Sony upgrades the compact Xperia 5 V with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and a new camera setup

Sony unveiled its upgraded Xperia 5 V compact flagship today, and the new device brings small but meaningful upgrades to the phone. While the phone looks very similar to its predecessor, the Xperia 5 IV, it has a new dual camera setup and other small changes. Sony also kept the 3.5mm headphone jack and the microSD expandable storage for yet another.

Related: These are the best phones in 2023

Price & Availability

The Sony Xperia 5 V will become available in the US and other regions later in September, 2023. The device will retail for $999 in the US, and £849 in the UK. The Xperia 5 V will be available in three colors, Black, Blue, and Platinum Silver. The device can already be pre-ordered in the UK on Sony’s website.

Specifications & Hardware

Sony Xperia 5 V

SoC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

Display 6.1-inch OLED, 1080 x 2520, 120Hz, Gorilla Glass Victus 2

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB

Battery 5,000 mAh

Ports USB-C, 3.5mm jack

Operating System Android 13

Front camera 12MP, f/2.2

Rear cameras Primary: 52MP, f/1.9 | Ultrawide: 12MP, f/2.2

Connectivity 5G, LTE, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC

Dimensions 6.06 x 2.68 x 0.34 in (154 x 68 x 8.6 mm)

Colors Black, Blue, Platinum Silver

Weight 6.46 oz (183 g)

Charging 30W wired (0-50% in 30 mins), Wireless Charging

IP Rating IP68

Micro SD card support Yes, microSDXC

Release date 2023-09-01

The new Sony Xperia 5 V is very similar to its predecessor, and it has a nearly identical design. As a result of some slight changes on the outside, the phone is now shorter, 1mm wider, and 0.4mm thicker than its sibling from 2022. Despite the small enhancements, the phone is still very much a compact smartphone, and it competes against the likes of the Galaxy S23 and the iPhone 15 in terms of size.

The device still sports a 6.1-inch OLED, 1080 x 2520 display with a 120Hz refresh rate, but the glass has been upgraded to the latest Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which is more durable and less prone to scratches. Speaking about durability, the Xperia 5 V still comes with an IP68 rating, meaning that it’s water and dust-resistant.

The device is powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Sony fans will also be glad to find out that the company retained both the 3.5mm headphone jack, and the microSD card slot that can expand the storage up to 1TB.

Moving to the back, the Xperia 5 V has a slightly tweaked design, as you’ll notice, a brand-new camera setup with Zeiss optics. The Xperia 5 V does away with the three-camera array, and Sony replaced it with a more capable dual-camera setup. The primary camera features the same sensor as the Xperia 1 V. It’s a 52MP sensor with f/1.9 aperture and OIS. It’s a 1/1.35-inch sensor with 84-degree FoV. The other camera is a 12MP ultrawide with f/2.2 and 123-degree FoV. The front-facing camera features a 12MP sensor with f/2.0, and it has an 83-degree FoV.

Like in previous Xperia smartphones, Sony is trying to gear the Xperia 5 V towards creators who want to capture better videos and photos. The device has a Video Creator app that can automatically capture photos and videos that are ready to be shared on social media, and the new primary sensor will ensure that the content remains sharp and crisp regardless of the platform.

Battery-wise, Sony kept it the same as on the Xperia 5 IV. It comes with a 5,000 mAh cell, and Sony claims it can go from 0-50% in just 30 minutes, using the 30W power adapter, sold separately.