Phonandroid Sony Xperia 5 III test: a miniaturized, cheaper and improved version of Xperia 1 III

Descending from the Compact range, the Xperia 5 III is the third small flagship from Sony.Ode at a time when high -end smartphones were easily used with one hand, this smartphone has most of the Xperia 1 III, while spreading the extravagant and the exuberant.Natural competitor of ZenFone 8, he also read on the side of the iPhone 13 Pro with his cutting -edge photo equipment.What is it worth in real life?Answer in this full test.

Sony presented three smartphones at the start of the year.Xperia 1 III, which we tested when it comes out.The Xperia 10 III, mid -range smartphone in all respects.And Xperia 5 III.Only the first two went out in the first half.The third had to take his pain in patience.The smartphone has indeed experienced a discharge of several months on its launch schedule.

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On the occasion of the commercial release of Xperia 5 III, we met Sony France in order to understand the reasons for this lag.The brand told us that it has undergone, like many other brands, the shortage of components that affects many electronic markets.Xperia 5 III was therefore obliged to give priority to Xperia 1 III.An evil for a good: it gave time to Xperia 5 II, which we tested in October 2020, time to kindly end his commercial career.

Fortunately, the shortage did not prevent Sony from launching the Xperia 5 III.And maybe it's a harm for a good.By leaving three months after the other "Mark 3", the Xperia 5 III wants to be the competitor of the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro, recently unveiled: same screen size, close resolution, top performance and ambitious photographic equipment.For a price in the middle of the two Apple models.Here is a pitch that attracts our curiosity.Is it deserved?Response throughout this test.

Our video test

Technical sheet

Price and availability

The price of Xperia 5 III is 999 euros.It is three hundred euros cheaper than the Xperia 1 III.It is also 100 euros more expensive than its predecessor, the Xperia 5 II.We will see in this test how Sony justifies this inflation.The Xperia 5 III is available from today, Friday, September 24, from online distributors (Fnac, Darty, Boulanger, Amazon, Cdiscount).He will then gradually arrive in physical stores and among operators.

Technically, it is competed by certain smartphones whose screen size is neighboring, but whose price is more aggressive.We think of ZenFone 8 and the Galaxy S21, two small flagships.With regard to Apple's proposal, the price of Xperia 5 III is positioned between the iPhone 13 (from 909 euros) and the iPhone 13 pro (from 1159 euros).And technically, it is closer to the iPhone 13 Pro.

The Xperia 5 III is provided with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage.Note that there is, internationally, a version of Xperia 5 III with 256 GB of internal storage.However, this is not important: you can extend this space with a microSDXC card.The smartphone accepts cards of a size up to 1 to.

The smartphone is delivered with a wall charger offering the maximum power compatible with the smartphone, a USB type-C to USB type-C cable and a pair of intra-ear earpieces.Sony does not provide a basic shell with its smartphones to protect them when leaving the box.It is kind of a shame.

Design

Now let's go into detail starting with the design.Ergonomically, the Xperia 5 III is very close to Xperia 5 II.There is practically no physical difference between the two generations.It's almost a shame: Sony has managed to modify the contours and the finishes of Xperia 1 III very slightly to give it a cachet different from Xperia 1 II, while respecting the design language which is so expensive to the brand since 2019.

So we find the same mineral glass sandwich (Gorilla Glass 6) that we enjoyed last year.We also find the aluminum frame and slightly curved slices with separations for "almost" invisible antennas.If you discover the black version here, we still have a small preference for the green version.She benefits from a matte coating on the back, which is less subject to fingerprints, while remaining sober and elegant.

The technical elements are positioned in the same places.USB Type-C and main microphone port on the lower edge.SIM drawer, extractable without tools, on the left.Secondary microphone and mini jack port 3.5 mm at the top.Start button (with integrated fingerprint reader), volume control, photo trigger and key dedicated to Google Assistant on the right.

At the rear, Sony offers a slightly protruding photo module, with rounded ends.It is larger than that of Xperia 5 III.It is always surmounted by the flash and the light sensor.This block, integrating three objectives, is almost identical to that of Xperia 5 III, with a single difference: the telescopic optics are square and large and not round and small.This is a sign of a technical change that we will see in the photo part.Another change: the NFC sensor was repositioned below, halfway up the module.

At the front, finally, no surprises to reveal.Sony retains the same architecture: a slender slab (21/9th) flanked by two borders which were very slightly refined (the Xperia 5 III measures 1 mm less in height than the Xperia 5 II).They still incorporate two symmetrical frontal speakers on the front.And one of them also houses the selfie sensor.

The design of Xperia 5 III has been experienced.So it remains excellent.But it remains extremely close to that of its predecessor.Some may wonder if Sony has no difficulty in renewing herself.We think it is also sometimes wise not to try to reinvent the wheel with each generation.

Screen

Let's stay on the front facade of the smartphone and let's go into the technical details of the slab.This takes up the major technical characteristics of that of Xperia 5 II, while supporting the rare (but important) novelty brought by the Xperia 1 III.Among these, we find in particular 10-bit colorimetry: it is possible to display up to a billion different colors.

We therefore find an OLED slab, one of the distinctive characteristics of the Xperia range.It’s very nice technology, inherited from TV Bravia.The Xperia 5 III obviously continues to take advantage of the X-Reality rendering engine and a triluminos display.The size of the slab is 6.1 inches.It monopolizes more than 80 % of the front surface of the phone.

This slab takes advantage of the 21/9 9th cinemascope ratio of the Sony range since 2019: the films are therefore displayed without border on this screen: it is a real pleasure.On the other hand, the display of the 16/9th content is less elegant, with very beautiful side black borders.We can not have everything.The Xperia 5 III displays images in Full HD+, like its predecessor.Or a resolution of 449 pixels per inch.It is HDR and BT compatible.2020, as usual.

As with its predecessor, the Xperia 5 III benefits from a 120 Hz refreshment rate.By default, this frequency is not activated.You have to go through the Settings menu to take advantage of it.Unlike Samsung or Apple, for example, there is also no variable frequency depending on the content, with one exception: the game.The gaming mode of the smartphone is capable of forcing the passage to the 120 Hz.It can also simulate a 240 Hz refresh with games, but it is a software tactic, as with the Xperia 5 II.The sampling frequency is 240 Hz, a report of two with the refreshment.

Let's talk about colorimetry.The Xperia 5 III supports the two display modes present in the Xperia 1 III.The first is the standard mode, applied by default.And the second is the creative mode, similar to the one you find at Bravia.You can combine the two thanks to a setting that automatically activates the creative mode with certain applications: Netflix, Photo Pro, etc..You can add applications to this list.You also have many settings to refine the colorimetric profile of the screen according to your tastes.

By default, we obtained readings quite similar to those of Xperia 1 III a few months ago.The creative mode has an almost perfect average gamma, with a few small deviations from the extreme frequencies of the spectrum.The temperature is always a little too high (6900 °).The Middle Delta is 2.2, which is very good.And only one color exceeds the Delta E of 4: dark green (with a global trend to point to blue).The brightness problem has still not been solved and does not manually exceed the 400 CD/m2 mark.The standard mode is less precise: temperature of 7500 °, Delta E Average of 3.3.And a half-divaine of colors above 4.And always this little concern for brightness.But he is less marked here.

Interface

Xperia 5 III is based on the same interface as that of Xperia 1 III.No big surprise so here.We find an organization very close to Android Stock, with two reception screens, an application drawer and a component for notifications and fast settings.We notice Sony's efforts to offer a more dynamic experience, especially on the wallpaper that comes alive when you unlock the mobile.It's pretty nice.We also find with pleasure the side pane which allows you to easily access your favorite applications, the “a hand” mode and the multi-window mode.

As always, Sony prefers to place the Google search bar at the bottom of the screen, between the most common shortcuts and the navigation keys.So, even if you have difficulty reaching the top of the screen with your thumb, Google search will always be accessible.It is irremovable and it is thus available on all screens.This has the negative consequence of reducing space for your own settings: application or widget.

Preinstalled applications are not so many.Sony makes the choice not to offer software that would come in duplicate vis-à-vis those imposed by Google.No second web browser.No second mail manager.No second file explorer.Not even a gallery to manage the shots: it is Google Photos who takes care of it.

There are some exceptions to this rule, but these are Sony's business partners: Tidal is added to YouTube Music, while Prime Video and Netflix are added to Play Films.Among the commercial applications, you will find Asphalt 9, Call of Duty Mobile, Facebook, Linkedin, Booking and the Amazon store.

Among the default applications of the Sony interface, you will find two themes dear to the group: photo and game.On the first theme, you have a professional photo and cinema pro, already crossed in the Xperia 1 III.Go to the photo part of this test to evoke more pro photo.

Cinema Pro is the equivalent of the manual pro photo mode.With the latter, you can disengage the camera to finely adjust your video: ISO, opening, white balance, number of images per second, color filter and objectives, since you can film on the three optics and the four focal lengths.

On the game side, you find on the one hand the PS app application which is only of interest if you have a PlayStation.You will find your trophies, your friends, your game library (in consultation only), as well as the PlayStation Store to buy games and launch their download on your console.

The other game -oriented application from the Sony interface is the game optimizer.It is an equivalent of the Color Os and Realme Ui play area.Less powerful than Armoury Crate at Asus Rog or Legion Realm in Lenovo, it allows you to deactivate notifications, increase or lower the refreshment rate, configure the equalizer and take screenshots (fixed or video).You can set certain settings for all games or for some games.Finally, the game optimizer includes the load bypass to connect the mobile without loading it for long sessions of play.

Powerful

Now let's talk about power.The Xperia 5 III has, like the Xperia 1 III of the Snapdragon 888, accompanied by 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage.During its formalization, this smartphone therefore took advantage of the best SOC of Qualcomm.Since then, this is no longer the case, even if no smartphone with the Snapdragon 888+ is still marketed in France (we are still waiting for the launch of the Mix 4 at Xiaomi, the Magic3 at Honor or the Rog Phone 5S at Asus).

Subjected to the pressure of our benchmarks, the Xperia 5 III adopts the same behavior as the Xperia 1 III.Sony, however, seems to have opted for even more cautious management of the heat emitted by the SOC of Qualcomm.Indeed, the scores of the Xperia 5 III are slightly behind compared to those of his big brother on Antutu.On the other hand, they are just as impressive on Geekbench or PC Mark.Our hypothesis: on simple tasks, not implying the GPU, there is no overheating problem.

On the other hand, as soon as the GPU enters the scene, it is no longer the same song.The temperature rises and the protections are put in place.This is confirmed with the 3D Mark test.All the performance scores of Xperia 5 III are below those of Xperia 1 III.We suspect Sony's engineers for fear that the smallness of the little flagship makes it difficult to dissipate heat.

On the other hand, we notice a very slight improvement on the stability of the platform: it is regularly above 60 % during stress tests of 20 minutes.This means that brighting performance to avoid overheating causes less slowdowns than on the Xperia 1 III.But there are still some, unfortunately.This is what we have experienced with Genuhin Impact during the game sessions with the best possible graphics.

The game optimizer offers several "performance" profiles.By default, it is on "equality", an equivalent of the balanced mode among competitors.You also have "performance" and "autonomy", according to your preferences.A personalized mode allows you to choose the elements to favor.These profiles only act on the frequency of refreshing the screen (from 40 Hz to 240 Hz) and not on the frequency of the SOC.But that's it already.

Autonomy

Let's go to autonomy.During our Xperia 5 II test, we noted a correct autonomy (very correct even for a small smartphone), but not extraordinary either.It must be said that the platform used then was greedy.And she was associated with a 120 Hz screen, which did not help.Here the 120 Hz is back, as well as the Gourmet Soc (even more even).But Sony has planned: the battery is here of 4500 mAh, as in the Xperia 1 III.This explains why the Xperia 5 III is 2 mm thicker than its predecessor.

In classical use, the Xperia 5 III offers good results.We have noted an autonomy of about a day and a half, a little more than with the Xperia 5 II.The increase in capacity has something obviously there.On very standard uses (streaming, internet, social networks, casual gaming, etc..), the Snapdragon 888 retains a fresh temperature and consumes less energy than the Snapdragon 865.It's good news.And thanks to its Full HD+screen, it offers better autonomy than Xperia 1 III (which benefits from the same battery).

And when it comes to playing?There, the speech is not so different.The Xperia 5 III does as well as its predecessor.It holds between 4 and 5 hours in video games, a figure which varies depending on the quality of the graphics.15 minutes of human impact cause him to lose between 5 % and 6 % battery.What is in the right average.It does better than the Galaxy S21, than the Zenfone 8 and that the Xperia 1 III.All for different reasons: small battery for the first, trend to overheating for the second and energy -consuming screen for the third.

Once the battery is completely discharged, it's time to use the charger supplied with the smartphone.Once again, the presence of this charger is good news ... Even if the load is far from being as swift as in competitors.Technically, the Xperia 5 III supports a load power of up to 30 watts (and the charger supplied is compatible 30 watts, precisely).But, to preserve the battery, Sony broke the load speed as soon as 80 % of the battery is loaded.

You get 50 % of the battery in half an hour, as promised.Then you reach 70 % in 50 % and 80 % in one hour.Which remains correct for a power of 30 watts.Then, the charging speed tumbles.We waited for more than 1:50 to recharge the phone from 0 % to 100 % (extinguished telephone) using the accessories provided.It's pretty slow, let's face it, for a high-end smartphone.Also note the absence of the wireless load, reserved for Xperia 1 III.

Audio

On the audio side, the Xperia 5 III is based on the heritage of the many high -end Xperia passed before him.We therefore find the double speaker on the front.Symmetrical speakers, offering as much power on the right as on the left when you hold the phone horizontally.And the result is a great stereo experience, both to play and watch movies and series.Note that the speaker located next to the selfie sensor also plays the role of telephone earphone.

Another important audio element: the Jack port.This is the second year that he is present, after a remarkable return to the Xperia 1 II.It allows you to use many audio accessories, notably from Sony.We would have preferred that this connection was integrated on the lower edge, but its presence is appreciated at its fair value.

The Xperia 5 III, like the Xperia 1 III, is compatible with Dolby Atmos, 360 Spatial Sound and DSEE Ultimate.The first two require compatible headphones, obviously, while the third will essentially depend on the songs you listen to.Dolby Atmos is accompanied here by a complete equalizer which allows you to adapt the sound to content and desires.Unfortunately it is still too rare.In addition, the Xperia 5 III, like its predecessor, is compatible with dynamic vibrations: this function makes the mobile vibrate according to the tempo of music or the sound effects of a film.It's amazing.

You will find in the box a pair of good wired headphones, with remote control deported.They are not compatible Dolby Atmos and 360 Spatial Sound.But they offer a very satisfactory audio experience.And they are accompanied by several pairs of tips to adapt to everyone's ear size.It's a detail, but it matters.

Photo

Presentation of sensors and application

We arrive at the last part of this test.And what a part!The photo is a very big subject this year, both for the Xperia 1 III and the Xperia 5 III.Unlike 2020 where Sony positioned Xperia 5 II as a smartphone ideal for playing, the Japanese firm opted in 2021 on the same arguments for the two standard bearers, even on the photo part.This implies that they share the same sensors and the same optics.Only difference: the flight time camera has disappeared.

We therefore find a triptych of 12 megapixel sensors at the back.A very large that will serve as a main sensor, with its pixels measuring 1.8 micron.It's really huge.The sensor also incorporates a Dual Pixel phase detection autofocus.Its objective opens up to f/1.7.He is stabilized.The focal length is equivalent to 24 mm.A great classic photo.

The first secondary sensor is a much smaller model (almost half in size).It also has a dual pixel autofocus.It is placed behind the square telephoto lens seen in the design part.He is stabilized et périscopique, offrant un zoom plus profond que celui du Xperia 5 II.Two of his lenses are removable.This provides a variable zoom of 2.9x or 4.4x (the equivalent of a focal length of 70 mm or 105 mm).The opening is at f/2.3 or f/2.8 (also variable depending on the zoom ratio used).

The second secondary sensor is a sensor also quite small (but less than that of the telephoto lens).It has a dual pixel autofocus, like the others.It is placed behind an ultra-wide-angle lens opening at f/2.2.The angle of view is 124 °.The focal length is equivalent to 16 mm.All these objectives benefit from optics signed Zeis.At the front, the selfie sensor is the same as that of Xperia 5 II: definition 8 megapixels and objective opening at f/2.0.

In video, the Xperia 5 III goes up to 120 images per second in 4K, and to 240 images per second in Full HD.There is always a double stabilization in video (optical and electronic).Only real difference with Xperia 1 III, Sony deleted the flight time camera in the Xperia 5 III.We will see in a few lines what are the consequences.Let us also remember that the whole is operated by photo pro for photography as well as simple video clips and by Video Pro for slightly more complex video shots.

Photo Pro has nothing to do with other photographic applications.The latter offer the possibility of going from an automatic mode to other more advanced modes: portrait, macro, night, panoramic, scanner, etc..Photo pro opts for a grip close to that of the alpha when you opt for an "expert" mode which allows you to more or less disengage the different settings: auto, p, s or m.The application interface, similar to that of Sony's SLR boxes, of course responds to this positioning.

Only the basic mode allows you to trigger the shooting with a virtual button on the screen.The others "force" you to go through the physical button on the edge.Amateur photographers will certainly appreciate the gesture.Sony remains the only brand in telephony to dedicate a mechanical button to the photo, which is used to open the application and trigger the shooting.This button is double trigger: press halfway for the focus and totally to take the photo.

Test results

With the Xperia 5 III, we find the colorimetry and the visual signature that Sony is likely.The Japanese brand prefers a natural photo, rather than a very contrasting photo, where the colors are vibrant.Sometimes a little too much (as in Oppo, Xiaomi or Huawei).The eye of an amateur or expert photographer will find his account.The others will certainly be a little disappointed with this strategic choice.

The Xperia 5 III works as a camera.He detects the scene and adapts the brightness settings.The basic mode often makes good shots, but the latter sometimes lack contrast, especially if the development is carried out on a lighter point.Acting manually on the focus and increasing the brightness is necessary when the light conditions are difficult.

Optical zoom is one of the forces of Xperia 5 III.It allows you to go up to 4.4x without loss of quality.And it goes up to 12x in digital.By day, the loss of quality remains acceptable (beware of lack of light when the zoom is 4.4x).On the other hand, at night, it is advisable to be satisfied with the optical zoom.Especially since scene recognition, which increases the time of break to acquire more light, seems less precise with this objective than with the main sensor.

The sensor with the ultra-wide-angle lens makes very correct shots during the day, but much less qualitative at night, the fault of the absence of night mode, to a much smaller sensor and to a lower view that opens less.Result, there is not the homogeneity that we could have expected between the main sensor and the Grand-Angle sensor.In macro mode, he takes more interesting photos than a sensor dedicated to 2 megapixels.But, without stabilizer, the unsightly blurs are more frequent.

Speaking of blur, precisely, one of the paradoxes of the Xperia 5 III, which we did not meet with the Xperia 1 III, concerns the manual trigger (the button which is at the bottom of the right edge when the phoneis vertically): when you press it, it makes the smartphone tremble.And, sometimes, even the optical stabilizer of the main sensor cannot compensate for this movement.And this is even more true with the periscopic telephoto lens.

The disappearance of the flight time camera has an unfortunate consequence.Even if the continuous autofocus is activated, the shots of moving subjects will be much less easy.And it's obviously a shame.We have managed to take clear photos of a day -in -day car, but not at night.

There is no portrait mode in the Xperia 5 III.There is a Bokeh button in the Basic mode interface.This button is accessible with all objectives: 16, 24, 70 and 105 mm.This means that you can make portraits with the great angle or the telephoto lens.It’s very fun (with effects that come out of the ordinary).You can of course adjust the power of the bokeh according to your needs.

Finally let's talk about the selfie sensor.This is the least interesting sensor of all.He is also the one who has evolved the least in the past two years: it is strictly the same sensor, with the same objective since the Xperia 1 first of the name.The results are correct, with, once again balance and naturalness.No facial filter to smooth the details.And fortunately, because the definition is quite low: it would have degraded selfies.This sensor is obviously compatible with the bokeh.And the clutch is quite precise.

Conclusion

Xperia 5 III is the right combination of Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 II.Of the first, it takes up some of the technological new features.The platform of course, very powerful, but sufficiently mastered.The photographic equipment, inspired by the SLRPA Coats of the Alpha range, offering natural and balanced results.Battery and improved fast load.From the second, it takes up elegant design, reduced size, portability and beautiful screen.It’s a beautiful combination.

We find that there are still a few small flaws, despite notable improvements.The fast charge could be better.Screen brightness could be more sustained.The selfie sensor could be more qualitative.We regret, once again, the absence of a flight time camera, even if it would have had an impact on the price, which is already quite high.

But is it that much?Not necessarily.Because, facing the iPhone 13, Zenfone 8 and the Galaxy S21, these three main competitors on the segment of small flagships, do not offer as much in all these areas.Best autonomy.Best photo experience.So good quality screen.Power at least equivalent.Even if the Xperia 5 III is more expensive, it also offers more.The value for money is therefore not against Sony.