Sony Xperia 5 vs Xperia 5 IV: A Comprehensive Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Xperia 5 IV offers significant improvements in display brightness, processing power, and battery life, alongside enhanced camera capabilities. While the original Xperia 5 remains a capable device, the 5 IV is the clear winner for those seeking a premium, future-proofed experience, justifying its higher price point.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Sony Xperia 5 | Sony Xperia 5 IV |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 - Europe |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Europe |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat19 1600/150 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Asia | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, September 05. Released 2019, October 05 | 2022, September 01 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2022, September 22 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 158 x 68 x 8.2 mm (6.22 x 2.68 x 0.32 in) | 156 x 67 x 8.2 mm (6.14 x 2.64 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 164 g (5.78 oz) | 172 g (6.07 oz) |
| IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2520 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~449 ppi density) | 1080 x 2520 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~449 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 86.9 cm2 (~80.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 86.9 cm2 (~83.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, HDR BT.2020 | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020 |
| Triluminos display X-Reality Engine | - | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) | Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) | Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 640 | Adreno 730 |
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 11 | Android 12, upgradable to Android 13 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | UFS 3.X | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking | Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking |
| Single | - | 12 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/2.9", 1.25µm |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, predictive dual pixel PDAF, 5-axis OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, predictive PDAF, 2x optical zoom, 5-axis OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm | 12 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 60mm (telephoto), 1/3.5", dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 124˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.5", dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | 4K@24/30fps HDR, 1080p@60fps, 1080p@30fps (5-axis gyro-EIS) | 4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm | 12 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/2.9", 1.25µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps (5-axis gyro-EIS) | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | Yes |
| 35mm jack | No | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system | 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, aptX HD, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG, video output |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass |
| - | Native Sony Alpha camera support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 18W wired, PD2.0 | Wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min Wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 3140 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Blue, Red, Black, Grey | Green, Black, Ecru White |
| Models | J8210, J8270, J9210, SOV41, SO-01M | XQCQ62B-GC, XQCQ62G.GC, XQ-CQ72/B2TWCX0, XQ-CQ72/C2TWCX0, XQ-CQ72/G2TWCX0, XQCQ54C0B.YD, XQCQ54C0G.YD, XQCQ54C0C.YD, XQ-CQ54, XQ-CQ72, A204SO |
| Price | About 500 EUR | € 248.89 / $ 999.00 / £ 189.99 |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 6GB RAM | $ 409.99 | - |
| RENEWED | $ 674.00 | - |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -93.0dB / Crosstalk -89.4dB | - |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 96h | Endurance rating 116h |
| Camera | - | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -27.1 LUFS (Good) | -26.9 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 334809 (v7), 416601 (v8) GeekBench: 10941 (v4.4), 2825 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 835038 (v9) GeekBench: 3448 (v5.1) GFXBench: 63fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Sony Xperia 5
- Compact and lightweight design
- Excellent audio quality
- Proven Snapdragon 855 performance
- More affordable
- Lower display brightness
- Slower charging
- No wireless charging
- Older chipset
Sony Xperia 5 IV
- Brighter display
- Faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 performance
- Improved battery life
- Wireless and reverse wireless charging
- Enhanced camera system
- Higher price
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 can throttle under sustained load
- Larger size compared to the original 5
Display Comparison
The Xperia 5 IV boasts a massive upgrade in display brightness, reaching 979 nits compared to the Xperia 5's 630 nits. Both offer excellent contrast ratios (infinite nominal), but the 5 IV's increased brightness makes it significantly better for outdoor visibility. Color accuracy remains a Sony strength on both devices.
Camera Comparison
While both phones offer capable camera systems, the Xperia 5 IV introduces improvements in image processing and video recording. The 5 IV's camera system benefits from Sony's latest sensor technology and computational photography advancements, resulting in better low-light performance and more detailed images. Both offer excellent video recording capabilities.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in the Xperia 5 IV provides a noticeable performance boost over the Snapdragon 855 in the original Xperia 5. While both handle everyday tasks with ease, the 5 IV excels in demanding games and multitasking. The 5 IV's newer architecture also offers improved power efficiency.
Battery Life
The Xperia 5 IV demonstrates a substantial improvement in battery life, achieving an endurance rating of 116 hours compared to the Xperia 5's 96 hours. The 5 IV also supports faster charging with PD3.0 and includes wireless and reverse wireless charging, features absent in the original model.
Buying Guide
The Sony Xperia 5 is a great choice for users prioritizing a compact form factor, excellent audio, and a proven Snapdragon 855 chipset at a more affordable price. The Xperia 5 IV is ideal for photography enthusiasts, power users needing faster performance, and those who value a brighter display and longer battery life, despite the higher cost.