Best Compact Phone 2023? | Sony Xperia 5 V Unboxing & Review

Reviewing the Sony Xperia 5 V, with a full camera test, gaming on Genshin Impact, battery life and beyond. Plus an unboxing, which takes all of two seconds. The Sony Xperia 5 V is a mini version of the flagship phone and one of the best compact UK handsets of 2023 - but the £850 price ain't cheap!

First up, that camera tech has switched to a dual lens setup. Sony has scrapped the dedicated telephoto shooter, but you do get the same Exmor-T hardware as the flagship for the Xperia 5 V primary cam. Along with Photo Pro, you can capture natural looking pics any time of day, with full DSLR controls.

The Sony Xperia 5 V also boasts excellent battery life, along with dependable performance. I did see some networking lag when on mobile data and some juddering when shooting 4K video with the camera, but these appear to be software issues.

If you're after a mini phone in 2023, this offers a similar experience to the 1 V. Creators and gamers have a lot to enjoy here, as well as anyone who streams a lot of music and movies.

So are you tempted by the Sony Xperia 5 V? Let us know what you think below and check out my unboxing and review of the best phones of 2023 on Tech Spurt!

Sony Xperia 5 V Review Chapters:
0:00 - Target audience
0:39 - What's in the box?
1:03 - Design
2:40 - Security
3:34 - Android & features
5:31 - Display & audio
7:58 - Performance & gaming
10:13 - Battery life
11:17 - Cameras
17:16 - Verdict

[TechSpurt]

Huge thanks for watching this Xperia 5 V unboxing and review. It's not perfect, but I enjoyed my time with this mini superstar - it's got a little something for everyone. Let us know your thoughts below!

[supervid]

Definitely Sony took the right way with this camera setup. Personally I'm so tired with oversized bumps with numerous useless cameras on them

[rethy]

I think any device that is over $500 should offer 4 android updates guarantee .

[jxosorio]

i see ppl complaining on the wrong things,

i rather get this with 130 hours of battery and camera that captures accurate colors.
plus this thing has an SD card slot and a Aux port, i mean where else will you find a flagship phone with an extended memory and an axillary port?

[NightMotorcyclist]

Xperias are good for their manual camera controls, microSDXC expansion slot and a headphone jack making it a media powerhouse. The software is very clean and Sony is pretty decent with software updates in terms of timeliness but not much on longevity... at least Sony gives me a music player unlike Google. I bought the Xepria 5 III used to give it a go and it was quite nice and, in some ways, better than my Pixel 6 Pro and now Pixel 7. Battery life is king on the 5 series.

[vahagobidze]

Sony's camera interface is the most visually beautiful of them all

[cwl]

Agree this is so much better than an iPhone. Longer battery Nicer Speaker and Good Camera OS smooth too. Not much of overheating yet nice to hold.

[organiccold]

I had a Xperia Pro, i just changed it for a 1V and i am super happy. For me is a perfect phone

[kuronekogamer]

Worth mentioning that Sony also offers battery care by limiting charge to 90 or 80% to mitigate battery degradation over the years.

[beep]

I was already more impressed than the price. The lightness of this device is amazing. headphone jack, microSD, 4K display, no dynamic island, audio, camera, video. I'm satisfied with everything.

[redboxfile]

I'm a bif fan of Sony but my Xperia 1 mk3 is now just two years old and I haven't had a security update since July!
Sony have confirmed no more security updates and it won't get Androd 14. It's just a shame that you pay £1200 and after two years it is no longer supported. I've just bought an S23+ Five years of updates at least!
Sony need to do better!!!

[nikola]

Sony listened to MKBHD about dumbing down their device to make them more approachable. They've done it - reduced the number of cameras and skimped on materials, bezels and screen quality but retained the price on the count of the still unproven Exmor sensor and 8gen2. Give me xperia 5 IV fan edition (in my heart - a version with 8+1 gn 1 and no effin ghost touch issues)

[GjordDeLad]

1 mk V & 5 mk V are a banger, I'd get them as soon as their price depreciate in a couple year....in the meantime I'm still enjoying my Xperia 1 Mk ii

[gonzalezferlyn]

KYAAHHH! Finally a Sony Xperia 5 V in Tech Spurt studio! Can't wait for the review! ❤

[DeAudiofilosyLocos]

I've owned many Xperia phones and I am watching this with My Xperia V. They all overheat, slowdown and camera shuts down prematurely. I think I'm going Pixel 8 pro this time. Thanks for the awesome reviews, I'm a fan 😊

[chrisswan]

12 years of using Xperia phones. Love the expanded memory, 3mm jack, notification light and 21:9 aspect ratio.

However, I'm veering away from Sony unless match software support with other mainstream brands. 2 years of android update is not good enough for the premium price we're expected to pay. Get your act together Sony!

[jubair]

just a brilliant screen setup without any notch or hole. no other brand offers this best display experience. also the phone is very handy. all features are awesome to me. thanks sony

[dvdv]

"Aimed at creative youngsters who have £ 850 to spare."

So you mean "aimed at creative youngster's PARENTS"! 😅🤣

[GHAWBBA]

SONY XPERIA PHONES ARE MY FAVORITE BECAUSE OF THEIR UNIQUE DESIGN ASPECT RATIO & NOTCHLESS DISPLAY

[siphonsnob]

When you stop getting Android updates, it does not mean that your apps stop working or your phone is obsolete. I have a four a half year old Samsung S10 stuck at Android 12 and I haven't found an application that asks me to upgrade my OS.