At first look, it may seems like the fifth-generation Xperia 5 has lost a rear camera, but the main shooter actually pulls double duty across two focal lengths. The compact smartphone also gets a chip update and improved battery performance.

The Xperia 5 V benefits from the same 1/1.35-inch-type Exmor T for mobile sensor technology as the company’s current flagship model. The 48-megapixel main can switch between 24 and 48-mm focal lengths for the equivalent of 2x optical zoom chops, while the 12-MP ultra-wide has a focal length of 16 mm – meaning that the lens count around back has gone down to two Zeiss-calibrated lenses.

Sony has cooked in AI-powered portrait photography for “advanced bokeh rendering” and imagery that’s reckoned to be closer to the quality from dedicated cameras than smartphones. Elsewhere, there’s real-time Eye AF for humans and animals, optical image stabilization, and 4K HDR video at up to 120 fps with S-Cinetone for mobile.

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The 6.1-inch OLED display is now topped by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and is now powered by the X1 for mobile image engine from TV Bravia. Resolution is the same as before at 2,520 x 1,080 pixels, as is the 120-Hz refresh rate, its 8-bit tones get bumped another 2-bits by software, and there’s support for 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. A familiar 12-MP selfiecam sits slightly off-center in the top bezel.

Inside, the Xperia 5 V is built around Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform, supported by 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, with microSD expansion to 1 TB. There’s 802.11ax dual-band Wi-Fi, 5G and Bluetooth 5.3 wireless connectivity, and the handset runs Android 13 out of the box. Sony says that it’s increased the size of the heat diffusion sheet by 40% for more efficient dissipation, which could come in handy when the game enhancer function is engaged.

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The 5,000-mAh battery can be actively used all day and still have as much as 50% of charge remaining, and when it does run low, fast-charging can juice it up to 50% capacity in 30 minutes – plus there’s support for wireless charging too.

LDAC decoding is onboard for high-res audio support, 360-degree sound is also available along with aptX Adaptive and Dolby Atmos, and listeners can plug in wired headphones via the 3.5-mm jack.

Sony announced the Xperia 5 V smartphone at IFA 2023, and it’s due to go on sale in Europe later this month for €999. There’s no word on US availability at this time, though its predecessor was price at US$1,000 at launch. The video below has more.

Source: Sony Europe