doesn’t have a great feature or software that gives it a few months ahead of the technology.

Autonomy: a lifespan that meets your expectations

For several weeks now, one of the strengths that make Sony phones so popular has been in the battery. It is a Lithium-Ion slot charged at 4000 mAh which on the paper is optimized for a long life. On the measurements taken by 01net, versatile autonomy is recorded at 4:12 p.m., well above the average for products of the same category. It still remains above an Oppo Reno4 Pro but a little worse than a Motorola Moto G9 Plus. In use, the Sony Xperia 5 II still remains a faithful everyday ally and able to hold out.

Comparison of all Sony smartphones available on MeilleurMobile

Still in operation, the internal battery of the phone is not compatible with fast charging. A rather surprising bias in view of the market, since for this price range, it is now common to see faster recharging. This is not the case with the Xperia 5 II which prefers to take its time. In total, allow 1 hour and 57 minutes of connection to the mains to be at 100%. A performance far from optimal when the competition sometimes stands out passing the 33 minutes.

Camera: pretty versatile shots but not exceptional

On its back side, the phone incorporates a triple back camera system. The Sony Xperia 5 II thus offers a fairly complete photo experience in all situations. The device is thus composed as follows:

• A 12-megapixel main module with a 24mm focal length
• A 12-megapixel 70mm telephoto sensor
• A 12-megapixel 16mm ultra-wide-angle

First of all, know that all the lenses that are on the Sony mobile are the result of a partnership with the specialized brand Zeiss. Animated together, the photographic experience offered on the Sony Xperia 5 III is very good. In broad daylight, the telephone succeeds in seducing offering sharp and precise pictures. On the other hand, the software contribution of the camera is not obvious. The photos are true to life and that’s all one asks of this phone.

In its software, the Sony Xperia 5 II camera does not have a dedicated night mode. The Japanese firm relies on the opening integrated into each sensor. The phone is capable of taking pretty pictures even when the sun goes down. Like the other categories of Asian mobile, the photograph lacks an element that sets it apart. To be more precise, the element that makes the difference on the phone is its versatility. It offers a real ultra wide angle, a real quality zoom but above all pretty portraits.

Conclusion: what to remember from the Sony Xperia 5 II?

Like what could be offered on its previous models, Sony offers a complete high-end experience on its Xperia 5 II. As always, the design in the so particular format is present, which offers a guaranteed grip and an ideal screen format for video content. Failing to offer a really attractive innovation, the mobile has the perfect panoply of the small high-end smartphone. Never in excess he puts forward known and faithful services. We all the same come to regret the absence of risks. While a rival in each area does better than the Sony Xperia 5 II, none of them offers such homogeneity in performance. Available at 899 euros, promotions and sales will make it one of the prime targets for those looking for a good deal.