Sony has revealed the Xperia 5 V, but how does it compare to its bigger, pricier sibling, the Sony Xperia 1 V?
While the Sony Xperia 5 V boasts various improvements compared to its predecessor, the Xperia IV, including higher processing power, improved camera technology and enhanced speakers, there isn’t much between the Xperia 5 V and the Xperia 1 V despite a rather large gap in price point.
We’re yet to go hands-on with the Xperia 5 V, but we’ve spent a lot of time with the Sony Xperia 1 V. That said, here are some of the key differences (and similarities) between the two 2023 Sony flagships.
The Sony Xperia 5 V has a more compact display
Putting the two devices side-by-side, the most obvious difference is the display size. The Sony Xperia 5 V sports a more compact 6.1-inch display compared to the 6.5-inch screen of its bigger brother, the Xperia 1 V.
Don’t let the compact nature fool you, however; it’s still very much a premium OLED display with specs to match, including HDR, a 120Hz refresh rate and Sony’s TV-based X1 for Mobile chipset to deliver high-quality video playback.
It does miss out on the 4K resolution of the Xperia 1 V, instead capping out at an FHD+ resolution, but we don’t really count that as a downside.
We’ve long thought that the Xperia 1’s 4K OLED display has been overkill for a display of its size, instead just draining the battery faster by powering more pixels. Even Sony downscales the resolution to FHD+ when not viewing native 4K content, negating any potential benefit for browsing the web and gaming.
The Sony Xperia 1 V has more cameras
Being the all-bells-and-whistles flagship, the Sony Xperia 1 V has more advanced cameras than its smaller counterpart. That includes a primary 52MP Exmor T for Mobile sensor, a 12MP ultrawide and a unique 12MP telephoto lens with adjustable zoom between 85mm and 125mm, allowing you to find the perfect fit for portrait shots and close-ups.
That primary sensor, in particular, is a highlight of the Xperia 1 V, with the world’s first stacked CMOS sensor with 2-layer transistor pixel technology. That’s a fancy way of saying that the primary lens can capture much more light than other sensors its size, with a notable noise reduction – particularly in low-light scenarios.
The Sony Xperia 5 V also sports an upgraded 48MP Exmor T for Mobile sensor that should deliver similar results from the phone’s primary camera, as well as a 12MP 16mm ultrawide. Still, compared to the Xperia 5 IV, it’s missing a dedicated telephoto lens. Instead, the primary sensor can dynamically switch between 24- and 48mm, essentially providing a digital 2x zoom in its place.
This makes the camera selection more limited than the Xperia 1 V and its predecessor, the Xperia 5 IV. However, improvements to the primary lens could still tempt owners to upgrade to the latest model.
Both sport the same flagship Snapdragon processor
Despite quite a difference in price point – something we discuss below – the Sony Xperia 5 V and 1 V sport the same flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor.
The Xperia 1 IV had severe overheating issues, so much so that it’d occasionally cause the phone to shut down, though with the addition of bigger heat sinks in the Xperia 1 V, we didn’t find that to be the case with the newer model, which ran smoothly regardless of what was happening on-screen.
We’re yet to go hands-on with the Xperia 5 V, so we can’t comment on performance just yet, but we’re expecting very similar performance from the chipset.
That’s paired with either 8GB or 12GB RAM depending on whether you go for the Xperia 5 V or 1 V respectively. The latter represents a slightly better option for particularly power-hungry tasks like video editing and exporting, though you’re unlikely to see much difference in day-to-day use.
The Xperia 1 V is much more expensive
One of the key differences between Sony’s two top-end smartphones is price – and there’s quite a jump between the two.
The Xperia 5 V is cheaper than its predecessor, dropping £100 in the UK down to £849, making the difference between the two all the more apparent. That said, the Xperia 1 V will set you back £1,299 in the UK, making it £450 more – and also one of the most expensive non-foldable flagships around.
The Sony Xperia 1 V is available to buy now following its release earlier this year, while the Sony Xperia 5 V will be available in late September from various UK retailers and Sony itself.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
