Sony Xperia X vs Sony Xperia Z5

posted by Chris P. / Jun 10, 2016, 8:11 AM

Introduction

Not even a day has gone by this past year without someone, somewhere, pondering over the unfortunate fate of esteemed manufacturers of old. Nokia, BlackBerry, even HTC, all are having trouble staying relevant in an increasingly murderous smartphone market. Worse yet, Sony has also been having quite some trouble as of late.

In a highly visible attempt to swing its fortunes for the better, Sony recently made the decision to discontinue its flagship Xperia Z-series and transition to a bit less-exclusive Xperia X branding for its higher-ends. The eponymous Xperia X was our first handshake with this new lineup, but keep in mind that the upcoming Xperia X Performance is the higher-end device that is likely meant to supersede the Z5.

That said, let's see if the more mainstream Xperia X, with its lighter specs sheet, can fill the Xperia Z5's shoes.

Design

There's no denying, we're fond of Sony design, at least as far as aesthetics go. Even more so lately, with phone makers the world over adopting round form factors when designing their gadgets. Elegantly rounded, the Xperia X and Xperia Z5 are among the few standing rectangular phones of the day, and that means something if you value differentiation.

Sony Xperia X - left, Xpezia Z5 - right

Of the two, it's hard to pick a favorite, for both have their advantages and downsides. The newer X is decidedly more minimalist, with four counts of branding insignia forgone, and with a cleaner frame. It also features a curved glass for the display that seeps into said frame, unlike the Z5 which looks a bit more ordinary from the front.

The frame of the Z5 sticks out ever so slightly at the back, cutting into our hand when operating the phone—an issue taken care of with the X. Unfortunately, both remain very slippery devices in general, though this is compounded by the aforementioned issue with the Z5.

The Xperia Z5 is also a just a bit wider and taller than the X due to its larger screen, though it is slightly thinner overall. Not too bad considering the screen gains and the fact that the former is dust-proof and water-resistant, while the X isn't.

View more + 10 images

Front view
Side view

Sony Xperia X

Dimensions

5.63 x 2.72 x 0.3 inches

143 x 69 x 7.7 mm

Weight

5.36 oz (152 g)

Sony Xperia Z5

Dimensions

5.75 x 2.83 x 0.29 inches

146 x 72 x 7.3 mm

Weight

5.43 oz (154 g)

Sony Xperia X

Dimensions

5.63 x 2.72 x 0.3 inches

143 x 69 x 7.7 mm

Weight

5.36 oz (152 g)

Sony Xperia Z5

Dimensions

5.75 x 2.83 x 0.29 inches

146 x 72 x 7.3 mm

Weight

5.43 oz (154 g)

To see the phones in real size or compare them with other models, visit our Visual Phone Size Comparison page

Display

We ought to start with a simple fact: the 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution displays on the two phones are very different from each other. And not just in terms of size, with the Xperia Z5's 5.2-incher to the Xperia X's 5-incher, but also in terms of display properties.

Starting with color temperature, both the Xperia X and Z5 have rather bluish screens, with the X's deviation from the reference colors being more extreme. The Z5 does win out on overall color accuracy, with a better—but not much better—representation. The Z5's 5.2-inch panel also offers higher brightness, so it's better suited for the upcoming summer months.

Going back to color, it's worth noting that both devices let you manually tweak (apart from choosing between two pre-made profiles) color temperature. If you know what you're doing, you can set these so that you get a more realistic image. Most people won't.

Display measurements and quality

	Maximum brightness Higher is better	Minimum brightness (nits) Lower is better	Contrast Higher is better	Color temperature (Kelvins)	Gamma	Delta E rgbcmy Lower is better	Delta E grayscale Lower is better
Sony Xperia X	536 (Excellent)	4 (Excellent)	1:1261 (Excellent)	8208 (Poor)	2.18	5.42 (Average)	6.37 (Average)
Sony Xperia Z5	672 (Excellent)	4 (Excellent)	1:1256 (Excellent)	7688 (Average)	2.62	3.79 (Good)	6.19 (Average)

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The numbers below represent the amount of deviation in the respective property, observed when a display is viewed from a 45-degree angle as opposed to direct viewing.

	Maximum brightness Lower is better	Minimum brightness Lower is better	Contrast Lower is better	Color temperature Lower is better	Gamma Lower is better	Delta E rgbcmy Lower is better	Delta E grayscale Lower is better
Sony Xperia X	78.7%	75%	83.1%	8.2%	9.2%	12.2%	23.1%
Sony Xperia Z5	83.9%	75%	82.1%	17.7%	1.1%	2.6%	28.4%

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The CIE 1931 xy color gamut chart represents the set (area) of colors that a display can reproduce, with the sRGB colorspace (the highlighted triangle) serving as reference. The chart also provides a visual representation of a display's color accuracy. The small squares across the boundaries of the triangle are the reference points for the various colors, while the small dots are the actual measurements. Ideally, each dot should be positioned on top of its respective square. The 'x: CIE31' and 'y: CIE31' values in the table below the chart indicate the position of each measurement on the chart. 'Y' shows the luminance (in nits) of each measured color, while 'Target Y' is the desired luminance level for that color. Finally, 'ΔE 2000' is the Delta E value of the measured color. Delta E values of below 2 are ideal.

These measurements are made using Portrait Displays' CalMAN calibration software.

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16 Comments

1. senseiJ

Posts: 172; Member since: May 02, 2015

Sony needs to change their now dull design. Sure it was really gorgeous before but it's so old now.

posted on Jun 10, 2016, 8:31 AM 1

2. libra89

Posts: 2316; Member since: Apr 15, 2016

Thanks for this, it was an interesting read.

posted on Jun 10, 2016, 8:38 AM 0

3. BobLawblaw unregistered

"Nokia, BlackBerry, even HTC, all are having trouble staying relevant in an increasingly murderous smartphone market." At least HTC have the 10 which is an amazing phone. The Xperia X lineup is a mess and this X being tested is an overpriced mid spec'd boring slab. I'd take my old z3 over this any day..

posted on Jun 10, 2016, 8:39 AM 1

12. mimicryXD

Posts: 175; Member since: Apr 03, 2015

Better check out youtube videos that xperia x murders htc 10 in speed test and not even close despite having sd820 vs sd650 on xperia x

posted on Jun 11, 2016, 10:12 AM 0

4. SYSTEM_LORD

Posts: 1168; Member since: Oct 05, 2015

The Z3 series, with the exception of the camera which goes to the 5th generation, was the pinnacle of Sony design and relative performance. What we know and love about Sony was embodied in the 3rd Gen devices. I have a Z3C, but I'll likely go basic Zenfone 3 or Axon 7 (both, pending reviews). No more Sony for me.

posted on Jun 10, 2016, 9:14 AM 2

16. zenun12

Posts: 205; Member since: Oct 31, 2016

Yeah....2014 was Sony's year. They put out their best.....and lost a lot of money. (Remember how many Snapdragon 400 powered phones they put out in 2014?)

posted on Dec 29, 2016, 7:58 AM 0

5. xperiaZlover

Posts: 202; Member since: Nov 15, 2015

I think Xperia X display better than z5 .

posted on Jun 10, 2016, 9:25 AM 1

6. kevintangi

Posts: 6; Member since: Oct 31, 2012

Both dont come close to Z3C :(

posted on Jun 10, 2016, 11:43 AM 0

7. XperiaG

Posts: 178; Member since: Jun 06, 2016

Well thanks for the review... Now I convinced that the Z5 is better... is terrible that Sony wont be making any other device on the Z series... cause this new X series looks like mid-range phone with a high-end price... did not like that... I'll go for the Z5 now.. thanks PA.

posted on Jun 10, 2016, 5:29 PM 0

8. PhoneFixer unregistered

That guy holding phones like ; bleee both phone crap . where is my beloved ippphonee aah here come to papa..

posted on Jun 11, 2016, 3:24 AM 0

10. Alkomb

Posts: 2; Member since: Jun 11, 2016

Ha, you just made me laugh in real life, thanks!

posted on Jun 11, 2016, 5:23 AM 0

9. Alkomb

So, literally everything that the Xperia X has is just a little bit worse than the Xperia Z5? Besides the front-camera, of course. An upgraded front-camera, & a little bit worse everything isn't worth $550, when the Xperia Z5 $100 less/cheaper than the Xperia X? I hope that Sony stops taking the Apple way, & starting to make overpriced, & under-powered cellphones, every, single, year.

11. Andrewtst

Posts: 697; Member since: Jan 25, 2009

In summary, Xperia X had nothing better than Z5 beside new better design look. Xperia X simply overprice. Sony you are going to even bad suffer this year! Trust Me!

posted on Jun 11, 2016, 5:45 AM 0

13. toka8

Posts: 1; Member since: Jun 13, 2016

Having used Z1 Compact, Z3, Z4/Z3+, Z5 Compact and the totally unnecessary Z5 Premium, it is clear to me that Sony has lost its way. The Z3 was fabulous, but now the design is now becoming old, the specs stay behind (3GB for a 2016 flagship?), the extras are now widespread (IP 68) and the prices have a very thin grasp to reality. I'm moving on.

posted on Jun 13, 2016, 12:30 AM 0

14. Misa_01

Posts: 2; Member since: Jun 13, 2016

Someone needs to do more research. Xperia Z5 is not $600 usd. You can get it for $450 usd on Amazon and Expansys. Spend a $100 more and you can get the Z5 Premium for $550 on Amazon and Expansys. Article does not have pricing content verified.

posted on Jun 13, 2016, 6:49 AM 0

15. elephone

Posts: 4; Member since: Jun 13, 2016

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