XPERIA 5 iii Review: The Little Smartphone That Could!

[@guyinkognito2054]

The Sony 5 and 1 are literally the last flagship phones with all essential features. Vote with your wallet, guys.

[@farishanafiah8461]

Tell that to popular sellouts.

[@paltrax]

just did

[@nukert658]

that may be and while I respect it and do wish it was more standard in the industry still, its not and sony phones wont hold same trade in value when its time to upgrade which is important to me since these things are so damn expensive

[@keribangrebus8820]

Too bad the stabilization for video isn't up to expectation

[@odeiraoloap]

Sony only gives *two years of software at best* compared to Samsung that will give *FIVE YEARS* or even their own PlayStation; the PS4 almost got 10 YEARS of support. 😦

[@JojoLim]

Thanks for being one of those very few tech channels that are doing real and honest review of mobile devices. Your review on Xperia Pro-I was one of the reasons I got the phone/camera. Ha! Got it cheaper than a 512GB iPhone 13 Pro from a mobile network here in HK. It's bundled with Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds, and a 2-year warranty. I just laugh every time people say Xperia Pro-I is so expensive. Lols!

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Doing it right 😁

[@Sabundy]

That's fantastic 😊

[@corey7219]

Holy crap!

[@georgedancy6411]

1300 ? That's still expensive lol

[@JojoLim]

@@georgedancy6411 Most of those who are saying that the pro-i is expensive have no problem with iPhone 13 Pro's pricing. With the same memory capacity, plus 30W charger in the box, 2 year warranty, and a free pair of earbuds more expensive than an airpods pro, this is way cheaper than an iPhone here in HK. But yes, it's still expensive.. But I'm paying this phone in 24-month installment plan.

[@Casual-Enthusiast]

You are honestly the only tech channel I can be arsed to watch anymore. You're more grounded and to the actual point, incorporating what real world uses are and what real people would make of a product. Cheers man.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Lemme tell ya, pickings are getting slim out there...

[@Casual-Enthusiast]

@@SomeGadgetGuy true true

[@arkimde]

Wow!! What a comment man. 100% agree

[@arkimde]

Upgraded to the Xperia 5 III last month and I couldn't be happier. Thanks for covering Xperias. Amazing work.

[@rahuljuneja4266]

Hey! Could you please tell me how often does the phone overheat, especially while using the cameras? I am from India, and was planning to use it for cinematography and photography purposes. I was going to import it from singapore, but wanted some information since it is still pretty expensive, and an important tool for me which i will be investing in; considering India gets quite toasty in summers, i'd better be wary than sorry.

[@arkimde]

Can't help you there but what can say is, as a veteran Xperia user, I've never had any overheating issues on none of my devices.

[@noerosales9318]

@Arkim, I would like to know if you have the same problem with the front camera because the camera of my xperia shows the colors very saturated and the image very blurred

[@moakrameleyan7783]

Your coverage for many non influencers paid tech is really appreciated. Especially Sony products. I still see the 1 III is a better overall package, I understand the compelling reasons for a compact device, the narrow nature of both makes it so close than we think. In addition to the bigger screen with 4K.

[@Serbofreak]

After having a fair amount of flagships go through my hands, I use the Xperia 5 mk2 on a daily basis. For most people, the choice comes down to a Chinese phone (they're all exactly the same), or a Samsung. The Xperia 5 is easy to handle, the display is the best out there, forward facing speakers, awesome battery, and battery longevity; grand camera that relies on hardware and shows you real life rather than a wannabe HDR Instagram sham. The reason I stuck with mk2 and not mk3 is because the 865 heats up less than the 888, and the performance is pretty much the same. Maybe they should have put an 870 in the mk3. Everything else between phones is pretty much the same.

[@xicofir3737]

The 870 would be a wiser choice for the 5 III. The 888 heats pretty fast under heavy load.

[@Serbofreak]

@@xicofir3737 the 870 in both the MI 10s and X3 (non pro) performed way better than the 888, prolonged the battery life, and gave in to no heat issues (not to mention the price reduction). But yet again, we'll never know what drives these decisions in corporate.

[@kingacastus8915]

I feel Sony was kind of "forced" to use the 888 so that their product does not seem "worse" than the competition. Then again, I am quite certain that those who are ready to spend 1000$ on a compact phone would understand the need for a slightly weaker CPU.

[@xicofir3737]

@@kingacastus8915 After the android 12 update my phone doesn't so much. I used the camera a lot last week and I didn't get a single overheating message. On Android 11 I got some of those messages a couple of times even on cold days after using the camera for a couple of minutes.

[@kingacastus8915]

@@xicofir3737 oh wow, glad to know that it's now fixed! I am planning on getting a new phone and I might just get the 5 iii, it seems very feature packed, especially for how compact it is.

[@MemelordSupreme]

3:38 THANK YOU!!!!!! Everyone needs to hear this!

[@MrMozkoZrout]

Oh my dude finally. I thought i was weird or out of touch or something when i watched all of these reviews and videos about Xperia 5 III. I ended up buying it and i absolutely love it and i came from Samsung Galaxy S8 so yeah you actually summed up all of my reasons to choose Sony. I really feel like rest of tech tubers just hate it or something. Awesome video.

[@Sabundy]

It's more that they are basically paid to do so. Many of them actually have deal with Apple or Samsung. Or at least they certain get benefits from them such as access to events or free review models etc.....

[@execatty]

I had s8 for 5 years must have 3.5 jack.. Using s10 now pretty good.. How do u like compared to s8.. Does it work in us

[@MrMozkoZrout]

@@execatty well compared to S8 so far the only thing I miss is the 1440p screen since on led screens it's easier to see the raster because of the way they work. It's not anything big tho tbh you really have to pixel peep to see a difference. It also doesn't have wireless charging, for me that is a useless gimmick and I never used it anyway but might be important for some. Other than that I find that this phone is a straight upgrade, the battery lasts longer, the UI is better. But that might be just because I hate one UI and the last update from Samsung on my S8 completely tanked the battery performance (on purpose ?). It has a jack and SD card and awesome screen, lovely natural camera. The back vibrates when using the speakers tho and I don't mean dynamic vibrations. Price for a thin body I guess. And the vibrations itself sound a bit cheap, like spring in an empty soda can. Otherwise it's super cool device, lasts long, takes care of your battery life, has some interesting little features and os is light, I personally love everything about it. Oh and I have no clue if it works in USA since I am from Europe but since it got released there officially I guess it should work right ?

[@execatty]

@@MrMozkoZrout tx for the reply pal

[@harisahmed6715]

Brother do you feel any heating problems with the device?

[@howequalspeace]

These are the phones to get if you want a premium phone that isn't huge that also has an awesome camera - this whole family of phones starting with the X5 ii is just awesome. The X5 ii is hands down the best phone experience I've had.

[@alpineassault]

Can't believe I'm able to say this but I'm watching this video on my 5 iii 😁 Absolutely love it. Been having so much fun playing and consuming content because of the great NOTCHLESS AND PUNCHHOLELESS SCREEN with the front-firing speakers. No weird disturbance in the screen and no need for me to hold the phone in an uncomfortable way just so I don't block bottom-firing speakers. I'm in media consumption heaven right now. I was also able to pair my dual shock controller to it and I haven't been gaming the same since then lol. Tried to turn off the high refresh rate setting to maybe try and squeeze out a little more screen-on time but I just couldn't do 60 fps anymore. 120 actually spoiled me. Oh I have a question though. Where do I find that toggle to be able to go to 240Hz?

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

When you're in a game or an app you can go into performance settings.

[@execatty]

Does it work in us

[@arx117]

Same but I never use 120hz

[@alpineassault]

@@arx117 oh how come? battery life concerns?

[@alpineassault]

@@SomeGadgetGuy ah from the game center app thing?

[@mikebest3184]

Your carrier comments are on point... The only options that my carrier offers that aren't Samsung or apple, are pixels or tcl's.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Pickings are getting REAL slim out there. Good thing all those techies were so supportive of good competition when we had it...

[@1mlb704]

I have an Xperia 1 III (kind of the same phone), and overall I love it so far. One gripe I have is with the onboard microphone gain control. I'm a musician and I tried recording a video myself playing drums in my basement. I used to do this with my XZ2 Premium and it handled that loud audio surprisingly very well. This new Xperia? The sound is so bad. I can't imagine how bad it would be trying to record video of a full live band. Luckily that headphone jack does support connecting my good Zoom H2N stereo microphone via TRRS, which is what I have to do to get good audio. The audio is obviously very good with this microphone, but for the sake of simplicity for a quick video, it'd be nice if this Xperia had a better auto gain control, or if it just let me adjust it manually (the Cinema Pro app appears to have this feature, but in reality it doesn't actually lower the gain it just lowers the playback volume, which is useless).

[@schneints_keebs]

Hey Juan, as an alternative to xperia 5 iii, I would definitely recommend looking into a Zenfone 8 from Asus. The only thing we missing out on will be the micro sd expansion. But hey, the camera app and pro video feature kinda reminisced me on my old LG g6. Also, it has a headphone jack! :)

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

I've heard good things but Asus distribution was even rougher than Sony's was this year LOL.

[@schneints_keebs]

​@@SomeGadgetGuy yeah I can see that. But here in malaysia the distribution seemed to be alright. Well, I got mine on a huge discount around 450 USD. in terms of sony, it's rather pricey here at about 1.1k usd. So I guess it's a huge win in my book when it comes to value ! :)

[@pandevera2244]

ye... zenfone 8 is also good being compact, (5iii is just half millimeter slimmer)... though you are going to sacrifice the telephotos on 5iii... and a clean display without punched hole... i had 2 asus phones (one being still used up to this day) and those are pretty solid...

[@GregoryLopez1]

Agreed that the Zenfone 8 is a tempting alternative. However, I held out for the Xperia 5 III in the US because of reported ramdump problems in the Asus, no Verizon support in US, and past bad personal experiences with Asus quality control. Not being able to use a major US carrier and not trusting Asus for longevity kept me away.

[@jamieberlyn3038]

I got a 5 Mark ii 2 months ago, and I think it's a great alternative to the Zenfone 8 if you want a slightly less powerful chip for better battery life (even at 120 hz). I can still emulate PSP games on it amazingly which is a win for me, the build quality and the screen is also amazing, and the aluminum frame it's preferred to me over the 5 iii which I believe is plastic. Personally I think Android phones are packing in too much performance of their chips because they make phones run too hot and apps aren't becoming more demanding. I don't even notice the lack of 5g as everything I use internet for runs smoothly as is. It's a personal choice though and I needed a compact phone for my carpal tunnel and a headphone jack for my solo sax gigs (too forgetful and insulted by dongles)

[@Genshinaction]

I would love get the Pro-I. Was on the fence about it and the 1iii. I caught a used 1iii for 740 and thought it was a steal. Once the Pro-I falls under 1k, I'll try again.

[@avenuePad]

Nice deal with the 1iii! I currently have a P30 Pro and it's holding up well after nearly 3 years of heavy usage, but it's soon time to upgrade. I'm probably going to wait to see what the 1iv is like and then make a decision whether it's worth paying full pop for it, or scoring a deal on the 1iii.

[@ReinoldFZ]

Didn't know this existed. It is a non crippled smartphone that has a 3.5mm jack, it is notch and punch hole free, storage and all that that only budget cellphones seem to have, and maybe only for now :T

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

It's the last one.

[@xicofir3737]

Vote with your wallet. That's the only reason I pull the trigger on the Xperia 5 III. The only thing a regret was the price. This phone is too expensive, but dispite that it's one of the last phones that have all the features I want. The only alternatives I know are the zenfone 8 and Zenfone 8 flip.

[@fgonzeyes]

I still missing the Xperia, is the best really smartphone than others!

[@nikytamayo]

3:38 is such a burn. 8:26 is such a megaburn. And 30 minutes straight of 4k60 would be an even bigger burn. Shooting outdoors, I played with a phone cooler while attempting such long clips, which works a treat. But the hassle of using one (and the noise on the videos) eventually led me to simply taking shorter videos, talking faster, and sticking the phone in front of a fan or car AC vent between takes.

[@rahuljuneja4266]

Hey! Could you please tell me how often does the phone overheat, especially while using the cameras? Perhaps a rough idea of the length of the footage i could record? I'm going to use it to record 4k24-30 fps. I am from India, and was planning to use it for cinematography and photography purposes. I was going to import it from singapore, but wanted some information considering India gets quite toasty in summers, i'd better be wary than sorry.

[@nikytamayo]

@@rahuljuneja4266 I shoot with two phones, a Huawei Mate 40 Pro with the Kirin chipset, and a Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro with the Snapdragon 888. In direct sunlight in 35C weather, everything else minimized, the Huawei can shoot maybe 7-15 minutes straight at 4k60 before having to shut down the camera module to prevent heat damage. With the Xiaomi Funcooler 2 Pro, twenty to thirty minutes is possible. Xiaomi lasts longer. 10-20 minutes. But this is highly dependent on the condition of the phone beforehand, as the snapdragon 888 can run really hot, camera or not. 4k24 should be better. Cameras run cooler at lower frame rates and resolutions. Don't be stupid like I was and leave your phone running for an hour straight on a tripod under direct sunlight. When I finally got the phone to boot again, the battery was over 50C! Use an umbrella. Use a cooler. Take breaks to cool off the phone every half hour.

[@natskar]

I just bought one on Amazon. First time in YEARS I've been excited about a smartphone. Easy to hold in the hand, Basically THE only option to still have a micro SD card support and I can load up all of my lossless & hi-res music and enjoy it on an app (or of course use my DAC) that comes on the phone and it'll actually play those files instead of pretending to like on my pixel 4a, also the headphone jack is a welcome surprise. And then a no frills HDR-bandwaggon camera that can deliver me pictures true to life looking for nature shots. All in all this is the upgrade I've been waiting for, a phone that absolutely kills it in every way for what I want, thank you sony

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

It's a good feeling. Congrats on the new phone 👍

[@natskar]

@@SomeGadgetGuy thanks! Unfortunately I had to return it because there were a few things I needed my iPhone for at work :( …plus Android auto in my car suuucked compared to Apple CarPlay but don’t get me wrong I’d go back to the Sony in a heartbeat if I could

[@lunaelriku]

Watching this with 5iii. I luv the game enhancer and photo pro apps..just one thing, I hope they fix the heat increasing

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Need to spend a little more time with Android 12, but so far the X5 has handled thermals better than I thought it would. EVERY company has had SOME kind of issue with the 888.

[@farishanafiah8461]

@@SomeGadgetGuy Looking forward to A12 update for Sony phones, especially when it comes to battery usage.

[@abesh1284]

It's a clear phone! I love it's concept and seems a genuine option for people who want smaller phones! Sony's smartphone lineup is solid and not confusing And as always great assessment!

[@lth_lch]

Was wondering why you didn't have a full review of this phone up, but then I saw the headline of an article today saying that they're only just shipping to the US now, several months after they launched everywhere else.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Sony has to go where the money is.

[@92Cuky_]

I got my hands on Xperia 5 iii about two months ago upgrading from the first Xperia 5. First thing that I really like is that, after I spent a day or two setting it up to my liking I was using it as if I had it for 2 years instead of 2 days because those two are so similar. One thing that annoyed me a bit is that Sony dropped their Album app and basically makes you use Google's Photo app to view galery, but that was a small annoyance. Battery easily lasts longer than on the 5 and everything feels a bit snappier. Hopefully there will be 2 years of this phone until I feel the need for changing it

[@mortinocano169]

Enjoy the phone!

[@sushimshah2896]

Awesome man, enjoy ur phone! Btw which colour did u buy? I absolutely love the Red (5), the Pale Pink/Grey (5 II) & the Green/Gold(5 III), and ofc the usual Purple (1 III), I just wish it came in the same matte finish as it's bigger brother. You could simply download the Album apk instead!

[@92Cuky_]

@@sushimshah2896 I got it in black, like I did with 5. Other color options weren't available when I was shoppig for a phone, but even then I would get a black one. I like how "boring" it is and I use a case because of how slippy xperia phones are sometimes anyway. Album app is not available for this phone officially, caneeven get it through Google Play. I downloaded .apk file of the latest available version though and it works well. I just know I will sooner or later have to adjust to a life without it.

[@chookwangzhee1889]

The album apk should be available to dowoad

[@Mark-lu3tn]

Is the selfie camera better on 5 iii then the 5

[@vgamesx1]

I know this is a few months old, but I wanted to mention there is a point to adding a faster processor even if it uses more power, you can always make a fast processor slower and more efficient, you however cannot make a slow processor any faster, of course one problem is manufacturers don't provide users with much control over that but if you recall in the early smartphone years power saving modes were absolutely worthless, there was no point in ever using them when it could take a minute or two to load a webpage, these days even something fairly modern like a SD855/865 could be left in a power saving mode all the time and still perform quite well at a level closer to a SD820 then be turned off say for a gaming session to get better performance.

[@pangolin83]

Not an iPhone fanboy but the iPhone 13 mini does exist as a small phone option - Granted it's nowhere near as "feature rich". However, if people are voting with their wallets, it's sad to see that small phones are unlikely to stay, especially for people who like them, like me.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Which doesn't help ANYONE on a Galaxy S9/S10 looking for a replacement.

[@pangolin83]

@@SomeGadgetGuy Yes - with that one specific caveat. For people open to anything small, (e.g S9/10 users) they have been left behind as most phones have gone to either extreme of the size scale. Funnily enough the Find N and this is the closest size comparison

[@sushimshah2896]

The iMini is just too mini imo (especially with that chungus notch eating out the screen even more), if it came with a last-gen chip (since Apple doesn't make mid-range chips) and a much cheaper price, then it'd have sold more imo and lacking features like HRR would have been more palatable. For me personally, the 70x(140-150)mm size is the sweet spot, especially after using the dream one-hand phone, Z2 Plus for 4 yrs (no wonder the S10e is also a darling since it's basically the same dimensions but with a full-screen instead of forehead & home button like my Z2 Plus)

[@GoatV8]

I don't know if it's weird or sad that we have to consider old standard features selling points now. I guess as long as it tiktoks good 🤷

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

It's pretty gross yeah.

[@farishanafiah8461]

Couldn't agree more. Because of wireless earbuds and cloud storage, still-relevant features like headphone jack and microSD card support is gone. I always find it funny to see people claiming it to be "outdated". They always NEVER get outdated despite the years. After all, why fix the unbroken. If anything, those so-called "cool" or "futuristic" wireless features could be the one to go extinct altogether.

[@sushimshah2896]

@@farishanafiah8461 100% agree 👍🏻 And they still put up with 2 decade old & outdated USB 2.0 on the iPhones which can record "ProRes & Cinematic (which is anything but cinematic)" footage. Unlike the Xperia which actually offers 21:9, 4k/24 with colour profiles & manual control!

[@Sabundy]

I feel like Sony Xperia is the Mazda of smartphones. Not as popular and well known as it's contemporaries, but ridiculously underrated and quietly bringing the heat and quality.

[@wayne02058]

Sony has the best battery management, being able to plug in my phone without it actually charging but just to power the phone is an amazing feature that is not widely covered

[@Southpaw22]

Really nice review. I have Sony Xperia 5 II, and after one year I cannot complain about anything. It's buttery smooth, no stutters. I love the 21:9 ratio. I often use the split-screen, so the display ratio gives you the additional space you need when using that. I was tempting myself to get the 5 III, but I don't think it's worth the upgrade yet. I'll wait for 5 IV. 🤞🙂

[@MsSoulBlader]

So glad someone's reviewing this phone! I don't get why other KZbinrs avoid Xperias so often..

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Traffic. You can easily add a zero to the end of your view count by saying nice things about Samsung and Apple.

[@FAT8893]

Brand fanboyism. Simple as that.

[@theSFCchannel]

The reason why Sony released last in the USA as they sell more handsets in the UK than in the USA, despite it being almost 5x larger potential market

[@FriscoFlame]

Right now I'm on a carrier Samsung flip 3 but I definitely am wanting to go back to phones with a headphone jack and with expandable memory because the lack of SD card expansion is quite detrimental to my user experience. Especially as a person that uses flac audio instead of MP3. Sony is the brand I'm hoping to hop over to since our beloved LG has left the smartphone market

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

It's the last one left. Either that or drop to the mid range. Competition is almost dead for those features.

[@FriscoFlame]

@@SomeGadgetGuy the most shocking to me was when OnePlus dropped the headphone jack. But how an SD card is being removed when you don't need that much more than the space for dual SIM blows my mind

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Money. Bluetooth headphones can help you score another $100 from a phone buyer. Memory cards are too cheap to profit much from, but making a consumer spend more for internal storage also pads profits.

[@FriscoFlame]

@@SomeGadgetGuy oh I know capitalism is the reason I'm more so mean that I assume the people who make these devices also have to use them at some point 🤣

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

I'm sure they're drying their tears with $100 bills these days 😅

[@jeremycagle19]

Looks like a phone worth looking into. Thank you for the review. I have an S9.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

There's definitely a different vibe on a Sony, but if you liked having hardware features, there's a STRONG argument to be made for the jump from S9/S10 to an XPERIA.

[@execatty]

I have s10 but when this phone no longer gets updates I'm gone to Sony does it work in USA

[@BarryJohnson]

Awesome to have a small phone to recommend and it happens to be the reddit winner!

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

YAY! SONY!

[@BarryJohnson]

@@SomeGadgetGuy Yes, Yay Sony!!!

[@damien8398]

My only gripe with this phone is the aspect ratio being to wide. Watching 16:9 videos which is the most common video format especially on youtube, will look tiny on this phone.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

I mean... the practical difference between a Samsung/OnePlus at 20:9 versus this at 21:9 is BARELY noticeable. The main change is making the phone a little easier to hold laterally, and reach across the screen. It's great for vertically aligned scrolling apps too.

[@FAT8893]

I can agree with that. 21:9 make better sense with cinema movies.

[@farishanafiah8461]

Hmmm... quite an oddity to see the 5 Mk3 only reaches your shore recently. My country already started selling it some two months ago and my friend have already traded in his Xiaomi Mi 11 for that phone. Nevertheless, I'm still loving that phone for being different in today's ever-growing all-wireless world.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Sony gotta go where the money is first. It's NOT here unfortunately...

[@Sabundy]

@@SomeGadgetGuy I cannot understand why Sony cannot get carrier support in the US 🤷🤷🤷. Surely it help them move a lot more units in the US...? You mention that the carrier situation in the US is toxic. How so?

[@lionelb8227]

I had to switch to a 13 Pro for work. The gap coming from this phone or 1 III is HUGE ! Android feels better in my opinion, but not just that. The pictures are way better in my opinion. I feel that I can take way better pictures with the Sony, maybe because I know how it works. The colors are nicer, the way it handles details is just sublime. Some people think the iPhone is great but they're surprised when I say that I prefer the Sony. switching phones helped me notice that the iPhone hype is mostly based on what people think it is and not really what it can do (a Pro phone that does less than my non-Pro phone !)

[@farishanafiah8461]

For me personally, there is one main reason why I always prefer Android over iOS: Desktop Mode. Sony may not have a Samsung DeX-like iteration, but it's still good enough for it to be used as a PC on a TV or an external monitor.

[@lionelb8227]

@@farishanafiah8461 And don't talk me about multi window. It's simply non existent on iOS. I miss this thing so much, especially since on the Sony the tall apsect ratio was perfect for that.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

But PiP amiright! It just works! For like two apps!

[@quantumcloud6609]

Was thinking I'd pick the Pixel since LG stopped making phone, but it makes so much sense to pick Sony who was basically the only company that did the same thing LG did with emphasis on Audio and Videography. Xperia 1iii or 5iii slaps hard as a next phone moving from the V60 or Velvet

[@bzzxyz69]

I see Xperia in the thumbnail/title: it's probably @JuanBagnell I see the uploader: I knew it! 😁 I'm always fond of Xperias, thanks for covering them. Another excellent review, as always 5/5

[@alpineassault]

Just got Android 12 on mine. Bought it online from a store in Hong Kong and I live in the Philippines. Took a while from the original release from Sony but hey it's here.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Congrats! I just got it on my x1ii!

[@LouisWinthorpe622]

I have a '5' and I just ordered a '5 iii' from Hong Kong. With 256gb. Which was cheaper than buying a Euro/UK version with 128gb. Go figure. I ordered it because I love my 5 because I love smartphone sized smartphones much better than phablets and everything else is the size of what they used to call a phablet now. I still consider the screen quite large because the favourite phones I ever had were the HTC Desire, Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc and Sony Xperia Z3. Oh! ONE HANDED MODE! Double tap the home button. Screen shrinks to the bottom right hand corner. You can do everything with one hand. Tap any blacked out section of the screen to return it back to normal size. You're welcome.

Looking forward to a camera review on this device. How does it compare to the 1iii and other devices. Mostly just curious how good the periscope lens is, as someone who likes to take shots of bugs and animals outdoors.

[@NehemYah810]

Yeah these big flagships are neat but it was a lot cooler when they were an OPTION. Like one person had a tiny phone,one person had a galaxy s4 or something and someone had a note sized phone. Now everybody wants a 7 inch phone to stare into and it’s kinda wild 😂 I recently got an iPhone mini 13 to counter my lg velvet.

[@NeutronStar9]

I really feel that Sony is the only company that makes the best tech.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Kinda looking that way some days...

[@johngrasso6224]

Thank you for this. As a person with an S10e and looking to upgrade, I agreed with a lot.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Sony's are VERY different from Samsung's, but if you care about those hardware features, this is the last game in town.

[@sushimshah2896]

If you want something more affordable with a few corners (and screen) cut but still retaining the 3.5mm HP jack, then the Zenfone8 is also a very good option. Ofc if I had the money, I'd just buy the Xperia

[@execatty]

I have s10 now been using for 5 months.. It's pretty good coming from s8.. But how do u like xperia.. I need 3.5mm does this work in USA.. Camera is least important thing for me

[@sushimshah2896]

@@execatty ofc it works in the USA, wdym? It officialy launched there after all. But if cameras aren't your thing, I'd rather point you to the 5 II, it basically the same as the 5 III except it'll stay cool & provide better sustained performance, and it also has the HRR screen, and ofc the beloved 3.5mm jack & tool-less SIM+mSD tray

[@execatty]

@@sushimshah2896 thanks yea I'm a die hard 3.5 guy.. Have in my ears all day for work.. Don't want electricity pumping through my head all day.. Sheep 🐑 follow.. Wolves lead

[@DpKris]

Hi Juan, can you please revisit the older phones in your collection. It would be a great.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

I don't know that I can make them videos, but I was thinking of some audio and photos on the Patreon.

[@thepulseman7154]

Thanks a lot for the video! It's always good to see the few Tech-tubers which don't complain about an Xperia being, well, an Xperia, and who analyse things more objectively. In France where I live it seems even more difficult to find unbiased reviews of these phones, but it seems to slowly improve. There are two things I'm wondering: First, back then when you compared the Xperia 1 II with the 1 III, you did a speaker comparison and the ones on the 1 III were clearly better. Is there such a gap between the 5 II and 5 III? And finally, though you are honestly not the only KZbinr to witch I asked that question, how would you rate the vibration motor of this phone compared to a Pixel 6 Pro or a high-end Xiaomi for example? In terms of both haptic feedback and not missing notifications while on vibrate? Thanks in advance, and keep it up!

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

The 5ii and 5iii are a bit closer to my ears than the 1ii and 1iii. Sony's game is really fun though where it's not as bassy, but I think the 5iii is fleshing out the low mids a bit better. It's like they built these little speakers to ride right up to the edge before distortion. The 5ii and 5iii ALMOST have the internal vibration that turned LG phones into desk resonance solutions. The haptics are WELL improved for detail this year, but I think they're about the same in terms of force. The 1ii has a decently powerful vibration, but it's an ill-defined "fuzz" kind of buzz. The 5iii pops a bit more precise. If the OnePlus 9 feels like a woodblock, or string pluck, the 5iii is a bit more like that than the 5ii. It makes the dynamic vibration mode a LOT more useful.

[@thepulseman7154]

@@SomeGadgetGuy Thanks. Very glad to know they improved on the haptics. I take it that they used a low-base frequency vibrator to achieve such results, after all the most praised linear actuators are in the 150-160 Hertz ballpark or so I've found. The one on my phone is at around 230 Hertz which I assume is why the haptic feedback can't be as punchy, though it is refreshingly fine after my Oneplus 5T which was so bad in that regard, with the vibrator running at the same frequency but sounding definitely more metallic, not sure what kind of technology that one was.

[@TechLuvnMomma]

I truly never hear about Sony's phones except from you and like 1 other person. Thanks for doing what you do 😉 💜

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

😊

[@suni08]

Argh it should have minimum 3 years of android updates

[@Granturion]

So small and so much power/features. Micro SD and Headphone Jack. No stupid edge display. I want to try the new sony series.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Sony's game is REAL strong right now IMO.

[@ZeDarkLord]

I really wanted to drive the Xperia 5ii, and now the 5iii too. But unfortunately, Sony Mobile doesn't operate in India anymore :/

[@sushimshah2896]

Same brother, heck even Asus has apparently abandoned the ZF8, otherwise that was also a solid option.

[@stefanr8926]

How about the Pixel 4a?

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Start here kzbin.info/www/bejne/r6C2qIxsidSjg6M

[@stefanr8926]

@@SomeGadgetGuy honestly since last year ive been using high end phones such as s21 ultra, iphone 12 pro max, oneplus 9 pro 🙄, pixel 5 n much more premium flagships. Kept changing my phones every week looking for the best camera phone n overall phone. Sadly everything was below par. The nail in the coffin for me was the last flagship i brought which was the vivo x70 pro plus which was just garbage. The only notable exceptions from my experience have been the Huawei P40 pro and Pixel 4a n Pixel 5. Those are the ones i actually wanted to go back n use again. The P40 pro has the best camera on a phone hands down n d pixel 4a n 5 are great to use for their size n cameras are good too. Typing this comment on a pixel 4a.

[@stefanr8926]

@@SomeGadgetGuy I guess i watched too many reviews and fell into their traps.

[@farishanafiah8461]

@@stefanr8926 It's hard to beat Google's camera software. Even Huawei couldn't get close to them, let alone Sony.

[@stefanr8926]

@@farishanafiah8461 Agree but Huawei came closest i guess.

[@akaraikiriakatsuki3157]

After seeing other brands photoshoping the sky from blown out to blue. Yeah xperia seems more natural

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

It's shocking how many phones won't at least keep a gradient. It's just a wall of puke blue. 🤢

[@akaraikiriakatsuki3157]

@@SomeGadgetGuy also I think xiaomi is purposely ignoring usa to avoid to be Huaweified

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

I wonder if they would be? OP sells here. I think the big "FEAR" from Huawei and ZTE was that they also sold network equipment.

[@akaraikiriakatsuki3157]

@@SomeGadgetGuy Ow I forgot they do that. Even my ISP modem is Huawei. It's sad everytime I see Huawei store always empty these days.... Regarding 888 and 8 gen 1 I've been checking golden reviewer for the thermals

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

The only issue there is Moto. They didn't make an 888 powered phone, so they're a WHOLE YEAR behind the rest of the main phone players for thermal design. I don't know that Samsung/OP/Xiaomi/etc can improve on thermals, but they all have more experience designing around HOT SOC.

[@Gary0557]

Problem with Sony phones is you have to use the pro camera features to get the best shots, point and shoot doesn't work on these like Samsung's and iPhones. And yes, after watching all the video, I guess that makes me not a great photographer. I'm assuming we can shoot RAW on these?

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Sony's auto mode is excellent. It just doesn't dump out unicorn puke like most other "Auto AI HDR" phone cameras.

[@Gary0557]

@@SomeGadgetGuy Point noted. I'm waiting for the OnePlus 10 Pro, to see if Hasselblad has had any more meaningful input. Will be interesting to see how they price it, as their days of high end specs at mid range prices seems long gone.

[@chinitopinoy1726]

@@SomeGadgetGuy I like unicorn puke though. 🦄 😂

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Yeah, people still act like OP is a "flagship killer" but that hasn't been true since the OP7. OnePlus still manages to deliver VERY good deals on competitive specs, but they're proper flagships now at flagship prices. I think the MAIN game in town if you just want a fast SOC at a cheap price is Poco.

[@Gary0557]

@@SomeGadgetGuy.. and realme. I think they're from the same stable.

[@RemTiangco]

Would have gone for this if Sony never left our market. I wish they could just make Global web store with international shipping. I don’t really like how my 13 Pro feels too wide and heavy in my relatively large hands.

[@arx117]

I'm glad Sony still selling this on my country

[@Sabundy]

You are right. Sony has to find a way to make their phones more widely available

[@TheJunky228]

I just recently bought an xz1 compact to get a smaller phone lol. my first sony, wish I got one sooner! bummer that this era of devices didn't allow wired display out though...

[@farishanafiah8461]

Only Samsung, Huawei, Motorola, LG, Sony, and OnePlus give wired display out support, but even that was mostly on flagship models. Only Sony and LG can give it on their midrange phones.

[@TheJunky228]

@@farishanafiah8461 right, and in 2017 Sony wasn't giving it to any devices. earlier devices got mhl, later devices got displayport over usb c

[@kgvertu]

Enjoyed that Juan. The Xperia range is really appealing. The SD card alone would have me buy a phone, but... I need that high end camera including computational, as sad as that is, even the high end pro struggles to compete with a pixel, that should not be possible. They need to push a bit more towards the lay man and get those auto shots on point. Not Q saturated mess, just better.

[@ahmedbebars6844]

I wish Sony could let us collapse the camera settings panel on the right so we can take advantage of the full screen real estate, especially when tracking a fast moving subject. I don't want it there when I've already picked my settings.

[@redrobbosworkshop]

My 5iii arrived today, and from the moment I lifted the phone from the box I knew this was the right choice. It just feels so great in the hand, perfectly formed, stealth-like, solid and compact. I'm coming from a Pixel 6 - 2 months old and a big mistake given I've always enjoyed smaller phones. The Pixel is large and unwieldy, riddled with bugs and feels like a prototype. Basics like the fingerprint unlock are poor, auto rotate jams, NFC payments services seem unreliable - feels like a testbed for the Pixel 7..... The Sony? - seems fast, fluid and consistent. My only gripe is the ultra glossy finish which makes this rather like holder a bar of soap! A couple of slim cases arrive tomorrow.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Get a case on that thing quick LOL

[@sepdioenriquez702]

I'm thinking to get pixel 6 or 5 iii? I'm only worried about the SD 888.can help me decide what to buy?

[@redrobbosworkshop]

@@sepdioenriquez702 If it's any help, I sold my Pixel 6 mainly due to bugs and also the size. Interestingly the connection to my Pixel Buds is much better on the Sony with no dropouts. I updated the Sony to Android 12 last week and it's now even better. I don't game on a phone but I can usually get 2 and sometimes 3 days from the Sony before a charge. I have no regrets in changing.

[@sepdioenriquez702]

@@redrobbosworkshop thanks its a big help. Probably I'll wait for the 5 iv..i like to play genshin impact not sure if it can handles. Thanks again!

[@vanilathasukumar8839]

Is 5 iii a worthy upgrade from 5 ii? or should i wait for 5 iv?

[@JuanAMatos-zx4ub]

Nice review, Juan. Did you notice any improvements on overall bugginess? I had an X5 II, which I loved but felt the aspect ratio caused a fair bit of issues overall.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

I guess I just don't understand the issues other folks are having. People keep saying the aspect ratio on Sony causes all these problems, but functionally the difference between 20:9 on a samsung is barely different than 21:9 on a Sony. I flipping love the sony screen. You can dock a video playing to the top quarter of the display, and still have a 16:9 screen under it.

[@JuanAMatos-zx4ub]

@@SomeGadgetGuy when I had the phone I had all sorts of issues depending on the application. I guess if you haven't experienced them in this one means they probably fixed them.

[@vibingwithvinyl]

What do you think about the ASUS ZenFone 8? Under 6" screen with top of the line features seems like a good combination.

[@FAT8893]

As much as I love the 5 Mk3 for having larger battery than before, I'll wait until Sony launch the Mk4 1/5 with SD 8 Gen 1. I'd love to see how Sony's excellent battery management software fares up with the new chipset.

[@arx117]

I already bought this phone, previous phone is xz1. It's really huge upgrade

[@natskar]

I'd wait too, but here in the US there basically no gaurentee that we'll get a US-version of the Mk4 for another year if at all, so I took my chances on the mk3 and am really excited anyway

[@NigelMelanisticSmith]

I hope that one of these days, Qualcomm makes a new chip that isn't hotter and harder to control than the last one.its like they picked up Intel's worst trait

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Competition is key. Seeing Google and MediaTek step out with their own premium SOC is a solid first step.

[@sushimshah2896]

@@SomeGadgetGuy yup, I upgraded from my 4yr old SD820 phone to a Dimensity 1200 phone last August & have been loving it thus far, it's fast (roughly on par with the 870) & efficient. And I personally belive that MTK raising the heat in the mid-range (with the 800U & 1000+) was the reason QC came up the the 778/780G (the 870 just being a 865++), I mean just look at the jump from say 710 to 730 to 750/765 & compare that to the jump to 778G.

[@thecanadiandavid600]

Does this phone still have the proprietary Sony headphone equalizer presets in the audio accessary settings?

[@VelcroSnake93]

Coming from the S10e (which I moved on from because I hated the Android 11 update but couldn't roll back), the only thing I really miss on my Xperia 5 ii (not 5 iii) is the camera is consistently slow to take shots and generally I need to take more shots to make sure I get a good one. Can I get good shots from it? Absolutely, but with the S10e it was usually 1 quick shot and I was done, with the Xperia 5 ii it's sometimes 3-4 shots that can take 1-2 seconds of processing each to make sure I get a good one (unless I use Photo Pro, which does take faster pictures, but then the shots are all darker than I like unless I mess with settings). I hope they figured that out with the 5 iii and made it better, because aside from that I generally love the phone.

[@MegaUltraSuperDuable]

Im picking up a xperia 5iii on friday... It cost just under 700$ but it also comes with the sony wh1000xm3 as a bundle at that cost 🔥 im coming from the xperia 5 mark 1

[@tuanpit88]

Do you find green line problem, as widely reported happening in 5ii?

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

I haven't. I've been fortunate that all of my Sony's have been really well behaved.

[@sleepyfu]

Are any bloatwares on the US version? I watched a review from UK and bloatwares were mentioned, and worst of all installed in the system folder.

[@immortallix]

I guess this is the best "vote" there is. I'd still like bigger bezels so picking up the damn thing isn't annoying and an iPhone style home button

[@EikottXD]

Great video! I was thinking about purchasing the 1 Mk III (same SOC) and you pretty much sold me on it by giving actual useful information. You gained a subscriber sir 👍🏻

[@Cristian.Cortez]

I just upgraded back in 2019 from the Xperia Z1 Compact to the Xperia XZ1 Compact and although I wasn't totally happy with losing some features I really loved like FM Radio, screen recording, and the older version of Sony's "Music" app which was previously called walkman. Well now thanks to the nation wide 5G upgrade, my perfectly functional end of an era phone is obsolete, and I'm being forced to look for something new. I'm debating between the Xperia 5 ii and 5 iii, the dual focal length telephoto on the iii something I REALLY would like to have, and on either one of them that 21:9 aspect ratio is just disgusting to me I really wish they weren't so wide

[@Sabundy]

I guess it's subjective. But I love the 21.9 aspect ratio . It makes the phone slim and comfortable in the hand. Every other phone now looks fat to me 😂

[@D4RKxHOR1ZoN]

Been waiting for another compact Xperia. What's the price? Where do I find one? Ty 4 review. 👍

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

bhpho.to/3HXMfuX

[@D4RKxHOR1ZoN]

@@SomeGadgetGuy ty👍

[@cesarvarela5438]

Most phones don't come to the U.S because of what happened to ZTE back in the day and Huawei currently, got banned from trade with U.S companies and that ruins competition

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Those companies were Targeted more for telecom infrastructure not consumer solutions. BBK found an in road with a new label. TCL sells here. Xiaomi could too. It's not worth playing the carrier game and adapting Xiaomi's business model for the USA.

[@WaffleusRex]

I didn't realize the 5 III also had that special periscope lens. Hopefully that returns in the 5 V in the form of the same rumored 2.9-8.3x or 4-9x periscope zoom lens. Leaks show it will have the same 16 GB of RAM as the 1 V, after all. I only go for the bigger phones for that longer zoom. If I can get that in a form factor I can one hand, that would be perfect.

[@lukiux8406]

I’am thinking to buy this phone, but a lot of people say that this phone is quite poor and not powerful compared to other smartphones at such a price, Is it worth buying it?

[@SajanSajan-yw2qi]

Any heating issu bro ?

[@danterye08]

this content creator for me is the most honest tech reviewer in YT. (IN MY HONEST OPINION) Regards and keep it up....

[@MissUnbelievable29]

This is so helpful! Just ordered mine! 🙌🏾

[@VWbobby94]

Great review!!

[@madmann6723]

I think we forgot the Asus Zenfone 8! 😊

[@farishanafiah8461]

It has about similar footprint to the Sony. Also, it's not that compact because of its tall 20:9. If ASUS gone for 19:9 screen, that could be a different story altogether.

[@yellowwducky]

For 80 bucks you can get 512 gig of storage upgrade....for 180 you can get a TERABYTE of extra storage.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

"Sorry. Best we can do is another 128GB for $100." -Smartphone manufacturers.

[@yellowwducky]

@@SomeGadgetGuy Now you know why I own Sony hehe....along with everyone else in my family.

[@karthikkallada8095]

Hi...i have this phone with me..but four months back I got that issue with green lines on display after the software update. The service is not available here in India. Can you please help on this regard.

[@useless6234]

Then again, wfter 3 generations, they still have the WORST selfie camera on ANY phone! I had the Xperia 1/1ii/5/5ii and yet they had worst selfie that the XZ3! I was waiting for the iii, but noooo, same selfie for third year in a row...

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

I really just can't be bothered though. The rear cameras are so good, the dedicated shutter is easy to use. Sony's have hands down the BEST face/eye detection. Why would I use a gimped "video calling" camera to take a selfie?

[@AlexHernandez-gn6rd]

Happy to see Xperia come to the US. I would definitely look into this. That device seems killer with it's potential I like that it doesn't bite what apple does and stands on its own. The 4k screen is my go to feature.

[@svnbit8408]

It's nice not winning any awards or anything. The main thing I enjoy is it's flat but I often fumble typing because it's narrow, I can't imagine a smaller 5iii

[@gaara8217]

AT&T just shut off there 3g network... their list of phone that work consist of the Xperia 5 III model (xq-bq62)... i see the phone is sold and labeled as (xqbq62/b)... what does b mean? is this a different model?

[@jamesbelkin9204]

I was wondering the same thing. I figured out that the letter indicates which color the phone is. I'm thinking of buying the green one from the Sony store and it's listed as XQBQ62/G.

[@rondorocket4604]

I've ordered the xperia 5 iii changing from s10e

[@felipemendozar]

Hey man, what do you think of this one on 2024?

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Honestly still solid for hardware, though I worry the SD888 will probably age poorly over the next couple years.

[@pizzamonster8216]

Memory slot ✓ 3.5mm ✓ Great camera ✓ Good battery ✓

[@JS-po9yt]

how is the audio on the headphones I was thinking of buying a digital audio player but with every thang price and the phone I have is showing it's age aka battery thanks for your content

[@HSNG10]

Xperia 5 III is an amazing small powerful full featured phone. But Sony was very late to market for this model. They need to buck up for the IV series in 2022.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

I mean, it would be nice, but Sony goes where the money is. These things sell out like crazy in Japan and China. Why would they bring phones here and have to deal with carrier issues? The issue isn't the manufacturer, it's the toxic influence carriers have over phone sales, and the ridiculous amounts of money SamApple pays in marketing to lock up NA.

[@rahuljuneja4266]

Amazing review as usual, you got my well deserved sub. I have been eyeing the xperia 5ii and 5iii for a long time now, since i am an arts student, wanting to use these devices as my portable photography and film-making device. I wanted to go with the 5ii, since the 5iii runs quite toasty at times, but unfortunately, In Singapore, where i am planning to import it from, it isn't on sale anymore. Indian climate is quite toasty as well at times, so i am concerned for the thermals on xperia 5iii, especially if i am going to be recording 4k 24-30 fps videos for longer than 30 minutes. It's a niche scenario, but for the money i am going to be putting in into the phone i need to be sure. Can any long term owners of the xperia 5iii and 1iii help me out on this? What is the thermal performance like, and how often do you get the overheating message? I also saw some information on how the latest updates have cooled it down quite a bit. Lastly, are the thermals better on the xperia 1iii than 5iii? I am very confused, yet only want to buy xperia since it offers me the most control for content creation.

[@anthonytuccinardi]

Great job on this review.

[@mchale19]

My only worry on sony phones (i had a sony z5 compact) is the software and the updates. When i had the z5 compact, it was so buggy at times slow and the phone shutdown itself especially when i use the camera not even for 10mins. So i wonder how are these things has improved and can we at least get a smooth experience with both the software and the hardware of the phone? And also how is the longevity factor? Thanks for a transparent review of the phone. We need indeed to support a non samsung non apple company to have a balanced market, hope its not too late though.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

The Z5 was six and a half years ago? I mean, Notes used to explode back then...

[@mchale19]

@@SomeGadgetGuy how about the updates and stability of the software?

[@davidgtx8708]

whats is the name of the game?

[@Elevationcee]

Does it have esim??

[@Sabundy]

Great video 👍👍👍. I'm just glad that SONY seems to have finally turned their mobile division around and it's both profitable now and actually growing sales wise for the last few financial quarters.

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Feels good.

[@purplespark8]

If only they made the front camera better, there would not be a better phone for me

[@natskar]

I use my front camera a total of times a year I could count on one hand lol, but I can see how that'd be a deal breaker for some people

[@tsunantsukioka]

So, the lg g8x dac is better than this one?

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Yes

[@acur665]

Just ordered the phone today at 7am pst. I have been waiting since April for this & am pretty much solely get it on compactness & headphone jack! The S21 is actually a pretty great option too if people cant find this. I found it to be pretty comfortable in 1 hand, but I really wanna see how the xperia 5 iii feels. Nice review. subbed 👍