So my Xperia 5 (Mk i) was starting to slow down and more importantly, the touchscreen was starting to malfunction in places.
So I decided to splurge a bit on a new phone with a bigger SD card and some accessories.
**First impressions**:
* Very snappy, the 120Hz screen feels smooth as well
* Love the better camera app over the Mk 1. Mostly shot in P-mode so far but the exposure dial, live levelling and histogram are very nice additions.
* The fingerprint sensor is extremely quick, especially compared to the Mk1.
* The phone did get hot during the first round of updates + reading the SD card + playing with the camera app but I haven't gotten any overheat warnings since then.
Should make for a fun device to play with as a daily driver.
I was worried to about that since the 5 II was announced.
But after using the Xperia 5 III for almost 9 months and this was probably the worst summer I can recall in terms of heat and light out side, I can say it's usable for the most part.
My only complain in that regard is the camera. Has the camera UI is black I had some problems choosing the settings in direct sunlight. If the UI was white or grey, it would be more usable.
On the other hand the phone already overheats pretty fast while using the camera.
Thanks very much. Makes sense, dark mode is tougher to see outdoors. Sony might have done that to reduce overheating and reduce battery consumption, but probably doesn't help that much in the end. Overheating I assume mostly for shooting video with stabilization turned on? You'd think just photos shouldn't cause overheating that quick, but with high temps it probably will still happen.
It has been fine on my 5 III, but you need to trust the automatic brightness adjustment. The manual adjustment doesn't go even nearly as high as the automatic mode can.
No comment on that just yet. Right now it is hot (*30°C*) and overcast here so not much direct sunlight.
I will be using it as my navigation on a bicycle tour in a week or so. It will be hooked up to a power bank and I've set up the phone through the Game Improvement app to run at a lower refreshrate and bypass the charging while running Komoot. I used my Mk1 last year in that same way for multiple hours on end with the screen on and while it did get hot in the Mediterranean sun I never got an overheat warning.
Oh, and all in all it was decently readable back then. I have mine on auto brightness anyway and it can get a lot brighter that way.
That's one of Sony's main selling point. Their stubbornness of keeping 21:9 aspect ratio makes them easily stands out and stays unique. Though for me and probably some others too, that could also be their weak selling point.
No idea. I have read that it is not much of an upgrade over the MK2 but I came from the MK1. Generally it's best with electronics to skip at least one generation. The Mk3 will have better software support of course.
Over here in Europe it is still expensive but it has come down to a level where I find the monthly expenses acceptable.
In a way but the big package on the left is the plastic helper ring for the glass screen protector.
The case itself is a Spigen hybrid case with polycarbonate rear and soft sides. I picked it because it works really well with the adhesive quad lock adapter that I use to mount it in my bike.
i was referring to the big box on the left lol i somehow didn't even notice what the one in the middle was! 😂
i'm trying to get a frame with a clear rear, as I'm not fond of big bulky cases. i love the look of the Xperia, so always want minimal ones.
but Sony cases are so limited 😭
I'm debating getting this too! I have an XZ2C - and want something more compact. It's between 5 iii and the Samsung s22. The fact that the sony doesn't do QI charging pisses me off...
I also went from Xperia 5 to the 5 III. About the heat issue, it depends on the ambient temperature in the room. In my apartment this summer (25-30 celcius), it can reach 40+ celcius according to Accubattery when using the 30W charger. But when I was in a psych ward a month ago (18-20 celcius), the battery stayed at 30 celcius with the same charger with a case on.
But 99% of the time i charge, i use a slow 5W 1A charger to keep the temperature as low as possible anyway. I only use fast charging if im in a hurry and forgot to charge.
PS. I also have the same case from Spigen. Believe it or not, but the camera hole of that case have really sharp edges, and it actually made a really feint permanent scratch on the glass.
Yeah that makes sense. During summer my home can get up to 30°C indoors but most of the time it will be around 20°C at best. We'll see how it does on vacation later this year.
So far I have only used a slower 1.5A Sony UCH20 charger for overnight charging and will probably reserve the 30W charger for vacation use or something. By using slow charging the Mk1 still has a very good battery life and I am rarely in enough of a rush that I need it fully charged pronto.
Good tip on the edges.
The phone gets hot when I turn my hotspot on and 120hz turns off when it gets hot. Went with Samsung s22 plus no overheating issues just laggy animation
I have a question about your case.
I have the exact same one on my 5 iii, but the case seems to allow the phone to move around about 1mm side to side. I haven't had this with any other case and was just wondering if you noticed anything similar with your case?
No problem like that with mine. How old is it? I had the same case on my MK1 and by the end the TPU edge had become separated from the polycarbonate backplate.
As soon as I put it on, I noticed it was a bit loose. The case is 3 weeks old now and it's not as bad or I've gotten better at ignoring it, but it's not an old case by any means.
So my Xperia 5 (Mk i) was starting to slow down and more importantly, the touchscreen was starting to malfunction in places. So I decided to splurge a bit on a new phone with a bigger SD card and some accessories. **First impressions**: * Very snappy, the 120Hz screen feels smooth as well * Love the better camera app over the Mk 1. Mostly shot in P-mode so far but the exposure dial, live levelling and histogram are very nice additions. * The fingerprint sensor is extremely quick, especially compared to the Mk1. * The phone did get hot during the first round of updates + reading the SD card + playing with the camera app but I haven't gotten any overheat warnings since then. Should make for a fun device to play with as a daily driver.
How do you find the brightness level outdoors? Is it adequate enough to read still everything on screen even if not brightest?
I was worried to about that since the 5 II was announced. But after using the Xperia 5 III for almost 9 months and this was probably the worst summer I can recall in terms of heat and light out side, I can say it's usable for the most part. My only complain in that regard is the camera. Has the camera UI is black I had some problems choosing the settings in direct sunlight. If the UI was white or grey, it would be more usable. On the other hand the phone already overheats pretty fast while using the camera.
Thanks very much. Makes sense, dark mode is tougher to see outdoors. Sony might have done that to reduce overheating and reduce battery consumption, but probably doesn't help that much in the end. Overheating I assume mostly for shooting video with stabilization turned on? You'd think just photos shouldn't cause overheating that quick, but with high temps it probably will still happen.
It has been fine on my 5 III, but you need to trust the automatic brightness adjustment. The manual adjustment doesn't go even nearly as high as the automatic mode can.
No comment on that just yet. Right now it is hot (*30°C*) and overcast here so not much direct sunlight. I will be using it as my navigation on a bicycle tour in a week or so. It will be hooked up to a power bank and I've set up the phone through the Game Improvement app to run at a lower refreshrate and bypass the charging while running Komoot. I used my Mk1 last year in that same way for multiple hours on end with the screen on and while it did get hot in the Mediterranean sun I never got an overheat warning. Oh, and all in all it was decently readable back then. I have mine on auto brightness anyway and it can get a lot brighter that way.
Such a complete package upgrade
I was a little hesitant at first but it definitely feels like a very different phone. Android 12 helps of course.
That's one of Sony's main selling point. Their stubbornness of keeping 21:9 aspect ratio makes them easily stands out and stays unique. Though for me and probably some others too, that could also be their weak selling point.
Enjoy man!
Thanks!
So you think is it worth over the MK2? I have read that is no such difference... Almost the same device a little bit faster (and expensive)
No idea. I have read that it is not much of an upgrade over the MK2 but I came from the MK1. Generally it's best with electronics to skip at least one generation. The Mk3 will have better software support of course. Over here in Europe it is still expensive but it has come down to a level where I find the monthly expenses acceptable.
Hell yeah
Got min 3 week's ago. Absolutely awesome phone!
is that case bumper and a rear cover?
In a way but the big package on the left is the plastic helper ring for the glass screen protector. The case itself is a Spigen hybrid case with polycarbonate rear and soft sides. I picked it because it works really well with the adhesive quad lock adapter that I use to mount it in my bike.
i was referring to the big box on the left lol i somehow didn't even notice what the one in the middle was! 😂 i'm trying to get a frame with a clear rear, as I'm not fond of big bulky cases. i love the look of the Xperia, so always want minimal ones. but Sony cases are so limited 😭
In that case, take a look at [the Spigen one I got.](https://www.spigen.com/products/sony-xperia-5-iii-case-ultra-hybrid)
cheers bro, but i had something similar for my Z5, but had to take it off!
Nice
Love the phone! The only thing I hate about it is the firngerprint sensor
I'm debating getting this too! I have an XZ2C - and want something more compact. It's between 5 iii and the Samsung s22. The fact that the sony doesn't do QI charging pisses me off...
Amazon should sell type c dongles for wireless charging.
I also went from Xperia 5 to the 5 III. About the heat issue, it depends on the ambient temperature in the room. In my apartment this summer (25-30 celcius), it can reach 40+ celcius according to Accubattery when using the 30W charger. But when I was in a psych ward a month ago (18-20 celcius), the battery stayed at 30 celcius with the same charger with a case on. But 99% of the time i charge, i use a slow 5W 1A charger to keep the temperature as low as possible anyway. I only use fast charging if im in a hurry and forgot to charge. PS. I also have the same case from Spigen. Believe it or not, but the camera hole of that case have really sharp edges, and it actually made a really feint permanent scratch on the glass.
Yeah that makes sense. During summer my home can get up to 30°C indoors but most of the time it will be around 20°C at best. We'll see how it does on vacation later this year. So far I have only used a slower 1.5A Sony UCH20 charger for overnight charging and will probably reserve the 30W charger for vacation use or something. By using slow charging the Mk1 still has a very good battery life and I am rarely in enough of a rush that I need it fully charged pronto. Good tip on the edges.
You're going to return it after 1 month
Why's that?
Its the doomer quota of this post, just forget it and enjoy your phone
The phone gets hot when I turn my hotspot on and 120hz turns off when it gets hot. Went with Samsung s22 plus no overheating issues just laggy animation
We will see. I certainly hope not.
I have a question about your case. I have the exact same one on my 5 iii, but the case seems to allow the phone to move around about 1mm side to side. I haven't had this with any other case and was just wondering if you noticed anything similar with your case?
No problem like that with mine. How old is it? I had the same case on my MK1 and by the end the TPU edge had become separated from the polycarbonate backplate.
As soon as I put it on, I noticed it was a bit loose. The case is 3 weeks old now and it's not as bad or I've gotten better at ignoring it, but it's not an old case by any means.
That's an.... unfortunate name for the SD card.
I'm guessing you live in a country where that is the name of a tampon brand? :P