Sony Xperia Z5 Premium (3GB + 32GB) Review | 197 Data compared

The Time.com review of the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium highlights the device as a high-spec, familiar "Z" series entry, boasting the world's first 4K display, which the reviewer finds to be more of a marketing feature than a practical everyday improvement. While the design is functional, it is described as a "thickish slab" that struggles to compete aesthetically with sleeker rivals. Key strengths include a fast, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, MicroSD expansion, and enhanced IP68 water resistance without port covers. The device delivers solid performance with its Snapdragon 810 processor, showing improved thermal management over previous, overheating-prone models. Time MagazineConversely, the 23-megapixel camera is criticized for lacking optical image stabilization (OIS) and suffering from slow post-processing speeds. Furthermore, digital zoom causes significant image noise, making it a less competitive camera option compared to the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6.

The Sony Xperia Z5 Premium is defined by an ambitious 4K display that runs at 1080p for most tasks to manage battery, rendering its high 801ppi density a "gimmick" for daily use. While featuring a fast side-mounted fingerprint scanner and water-resistant design, the chrome model is a "fingerprint magnet". Performance is mixed, with a capable Snapdragon 810 chip that suffers from notable overheating. The 23-megapixel camera offers excellent 4K video recording, yet stills are marred by noise in low light and slow autofocus. Battery life is inconsistent, ranging from strong stamina under normal use to rapid drain during intensive 4K media consumption. Ultimately, the review finds it hard to justify the "Premium" title over the standard Z5.

The Sony Xperia Z5 Premium is characterized as a "well-rounded" but ultimately "contentious" flagship that made history as the world's first smartphone with a 4K display. While it offers impressive high-end features, the review notes the 5.5-inch screen is rarely utilized to its full potential by the Android operating system, and the "mirror-like" finish is a massive fingerprint magnet. Under the hood, the device uses the Snapdragon 810 processor, providing snappy performance, though it still gets noticeably warm during heavy tasks. Battery life is a significant drawback; despite a large 3430mAh capacity, the 4K screen is a heavy drain and only lasts around 9 hours in video loop tests. www.stuff.tvThe 23-megapixel rear camera features a fast hybrid autofocus, but low-light performance is criticized for being noisy. Standout "pros" include its IP68 water and dust resistance and a fast, accurate side-mounted fingerprint scanner, though the sharp edge where the metal frame meets the glass is less comfortable to hold than rivals.

The Sony Xperia Z5 Premium is highlighted as a pioneering device featuring the first 4K resolution display, which offers an incredible 806ppi but renders most content at 1080p to conserve battery, limiting native 4K to specific media. Pros include a stunning mirror-finish design, premium build quality, and a fast side-mounted fingerprint sensor, while notable cons involve the glossy back being a fingerprint magnet and only average battery life from the non-removable 3,430mAh cell. While the Snapdragon 810 processor delivers strong performance, it tends to run warm, and the 23MP camera, despite having good color reproduction, suffers from corner softness and digital noise.

According to a first impressions review from Reviewed.com, the Sony Xperia Z5 series models share high-end internal hardware and feature a new 23-megapixel camera with fast autofocus, water and dust resistance, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and a microSD card slot. However, the design is considered plain and prone to fingerprints, the camera app is sluggish, and low-light photos can show noise. The review notes that the Z5 Premium's 4K display is largely a gimmick, as most content does not render at this resolution to conserve battery, leading to disappointing battery life compared to other Z5 models.

The Sony Xperia Z5 Premium is characterized by its 4K display, the first on a smartphone, which the review notes is primarily active for viewing photos and videos in native apps, downscaling to 1080p for other tasks. While the Snapdragon 810 processor offers smooth multitasking, it still encounters heating issues during demanding use, and the device retains Sony's fingerprint-prone OmniBalance design despite including a fast side-mounted fingerprint scanner and IP68 waterproofing. The 23MP camera excels in detail and autofocus in good light but is hampered by the absence of Optical Image Stabilisation, leading to potential low-light issues; ultimately, the 4K screen is deemed more of a "marketing boast" than a practical feature, suggesting the standard Z5 might be a better choice for most users.

The Sony Xperia Z5 Premium is noted for being the first smartphone with a 5.5-inch 4K UHD display, praised for its clarity. Pros include its waterproof design, physical camera button, and fast fingerprint scanner, while cons involve the battery life being significantly reduced by intensive tasks and the high price point. Its 23MP camera performs well in good light but lacks RAW shooting and advanced manual controls, with low-light performance degrading beyond ISO 800.

The Sony Xperia Z5 Premium is noted for being the first smartphone with a 4K display, offering high pixel density for supported content, but the 4K resolution is often downscaled to 1080p in most applications to conserve battery. While it features a fast Snapdragon 810 processor, 3GB of RAM, and a quick fingerprint scanner, it suffers from overheating during demanding tasks and a battery that struggles to last a full day under heavy usage. The device includes a capable 23MP camera with fast autofocus, though it performs poorly in low light and lacks optical image stabilization; its design is visually striking but prone to fingerprints and less comfortable than competitors, leading the review to suggest the standard Xperia Z5 may offer better value. Sony Xperia Z5 Premium£18,000.00£20,000.00& more prices4.4(481)Sony Xperia Z5 5.2" E6653 E6603 -16gb - (unlocked) Android Smartphone£57.604.4(1.5k)

The Sony Xperia Z5 Premium is described as a capable phone with good sound and performance, but its primary feature, the 4K screen, is underutilized and contributes to a high price compared to the standard Xperia Z5. While the 5.5-inch 4K screen offers high pixel density for native 4K content, it defaults to 1080p for most other uses, with the visual difference from high-quality Full HD or Quad HD displays being negligible, making the higher cost difficult to justify. Pros include detailed audio and a fast fingerprint scanner, while cons include poor low-light camera performance, lack of optical image stabilization, and disappointing battery life.

TechRadar describes the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium as a smartphone featuring the first 4K display, offering impressive detail for compatible content but with notable compromises. While it includes features like a 23MP camera, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, IP68 water resistance, and PS4 Remote Play, its 4K screen is often downscaled for power saving and contributes to poor battery life, alongside a cumbersome design and overheating issues.

The Sony Xperia Z5 Premium is noted as the first 4K smartphone, featuring a 5.5-inch IPS display with 806 PPI density that primarily operates at 1080p to conserve power. Pros include an elegant waterproof build (IP68), a fast fingerprint sensor, and front-facing stereo speakers, while cons encompass a smudge-prone glossy finish and an awkwardly placed volume rocker. Powered by the Snapdragon 810 processor and 3GB of RAM, the device includes a microSD slot for expanded storage but is susceptible to overheating and is uncomfortable to hold due to its size and sharp corners. Its 23-megapixel camera provides high-detail shots and fast autofocus but suffers from inconsistent processing, low-light noise, and a lack of OIS. Battery life varies significantly, lasting up to two days with light use but rapidly draining when displaying 4K content, rendering the 4K screen more of a technical novelty than a practical feature.

CNET's review of the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium concludes that its 4K screen is largely a negligible feature that makes the device overpriced despite solid performance. The phone is described as a capable flagship that fails to justify its cost compared to competitors or the standard Z5. While the 5.5-inch 4K display is sharp, the extra pixels offer no discernible benefit over a high-definition screen at that size for most content, and it quickly drains battery under heavy use. Beyond the screen, the Z5 Premium features a powerful Snapdragon 810 processor, a 23-megapixel camera, and IP68 water resistance. However, cons include a dated design, a fingerprint-prone glossy back, and a camera that can produce noisy outdoor shots with inconsistent white balance.

According to Trusted Reviews, the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium is an ambitious, high-priced flagship with a largely unnecessary 4K display, featuring a blocky design and a fingerprint-prone, reflective glass body. While it boasts solid performance, a fast side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and IP68 water resistance without port covers, its 5.5-inch screen rarely utilizes its 4K resolution outside of specific apps. The device suffers from notable overheating due to the Snapdragon 810 chip, and the 23-megapixel camera offers great speed but poor low-light results, while the battery life is disappointingly weak for a modern, top-tier handset.

The Sony Xperia Z5 Premium, as reviewed by Expert Reviews, is a premium device featuring a 5.5-inch 4K screen, though it primarily operates in 1080p and suffers from lower brightness (455.25cd/m2) and a fingerprint-prone, slippery mirror finish. While the device houses a capable Snapdragon 810 processor, its "pitiful" 9-hour-38-minute battery life in video tests and redundant, non-noticeable performance gains over the standard Z5 mark it down. Despite a solid, well-placed side-mounted fingerprint sensor, the 23-megapixel camera is a mixed bag with significant noise in outdoor shots, leading to a verdict that the 4K screen is an expensive, impractical gimmick.