The Sony Xperia 5 is a smaller Xperia 1 with the Snapdragon 855, triple cameras, and 21:9 OLED display ~ XDA

Earlier this week, Sony’s live stream test run for their IFA event leaked, revealing the phone they planned to show off. Surprisingly, that phone was not the Xperia 2, but instead, the Xperia 5. Today, the company officially unveiled the Sony Xperia 5 and its return to “compact” phones. Let’s take a look at this new entry in Sony’s tall lineup.

Category	Sony Xperia 5
Size	6.2 x 2.6 x 0.3 inches, 5.8 oz
Display	6.1-inch FHD+ HDR OLED (1080 x 2520), 21:9 CinemaWide display
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
Memory	6GB
Storage	128GB UFS (microSD card slot)
Rear Cameras	Triple Cameras: 12 MP – 1/ 2.6″ sensor size, Pixel pitch 1.4 μm, F1.6 lens, OIS photo stabilization Hybrid OIS/EIS video stabilization 12 MP – 1/3.4″ sensor size, Pixel pitch 1.0 μm, F2.4 lens, SteadyShot with Intelligent Active Mode (5-axis stabilization) 12 MP – 1/3.4″ sensor size, Pixel pitch 1.0 μm, F2.4 lens, OIS photo stabilization, Hybrid OIS/EIS video stabilization
Front Camera	8 MP – 1/4 sensor size, Pixel pitch 1.12 μm, F2.0 lens, HDR (High Dynamic Range) photo, SteadyShotTM with Intelligent Active Mode (5-axis stabilization)
Battery	3,140 mAh
Charging	Xperia Adaptive Charging (USB PD)
Audio	Dolby Atmos, stereo speaker, no 3.5mm headphone jack
Software	Android 9 Pie
Connectivity	A-GNSS (GPS + GLONASS)11, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, USB 3.1
Ports & Buttons	USB Type-C, Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
Water resistance	IP65/68
Colors	Black, Blue, Gray, Red

The concept of “compact” phones has changed a lot in the last few years. For example, the Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact had a 5-inch display. Now, Sony is calling the Xperia 5, with its 6.1-inch display and tall 21:9 aspect ratio, a phone that can “fit in the palm of your hand.” That’s thanks in large part to the bezels on the Xperia 5, which have been slimmed down slightly from the Xperia 1.

Other than the physical size of the device, there aren’t a ton of huge upgrades over the Xperia 1, which makes the name jump from 1 to 5 a bit odd. The Xperia 5 has essentially the same triple-camera setup as the Xperia 1, with a main 12MP lens, 12MP telescopic lens, and 12MP wide-angle lens. It also has the Eye Autofocus technology that can be found in Sony Alpha cameras. Eye AF uses algorithms to accurately focus on the subject’s eyes.

In terms of performance, we’re looking at the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC along with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage (expandable) again. The battery has been slightly downgraded to 3,140 mAh. The Xperia 5 also has the same side-mounted fingerprint scanner as the Xperia 1.

via TechRadar

One cool addition with the Xperia 5 is support for connecting to the PS4’s DualShock 4 controller wirelessly. This feature will also be added to the Xperia 1 in a later update. Sony showed off a controller attachment that allows you to prop the phone up and hold the controller comfortably.

The Sony Xperia 5 will be available in four colors: Black, Blue, Gray, and Red. The device will go on pre-order next week in select markets across Europe and it will be bundled with the Sony WF-1000XMS wireless headphones. The phone will ship sometime in October. Pricing and exact launch date were not given at this time. What do you think of the Xperia 5? Is this a worthy upgrade?