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MagyarSony Xperia 5 III review - A top compact and light smartphone with variable focus
Together with its larger sibling, the Xperia 1 III, the Xperia 5 III is the first smartphone in the world with a variable tele lens. This provides the Sony smartphone with a variable focal length of 70 mm or 105 mm. Even though this slightly more affordable and also more compact version of the Xperia 1 III has to make do without the 4K OLED panel or the advanced object tracking via real-time tracking, the Xperia 5 III still offers a Snapdragon 888 and the triple camera system including the Zeiss lenses of Sony's flagship smartphone.
Possible Competitors in Comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87.1 % | 10/2021 | Sony Xperia 5 III SD 888 5G, Adreno 660 | 168 g | 128 GB UFS 3.0 Flash | 6.10" | 2520x1080 | |
| 87.3 % | 02/2021 | Xiaomi Mi 11 SD 888 5G, Adreno 660 | 196 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.81" | 3200x1440 | |
| 87.2 % | 04/2021 | OnePlus 9 SD 888 5G, Adreno 660 | 192 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.55" | 2400x1080 | |
| 87 % | 08/2021 | Asus Zenfone 8 Flip SD 888 5G, Adreno 660 | 230 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 89.5 % | 02/2021 | Samsung Galaxy S21 Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14 | 169 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.20" | 2400x1080 |
Case - The Xperia 5 III is compact
The design of the Xperia 5 III is dominated by the Corning Gorilla Glass 6 on the back that is equipped with a smooth, reflective glass surface and the shiny metal frame. The workmanship is at a very high level, which gives an overall high-quality feel to the Sony smartphone.
In contrast to many competitors, the Xperia 5 III is a very compact and manageable smartphone that feels decidedly comfortable in the hand. The case is also water and dustproof according to the IP65/68 standard. However, all the connections and covers should be tightly closed to achieve this.
Gorilla Glass 6 is also used in front. While the relatively large bezels are not really up-to-date anymore for a 1000-Euro (~$1160) smartphone, they allow the Xperia 5 III to go without a notch or punch-hole. The display-to-surface ratio is only 81.5%.
Equipment - Sony smartphone with a 3.5-mm audio port
The internal UFS storage of the Xperia 5 III offers a capacity of 128 GB, but because of the operating system and preinstalled apps, the actually available storage is significantly smaller at 100 GB. The 4500-mAh battery is charged using the Type-C connection, which is specified as USB 3.1 (Gen1) and recognizes external peripheral devices via USB-OTG. Wireless transfer of the display contents to external monitors via Miracast is also supported.
Audiophile users should be pleased about the 3.5-mm audio port and the stereo speakers in front.
microSD Card Reader
The Sony accepts microSD cards up to 1 TB. In our transfer test, the Xperia 5 III performs quite slow in combination with our Angelbird V60 reference storage card, and the values in the CPDT (see below) also turn out relatively low.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Software - Xperia 5 III with Android 11
As the operating system, the Japanese manufacturer has installed Android version 11, which is expanded by the Sony UI. At the time of the test, the security patches are fairly current at the level of August 2021.
There are supposed to be software updates for two years, so buyers of the Xperia 5 III should probably be able to get support up to Android 13. The Camera2 API of the Sony smartphones is available at "Full" level, and streaming content can be viewed in HD quality thanks to the DRM Widevine L1 certification.
Communication and GNSS - Xperia smartphone with 5G
The Xperia 5 III supports the current Wi-Fi 6 WLAN standard. While this provides the Sony smartphone with convincingly high data transfer rates, the Zenfone 8 Flip achieves higher transfer rates using our Netgear Nighthawk AX12 reference router, particularly when receiving data.
In terms of the communication modules, Sony uses the newest mobile communication standards with 5G and NFC for near field communication. In addition to the 5G frequencies, the Xperia 5 III also supports a wide range of LTE bands up to a total of 24. All the LTE frequencies that are relevant for Germany are covered. Thanks to the Qualcomm X60 modem, in addition to 5G, Bluetooth 5.2 functionality is also supported.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| Average of class Smartphone (16.9 - 1368, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (32.7 - 953, n=71, last 2 years) | |
We evaluate the locating accuracy in a practical test, where we take the smartphone on a bike ride and record the route in parallel with a Garmin Edge 520 for comparison. The difference between the route recorded by the GPS module and the navigation device in the almost 15-Kilometer (~9.3 miles) test route is only 50 meters (~164 ft). The low deviation is also confirmed in the detail view of the GPS recording, so that nothing should be in the way of using the Sony smartphone for navigation.
Telephone Functions and Voice Quality - Xperia 5 III with VoLTE
The voice quality of the Sony smartphone is inconspicuous using the Vodafone network. There are no annoying drops or reception problems during our test calls with the Xperia smartphones. Voices are reproduced clearly and our conversation partner also characterizes them as very clear. WLAN calls and VoLTE are supported. Video calls via Skype using the built-in front camera also succeed without any problems in the test.
Cameras - Sony smartphone with a triple camera
The Xperia 5 III uses some interesting camera features, such as object tracking technology and a continuous autofocus with 60 computations per second, as well as audio separation technology. By offering 16 mm (ultra wide-angle), 24 mm (main camera), 70 mm and 105 mm (variable tele lens), the Sony smartphone covers a relatively wide focus range. All the image sensors of the ZEISS lenses offer a resolution of 12 MP and the ZEISS T* coating.
With Photography Pro and Cinema Pro, Sony again places a particular focus on the video and software areas. However, video recording at 60 fps is only possible in the 1080p resolution and you cannot switch between the cameras while recording.
Compared to the Xperia 5 II, not much has changed in terms of the image sensors. The in-house IMX 557 of the 12-MP main camera records objects and sceneries with relatively accurate colors without being overly sharpened. However, the level of sharpness is not comparable to that of a 1000-Euro (~$1160) smartphone. The Xperia 5 III has some problems focusing sharply on the object, particularly at close range. The ultra wide-angle lens also doesn't really impress us either. While the dynamic of the recordings is first-rate, the details often disappear in blurriness not only in the edge areas.
While the high-class smartphone isn't really a selfie specialist such as the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra or the Asus Zenfone 8 Flip, the recordings with the front camera, which only has an 8-MP resolution, are still rich in contrast and the skin tones are also matched well. We find the soft focus of the pictures slightly annoying.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
HauptkameraHauptkameraWeitwinkelkameraLow Light
Accessories and Warranty - Xperia 5 III with 30W charging
The quick charger included in the box of the Xperia 5 III is rated at 30 watts. There is also a USB cable (Type-C to Type-C). You can purchase additional accessories such as an antibacterial style cover with a fold-out stand from the manufacturer's website.
Sony offers a warranty period of 24 months to buyers of the Xperia 5 III in Germany.
Input Devices and Operation - Sony smartphone with a touch scan rate of 240 Hz
The operation of the Xperia 5 III benefits from a good (although not very good) vibration motor, from the high image refresh rate of the 120-Hz panel, and the touch scan rate of up to 240 Hz. This means that the capacitive multi-touchscreen is checked for touch input up to 240 times per second (for example, while gaming).
The capacitive fingerprint sensor in the power button responds quickly and recognizes the fingerprints accurately most of the time. Its position is a comfortable choice. Those who want to use their face to unlock the screen will be disappointed by the Sony smartphone, since biometrical identification via face recognition is not available.
In addition to a specific shutter key for the camera on the right side of the case, the Xperia 5 III also offers a dedicated key for Google Assistant.
Display - Sony smartphone with OLED
The Xperia 5 III offers a 6.1-nch CinemaWide FHD+ OLED display with a 120-Hz refresh rate and HDR certification. However, our brightness measurements only attest the panel with 577 cd/m2 even in APL50.
To control the brightness, the Sony smartphone uses PWM at a relatively high frequency of 490 Hz across the whole brightness range.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 95 %
Center on Battery: 554 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.22 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.2
ΔE Greyscale 3.6 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
100% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.193
| Sony Xperia 5 III OLED, 2520x1080, 6.10 | Xiaomi Mi 11 LED DotDisplay, 3200x1440, 6.81 | OnePlus 9 AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.55 | Asus Zenfone 8 Flip Super AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.67 | Samsung Galaxy S21 Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2400x1080, 6.20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 42% | 49% | 9% | 29% | |
| Brightness middle | 554 | 840 52% | 731 32% | 689 24% | 790 43% |
| Brightness | 559 | 845 51% | 739 32% | 686 23% | 793 42% |
| Brightness Distribution | 95 | 98 3% | 96 1% | 96 1% | 97 2% |
| Black Level * | |||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 2.22 | 1.2 46% | 0.59 73% | 3.1 -40% | 2.2 1% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 5.94 | 2.7 55% | 1.3 78% | 5.7 4% | 4.2 29% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.6 | 2 44% | 0.9 75% | 2.2 39% | 1.6 56% |
| Gamma | 2.193 100% | 2.26 97% | 2.243 98% | 2.25 98% | 2.13 103% |
| CCT | 7000 93% | 6492 100% | 6573 99% | 6684 97% | 6497 100% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 490.2 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 490.2 Hz (Likely utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 490.2 Hz is relatively high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. However, there are reports that some users are still sensitive to PWM at 500 Hz and above, so be aware. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18878 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
In addition to the pronounced contrast, the Xperia 5 III also offers a high color space coverage. The panel is also calibrated well in the Creator Mode. At 2.2 for colors and 3.6 for the grayscale, the analysis of the photo spectrometer and the CalMAN software results in low Delta E deviations to the sRGB color space on average.
The 10-bit equivalent panel of the Sony Xperia 5 III also supports the BT.2020 color space.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 5 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 3 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 14 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (22.3 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 21 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 4 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 17 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 24 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (35.2 ms). | ||
The viewing angle stability of the OLED panel is at a very good level. Although the Xperia 5 III can be used outdoors without any reservations, competitors such as the Xiaomi Mi 11 or OnePlus 9 can get significantly brighter.
Performance - Xperia 5 III with Snapdragon SoC
The high-end Snapdragon 888 chip set used is based on the Kryo 680 CPU unit. This integrates a fast "Prime Core" at up to 2.84 GHz based on the ARM Cortex X1 architecture, three fast performance cores (2.42 GHz) based on the Cortex A78, and four ARM Cortex A55 cores with a maximum clock speed of 1.8 GHz. As the graphics unit, a Qualcomm Adreno 660 is used.
In our benchmark package, the Xperia 5 III presents itself at a good Snapdragon 888 level. Particularly in the browser tests, the Sony smartphone does very well. The Xperia device also leaves a very good impression in everyday operation. The system performance is first rate, and the load times of apps are very short. This is also due to the fast read and write rates of the UFS storage. However, those are still relatively low for the 3.1 standard, since the Snapdragon 888 should support the whole bandwidth.
| Geekbench 5.4 | |
| Single-Core (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (976 - 1198, n=27) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (119 - 1885, n=242, last 2 years) | |
| Multi-Core (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (3204 - 3810, n=27) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (473 - 5538, n=242, last 2 years) | |
| Vulkan Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (3894 - 6176, n=26) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (79 - 9992, n=178, last 2 years) | |
| OpenCL Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (3100 - 4786, n=26) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (368 - 10711, n=167, last 2 years) | |
| PCMark for Android - Work 3.0 (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (11435 - 17085, n=21) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (4780 - 28378, n=229, last 2 years) | |
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (3958 - 5942, n=26) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (370 - 10062, n=179, last 2 years) | |
| Wild Life Unlimited Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (3959 - 5925, n=26) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (366 - 14566, n=216, last 2 years) | |
| Wild Life Extreme (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (1236 - 1602, n=21) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (22 - 3877, n=219, last 2 years) | |
| Wild Life Extreme Unlimited (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (974 - 1564, n=21) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (101 - 3792, n=212, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (60 - 143, n=20) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=187, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (173 - 294, n=20) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (19 - 497, n=187, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (55 - 121, n=20) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 161, n=188, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (101 - 180, n=20) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 331, n=189, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (36 - 105, n=20) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 143, n=189, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (69 - 126, n=20) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 223, n=189, last 2 years) | |
| Antutu v9 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (636471 - 824694, n=17) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (111952 - 1322448, n=163, last 2 years) | |
| AImark - Score v2.x (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (171404 - 264766, n=15) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (1043 - 286905, n=121, last 2 years) | |
| Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III (Chrome93) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (61.3 - 125.1, n=13) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (16.9 - 282, n=165, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 (Chrome 88.0.4324.152) | |
| OnePlus 9 (MS Edge) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip (Chrome 92) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III (Chrome93) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (77 - 223, n=19) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (26.7 - 414, n=79, last 2 years) | |
| OnePlus 9 (MS Edge) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 (Chrome 88.0.4324.152) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip (Chrome 92) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III (Chrome93) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (23491 - 47543, n=20) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 74261, n=194, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 (Chrome 88.0.4324.152) | |
| OnePlus 9 (Chrome89) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (414 - 10797, n=168, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 (Chrome 88.0.4324.152) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88) | |
| OnePlus 9 (Chrome89) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (891 - 1841, n=20) | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip (Chrome 92) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III (Chrome93) | |
* ... smaller is better
| Sony Xperia 5 III | Xiaomi Mi 11 | OnePlus 9 | Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Average 128 GB UFS 3.0 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 5% | -3% | 9% | 19% | -20% | -16% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 1593 | 1615 1% | 1872 18% | 1798 13% | 1648 3% | 1520 ? -5% | 1180 ? -26% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 740 | 754 2% | 739 0% | 797 8% | 1095 48% | 546 ? -26% | 741 ? 0% |
| Random Read 4KB | 253.4 | 278.5 10% | 225.4 -11% | 288.4 14% | 309.7 22% | 206 ? -19% | 207 ? -18% |
| Random Write 4KB | 271.3 | 289.3 7% | 221.4 -18% | 277.7 2% | 282.6 4% | 193.9 ? -29% | 217 ? -20% |
Games - The Xperia 5 III can be used for gaming
More demanding 3D games from the Android Play Store such as "Asphalt 9 Legends" do not pose any problem for the Xperia 5 III even at high graphic details. However, the case gets very warm after a short time.
Emissions - Sony smartphone with pronounced heat development
Temperature
The case of the Sony device heats up relatively unevenly under load. The maximum temperatures that we measure are also at a fairly high level, so that the heat development inside leads to a reduced performance.
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| Asus Zenfone 8 Flip | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 44.1 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 34.9 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 52.9 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 44.2 °C / 112 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30 °C / 86 F, compared to the device average of 32.6 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
The Xperia 5 III uses stereo speakers that are slightly quiet compared to those in the competitors. We measure a maximum volume of only 80 dB. However, our measurements show a linear frequency development for the mids and highs of the Sony smartphone. Bass frequencies are not present in the sound spectrum.
Those who want sound output that is rich in bass could use either a wired or wireless headphone solution. In addition to the classic 3.5-mm audio port, the Bluetooth 5.2 standard is also supported.
Sony Xperia 5 III audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 26.1% lower than median
(-) | bass is not linear (15.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.6% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 16% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 75% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 43% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 50% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%
Xiaomi Mi 11 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 26% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 11% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 82% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 37% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 55% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%
Battery Life - Xperia 5 III with 4500 mAh
Power Consumption
Using the included 30-Watt charger, the Xperia 5 III needs almost exactly 1.5 hours until it is completely recharged. Thanks to the Xperia Adaptive Charging, supposedly the user is offered overheating protection and also a long lifetime of the battery.
| Off / Standby |   0.1 / 0.2 Watt |
| Idle |  1.8 / 2.6 / 3.1 Watt |
| Load |
5.3 / 11.5 Watt |
    
| |
| Sony Xperia 5 III 4500 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 11 4600 mAh | OnePlus 9 4500 mAh | Asus Zenfone 8 Flip 5000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S21 4000 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 11% | 20% | 24% | 22% | 27% | 39% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 1.8 | 1.57 13% | 0.9 50% | 1.05 42% | 1.1 39% | 1.066 ? 41% | 0.884 ? 51% |
| Idle Average * | 2.6 | 1.92 26% | 1.7 35% | 1.41 46% | 1.61 38% | 1.58 ? 39% | 1.485 ? 43% |
| Idle Maximum * | 3.1 | 1.94 37% | 2.7 13% | 1.81 42% | 1.78 43% | 1.733 ? 44% | 1.699 ? 45% |
| Load Average * | 5.3 | 6.32 -19% | 5.4 -2% | 6.44 -22% | 6.47 -22% | 5.46 ? -3% | 4.27 ? 19% |
| Load Maximum * | 11.5 | 11.65 -1% | 11.1 3% | 10.23 11% | 10.12 12% | 9.79 ? 15% | 7.08 ? 38% |
* ... smaller is better
Power Consumption: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)
Power Consumption: GFXBench (150 cd/m²)
Battery Life
Despite a relatively high consumption in idle mode, the Sony smartphone delivers a solid battery life with 12 hours of surfing in our WLAN test at 120 Hz.
| Sony Xperia 5 III 4500 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 11 4600 mAh | OnePlus 9 4500 mAh | Asus Zenfone 8 Flip 5000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S21 4000 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | |||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 727 | 527 -28% | 854 17% | 556 -24% | 544 -25% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict on the Sony Xperia 5 III
The Sony Xperia 5 III is distinguished by a being a competitive overall package in a very compact and therefore comfortable case. However, together with its compact build, you also have to make some compromises compared to other high-end smartphones such as the Xiaomi Mi 11. As its predecessor before, the Xperia 5 III has large bezels around its OLED panel, which only offers a 1080p resolution. The lack of Qi compatibility is also not up to the current standards in this price class anymore.
Those who are looking for a compact high-end smartphone can hardly overlook the Xperia 5 III. However, you can find another interesting alternative in the significantly more affordable Asus Zenfone 8.
In addition, the compact build of the Sony smartphone probably also leads to a bad cooling performance, so that the temperature development of the Xperia 5 III has to be considered critical. Especially while running demanding apps and during gaming, the glass back quickly becomes very warm.
Price and Availability
While BestBuy shows the Sony Xperia 5 III with 128 GB of storage for $999 in the US, it is currently listed as sold out.
Sony Xperia 5 III
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08/31/2022 v7
Marcus Herbrich
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