Sony Xperia 5 II review – Watch Cinema, Make Cinema

Sony Xperia 5 II is basically the smaller version of the Xperia 1 II with a few bits trimmed to bring the cost down. The result is impressive. With a price not far from the new upper limit of mid-range, Xperia 5 II comes with a reasonable €899/£799 price-tag. The best of its sibling 1 II is here, it’s a pocketable cinephile’s dream that comes balanced with all-round function.

Look Like an Xperia

The long form and two layers of glass are signature Sony and Xperia 5 II is not a huge visual change from their previous devices.

The rear is blank save for a solitary, pale Sony logo and triple lens housing. The shiny aluminium surrounding frame continues the gloss of the glass. Sony Xperia II has a symmetric look that is attractive but muted. Our black review model is the quietest of the four colours but it isn’t boring or overly conservative.

Steady Design

The long form-factor looks like it should be difficult to hold. The glass sandwich sounds like it should exacerbate that problem. However, the weighting of the device means it feels balanced in the hand. This and the relatively small 6.1″ diagonal in a narrower package means Sony Xperia 5 II is usable one-handed.

There’s an aluminium frame between its glass front and rear that bulges out in all four directions. These little curves gives users something to hold so they don’t accidentally touch the nigh-on bezel-less display.

Along with the volume rocker and power button/fingerprint combo, the device sports both a Google Assistant and a shutter button. Some of you may not use the GA button and may even find it a nuisance but the shutter button is a neat feature.

Displays Like a Sony

The 6.1″ OLED display is quite special in its aspect ratio. Sony’s mastery in the television space is obvious in Sony Xperia 5 II, colours are pleasing no matter which profile you choose. Blacks are inky and the contrast lends the display an inviting depth.

The display is almost bezel-less on either side in portrait mode. The chin and forehead bezels make sense when the device is oriented in landscape. The device is aimed at those who want the widescreen film and TV experience so a little something to hold on to as you do so is handy. It also keeps the selfie cam off the screen.

The provision of a 120Hz mode is nice and something that Xperia 1 II can’t boast. The resolution may be lower here but on a 6.1 incher, 1,080 x 2,520 pixels is sharp enough.

Capture Choice

There are three apps for capture using Sony Xperia 5 II. A fairly well-furnished regular ‘camera’ app – the kind of thing everyone uses on their Android smartphone. It has the quick-fire camera options and with a helpful AI hand to choose the right shot or correct settings. It works well as a pick-up-and-shoot app that most will use most often.

The dedicated ‘Photography Pro and ‘Cinema Pro’ apps work as intended. The free-hand modes allow advanced photographers and cinematographers the sort of control you would expect with standalone cameras.

Photo Pro has fine ISO settings an array of white balance options as well as room to save a few more profiles. It also gives users manual and single/continuous auto-focus and control over dynamic range. There is also a suite of overlays that don’t clutter the screen but can be turned off anyway.

Cinema Pro does the same for the video capture. The app is an ‘all-in’ videographer’s suite that shows why Sony were wise to keep their Pro modes as separate apps.

The camera setup is mostly the same as the excellent Xperia 1 II. The three lenses are the same but the ToF focus hasn’t made the jump to 5 II. Focus is strong nonetheless and I didn’t notice the difference between the two. Sony Xperia 5 II has a very quick sensor allowing more flexibility, especially with action or fleeting shots. Default captures are natural with faithful colour reproduction.

Sony Xperia 5 II can capture 1080p and 4K video at 24, 30, 60 and 120 frames per second as well as a cinematic 24 fps.

Cinephile

Sony have released quite a few devices in their now-signature tall form factor. While it helps you scroll social media a little better and makes the device a little easier to work one-handed, the biggest benefit comes watching movies.

That 21:9 aspect ratio does give compatible media a bit of a lift that is obvious to anyone. The compatible media list is almost every motion picture made in the past 70 years.

Creator Mode, while something that will be most appreciated by cinephiles, is objectively cool. Certain titles (TV or film) in certain apps have an associated and in-built list of settings. These settings adjust your devices saturation, colour, brightness etc. to give the film the look the directors themselves wanted.

Those inspired by that incredible mobile movie experience have a chance to create some of their own with Sony’s deep video capture options and the highly granular ‘Pro’ mode.

Their gamble on marketing to movie-lovers has yielded some excellent smartphones. Sony Xperia 5 II is one of their best devices to date. The whole ‘cinephile’ ideal is brought to market perfectly here.

Overall Usability

Despite our fawning over Sony Xperia 5 II for its cinema chops, it’s still a balanced Android experience. 8GB of RAM and the Snapdragon 865 will handle the everyday stuff with a premium swiftness. While it won’t bench like the very best, Xperia 5 II games competently. Even when a game can use its wide screen to give a wider field of view, it can keep the frame-rate up.

Sony’s take on Android is a minimalist one. Only the apps needed to get the most from the hardware are present beyond Google’s set. The other additions are a Side Sense menu, a split-screen multitasking view and a one-handed mode.

Side Sense is a tab of customisable widgets, settings or app icons that can be pulled in at any time. Split-screen uses the generous screen real estate to offer a usable dual-view. One-handed mode brings the screen down and to either side so users can comfortably navigate with a hand free.

The 4,000mAh battery, while not huge, is more than adequate. Moderate users can expect a full day while lighter users might get to bed on day two. The included 18W charger will fill the device from 0-50% in 30 minutes with a full charge taking around 70 minutes. Interestingly, the device will take fast-chargers of up to 21W so you could get a quicker charge.

A 3.5mm audio socket and room for a Micro SD of up to 1TB are lovely to see on a smartphone of Sony Xperia 5 II’s class and calibre.

Specifications

Sony Xperia 5 II’s best features may for specific people or for specific times but their implementation doesn’t hold the handset back anywhere else. The depth of photo and video options is tucked away for those who want them but simple point & shoot capture is still excellent. The tall screen is perfectly balanced and even if you don’t care much about aspect ratio, you will appreciate the Creator Mode colouring of the film and TV you watch on the go.