Sony Xperia 5 II is the manufacturer's second smartphone that supports 5G networks. In addition, it is compact, more advantageously priced than the flagship Xperia 1 II and provides wide possibilities in terms of photography, games and multimedia.
The brand's main flagship smartphone for 2020 is the Xperia 1 II, while the Xperia 5 II (read as "Xperia five mark two") is to be its more compact alternative. This model, which is the direct successor of the Xperia 5, not only continues the characteristic line of design, but is also a real multimedia equipment that draws abundantly from the technology of other Sony departments: image enhancements (Bravia TVs), photographic technologies (Alpha cameras) and communication in the field of games (PlayStation).
The manufacturer claims that it is a smartphone that combines small dimensions with great possibilities and efficiency. So let's find out what it offers.
Construction and design
The construction of Sony Xperia smartphones is very characteristic and the Xperia 5 II was designed in the same style. It is distinguished by quite angular shapes and a highly elongated structure, all while maintaining high ergonomics and handiness - with a width of 68 mm and a thickness of 8 mm, the smartphone simply fits well in the hand and fits in a pocket. Operation takes place via a touch screen and a number of buttons that are placed on the right edge: there is a volume control, a fingerprint scanner integrated with the switch, the Google Assistant button and a physical, two-stage camera shutter button.
What's more, compactness goes hand in hand with reliability - the Xperia 5 II is fully waterproof, has a waterproof certificate at the IP65/68 level (i.e. resistance to immersion and water jets), and both panels can boast Corning Gorilla Glass 6 glass. The manufacturer also points out that the device must not be completely submerged in water and exposed to beverages or to salt or chlorinated water. The Xperia 5 II was tested for water resistance by gently placing it in a tank filled with tap water and lowering it to a depth of 1.5 meters. After 30 minutes, the device was gently removed from the tank and its functions were tested.
Screen
Particularly noteworthy is the display in the Xperia 5 II - it's a 6.1-inch OLED FHD + HDR CinemaWide screen with a 21: 9 aspect ratio. The most important novelty in the new smartphone is the image refreshing frequency of 120 Hz and the response to touch with the frequency of 240 Hz - which will be useful not only during everyday use of the device, but also during the game. What's more, there is no screen notch or a hole that would disturb the display space. The 8MP selector camera is placed on a small upper frame.
The smartphone can boast of excellent colour reproduction. The user can choose from the standard picture mode or the so-called creator mode (modeled after Sony's CineAlta professional technologies). The displayed image is processed by the X1 processor for mobile devices and uses the HDR remastering technology from BRAVIA TVs.
The manufacturer also emphasizes the hardware solution used in the smartphone related to the screen sharing function. Of course, it supports two applications, but additionally, in the form of a third application, the keyboard is displayed. Other smartphones cannot do that.
Photography
In terms of cameras, the Sony Xperia 5 II is in many ways identical to the larger Xperia 1 II. It features a three-lens camera with ZEISS optics with ZEISS T * coating, known for its effective glare suppression:
- ultra wide angle camera: 16 mm 12 MP 1/2.2" dual-PD AF,
- main camera: 24 mm 12 MP 1/1.7" dual-PD AF OIS,
- Telephoto camera: 70mm 12MP 1/2.4" PDAF OIS.
The camera also boasts Real-time Eye AF technology, which focuses on the human or animal eye in real time, there is also a large 1/1.7" image sensor and noise reduction in the Bionz X for Mobile image processor.
The camera is also distinguished by the continuous autofocus, which sets the AF/AE parameters 60 times per second. It allows you to precisely take and save 20 photos (20 fps) with precisely set focus and optimized exposure.
For those familiar with professional Sony cameras and camcorders, there is the Photography Pro mode with fast and accurate AF/AE technology from Alpha series cameras and the Cinematography Pro mode with colour parameters and settings modeled on professional cameras. The Sony Xperia 5 II is also the world's first smartphone with 4K HDR slow motion video recording (120 fps) and wide HDR palette - this option is available in the Cinematography Pro application.
Sound
The Xperia 5 II does not lack the audio solutions users expect: High-Resolution Audio, 3.5mm audio jacks and front-facing stereo speakers. While watching multimedia, you can enjoy Dolby Atmos sound settings optimized in cooperation with Sony Pictures Entertainment. The DSEE Ultimate technology ensures the improvement of digital music quality, also from music and movie streaming services. The hardware decoder 360 Reality Audio is responsible for the high quality. You can listen to music through stereo speakers or headphones - wireless or with a 3.5 mm audio plug. The headphone jack enables more efficient audio channel separation and reduces noise to an imperceptible 20 dB, over 90% less than headphones plugged into the USB-C port.
Playing
Sony is associated with players primarily in the context of PlayStation consoles, but the manufacturer's smartphones also have a lot to offer in this aspect. In the case of the Xperia 5 II, it is primarily the 21: 9 120 Hz display, providing a wider perspective and smoother action, faster response of the screen to touch with the frequency (240 Hz, which is four times more than in the previous model, i.e. Xperia 5) and the application "Player Helper", which includes a number of features and settings to facilitate the game, and documenting and sharing screenshots, audio or video clips. You can also connect the DUALSHOCK4 wireless controller from the PlayStation4 console to the smartphone.
One more thing is worth paying attention to - heat release management. Here, in relation to Xperia 5, the manufacturer has introduced changes at the hardware level and device design. Namely, a larger plate made of graphene was used, which is responsible for heat dissipation - and let us remind you that in the dust- and waterproof housing, the internal air rotation is quite limited.
Specs and battery
Snapdragon 865, supporting 5G networks (X55 modem), is responsible for efficiency, speed and smoothness of work. It is supported by 8 GB of RAM and 128 or 256 GB of internal memory. Energy is provided by a 4000 mAh battery with a quick charge function (in 30 minutes you can charge up to 50% using a 21W USB PD charger sold separately). Unfortunately, the smartphone does not have inductive charging. Among the physical ports, there is USB-C and a 3.5 mm mini-jack. The smartphone supports one nano-size SIM card, and the tray can also accommodate a memory device in the form of a microSD card.
Availability and price
In Europe, the Xperia 5 II smartphone will be offered in black and blue. Its sale will start in fall 2020, probably in mid-October. The price of the device is expected to be 899 euro or 799 pounds in Great Britain. In turn, only the black version will be delivered to the United States - the price is $ 950, and the presale will start on September 29 with actual delivery scheduled for early December 2020.
Source: Sony
