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Coming from the debacle of Xperia Z3+, Sony needed to bring out a product which would not only restore users' faith, but also get it back in the game with a bang. And the Xperia Z5 Dual does it remarkably well for Sony.
With the Xperia Z5 series, Sony seems to have gotten most of the things in order.
The design language remains the same, but with changes like an overhauled camera since Xperia Z1 showed up, and a finger print scanner and other subtle changes, it looks like Sony is up for the challenge.
It got concerning a while back when Sony hinted at exiting the mobile phone business, but has since then reassured its fans about its decision to hold fort. This coupled with a formidable product things are looking up for Sony and its fans as well.
Let us take a detailed look at what Xperia Z5 is all about.
Built and design
Sony has gone with the tried and tested design language it has been using till now. The users will be greeted with a familiar combination of metal and glass with the Xperia Z5 Dual.The notable change will be the colour matched frosted glass back and the curved edges imparted. The former makes sure that there are lesser smudges and minuscule greasiness sticking around, and the latter allows for a more comfortable gripping.
Looking at the right side, the pill shaped button is occupying a stellar position, and rightfully so as it incorporates a finger print scanner as well. Sony seems to have beaten the likes of Samsung, Apple, HTC etc with the thoughtful placement. The thumb or any of the dominant digit will land upon this button, making it easier to unlock. Volume rocker though will need some adjustment to get used to as it has been shifted a tad bit lower. The delightful little camera key follows the volume rocker further down.
The left side sees the combined flap which houses the microsSD card slot, as well as the dual SIM slot. The top side plays host to the 3.5 mm audio jack, and bottom edge has the microUSB charging port, which is thankfully left open. The open charging port takes care of any hassles whenever the phone needs charging.
The phone is able to hold onto its dust proof as well as waterproof certification which is a huge achievement. The user needs to ensure that the flap is properly closed, and the charging done only when port area is dried properly.
The presence of a notification LED and the front firing dual speaker set up is again something which hugely boosts Z5's credentials and puts the phone right behind the HTC BoomSound setup.
The Z5 dual looks superb. The omni-balance concept is something to cherish, but the boxy and consistent design doesn't escape the mind either. Sony has announced the next lineup will have a fresh design scheme.
Display
It was good to see Sony sticking with just the 5.2-inch screen size and not going for a phablet-like display unit. The screen is a Full HD variant, with a resolution of 1080 x 1920p. The resulting pixel density of 424 ppi is to be seen to be believed.
The IPS panel provides great viewing angles, and Sony's X-Reality software ensures that the images are pretty realistic. There is the Super Vivid mode as well if the user so desires to switch profiles. The colours come pretty close to the AMOLED style output and the display performed admirably well under direct sunlight as well.
The screen quality is top notch, and it is a pleasure to view the photographs as well as videos on it, even for long duration at a stretch. Sony has played to its strength here.
Hardware
The Xperia Z5 dual comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset. To quell the fears and uneasiness, this is the overhauled version (v 2.1). The Octa core setup includes Quad core Cortex A53 clocked at 1.5 GHz, and another Quad core Cortex A57 processor chugging at 2 GHz frequency.
Adreno 430 has been trusted with the graphics department, and there is a meaty offering of 3 GB of RAM. The vision has ensured that Nexus 6P doesn't overshadows the Z5 here.
It was good to see that Sony went with 32 GB of internal storage and not anything lesser. Users can further increase the storage capacity by another 200 GB using a microSD card.
Connectivity
As the name suggests, the Xperia Z5 Dual accepts two nano SIM cards. It was a pleasant thing to see that both the cards support LTE. Apart from that, the usual features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (ver 4.1), and NFC are there as well. USB OTG is another worthy inclusion.
For navigational assistance, AGPS and GLONASS are ready to serve the users, while the presence of FM radio will make many prospective buyers feel much more confident.
Operating system
This is one area which will attract a good bit of flak for Sony. While all the flagships are doing their best to roll out with Android Marshmallow, the Z5 Dual comes with Lollipop OS (Android 5.1.1). The saving grace is that Sony tries not to tinker around too much with stock Android flavour.
The phone comes with a decent bit of bloatware, which thankfully can be uninstalled mostly. Not only here, but the freedom to tinker around has been maintained in other realms as well, like the users can reconfigure the icons in the pull down notification. If at all required, some can be set to be hidden too. Similarly, the clock on the lockscreen can be changed as well.
The theming option allows for a nice makeover of the interface to keep the users busy and happy. The movie creator app is fun allowing the user to stitch photographs and smaller movies together.
Sony has got some offers live currently which the user can avail via Xperia Lounge app. Apart from downloading curated content worth Rs 4,000, users can also snag a Smart Cover for themselves.
Performance
The Sony Z5 dual is a delight to use. The app loading and switching were smooth and effortless. There was no issue with the HD content either, with the phone delivering the performance with movies as well as CPU intensive games. The frame rates were rock solid.
It does gets warm, but Sony has done the needful to keep the temperatures under control. The front firing dual speakers are great as well. The IP 65/68 certification allows the users to operate them under testing circumstances and this is a big plus. They are not BoomSound grade, but Sony probably wanted to wow the listeners with the high resolution audio converter the Z5 dual comes with. Grab onto some good headphones and get the immersive experience straight from the industry pioneer.
The 4k video recording however may need some addressing. Thankfully, the phone goes for a thermal trip only after about half an hour's worth of recording, and clearly looks like the dreaded 810 chipset's inherent issue.
Camera
The interesting and most anticipated aspect of a Sony mobile phone. The phone comes with a 23 MP rear camera, and a 5.1 MP front facing camera. It is worth noting that Sony has finally given the camera a relook after 2013.
Sony is trying to sell camera's three strengths the most. One, the camera has super fast auto focus locking ability and attains the same in 0.03 seconds.
Secondly, it also is boasting 5x Clear Image Zoom. And lastly, Sony is also backing its camera to offer clearest low light performance.
While the second claim doesn't really count for much given how much more useful an Optical Zoom is, the autofocus claim is worth its weight in gold. The camera grabs the next best results while capturing objects in motion. The images come out pretty solid and can easily pass for a normal picture. The low light performance indeed is worthy too, and the camera grabs some very impressive amount of details when light conditions are not optimum.
As for regular photography, Sony has decided to go in with what is SteadyShot optical image stabilisation (OIS). The users will have to tinker a bit in the settings and choose the 23 MP option, which Sony has set to 8 MP by default for some reason. Everybody will agree that the 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS sensor needs to be employed fully to get the best results.
Combined with the goodness Sony has thrown around, the captured pics came out sharp, brilliantly captured and had a good presence of natural colours, details and contrast levels as well. The app however isn't as slick as the performance, and the slower load time really sticks out like a sore thumb. Either Sony gets round to correct this flaw, or the users head to the play store for a third party solution.
Sony's dedicated camera key is something very assuring. Another aspect worth noting is the phase detection sensor's presence allows users to establish a focus on an object present anywhere on the screen, corners included.
Video recording quality came out very good as well, and the users get to grab videos at either 30fps or 60fps. The front facing camera does a good job at snapping the selfies, but the low light shots were not as impressive.
Battery
The phone comes with a sealed 2900 mAh battery unit. Sony did claimed that the battery lasts 'upto two days', but that seems to be the case only if the user decides to go soft on the usage pattern.
In more of a realistic and moderate to high usage pattern, the phone will last for about a full day, before calling out loud for the charging to begin.
A Quick Charge of 10 minutes will get the phone up and ready for another five and half hours worth of innings.
Overall, the battery department is about goodish and Sony might just get away with it.
Verdict
Sony has really gone back to its core and brought forward a solid phone. It was sad to see Sony dropping vague hints about exiting the business. It was bound to have a negative impact and thankfully, Sony realised their folly. The company has been releasing statements to assure the loyal fan base that they won't disappear anytime soon from the mobile phone market.
The Xperia Z5 dual is something which should compel that very loyal fan base more than anybody else. The handset has been beautifully crafted and the frosted back glass change is a welcome one. A revamped camera and the zippy fingerprint scanner brings the much needed sheen to the Z5 family. Even without a 2k screen, the Z5 dual exudes confidence and 3 GB of RAM is heartening to see. IP 67/68 certification brings about cheers like no other phone.
The problem Xperia Z5 will witness is the same old pricing issues. At Rs 52,990, it really is a staggering price tag. True, that it takes money to bring the dust and water proofing, but with competition heating up, Sony will struggle to get their product going. LG G4 provides most of the benefits and at a lesser pricing, whereas the arrival of Nexus 6P has altered the equation entirely.
The online pricing at around Rs 48,000 is still high and only a further price cut will get the Z5 moving.