The Sony Xperia 5 II has a 120Hz display that really looks great given its smaller, and therefore, easier-to-handle frame. However, with quite a high price, it might drive away some smartphone users. Add this to the fact that the device also has an annoying Google Assistant button and a very old design for its unlock button. There's also no 4k display, but this one's really up for debate since having a 4k screen on a mobile phone really eats up on your device's battery life.
Still, the Sony Xperia 5 II is a flagship phone modeled after its bigger sibling, the Sony Xperia 1 II. It just cut on some corners to make it more price competitive (but still quite pricey IMO) compared to other top-tier mobile phones.
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Sony Xperia 5 II: Quick specs
Since it carries the Xperia flag, this phone is primarily focused on still photography and videography. It may not have the aforementioned 4k display, but at 6.1 inches with a resolution of Full HD Plus (1080 x 2520), it sure is a joy to hold and use due to its large screen real estate.
Having a 21:9 aspect ratio, the phone's screen is optimized for watching multimedia content like movies since most films nowadays have a widescreen ratio.
There's also a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top, and the cameras are still as great like those on the Xperia 1 II. What we don't like though, are the thick bezels around the display. Though they've been reduced compared to previous iterations, Sony could have done a bit more.
The Sony Xperia 5 II comes in just a single configuration of 8GB RAM with 128GB of storage space. It's currently priced at around $949 / £799.
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The phone has volume buttons on the right side, near the top. Below these buttons is the Google Assistant button which can be set to initiate other functions. Lastly, there's a camera shutter button near the bottom right side that can be used when taking photos in landscape orientation.
The lock button sits between the volume and Assistant keys. It doubles as a fingerprint sensor. It works well but given today's trend, it would've been better if Sony included an under-display fingerprint sensor.
The Xperia 5 II has a USB-C port at the bottom. Having a dedicated audio jack on top allows users to charge and listen to music simultaneously. It might be a trivial thing, given the popularity of wireless earphones; but it's still a nice feature to have especially for aspiring audiophiles.
The phone comes with a smooth glass back with the camera array being located on the top-left corner. It only comes in either black or blue and sadly, it looks like Sony has no plans of expanding the Xperia 5 II's color options.
Lastly, the phone also comes with water resistance of up to a depth of 1.5 meters for up to half an hour.
Sony's take on providing a toned-down version of the Xperia 1 II is quite admirable. The Sony Xperia 5 II's overall design is practical and reasonable, given its price point.
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