All-rounder a sleek step up from its predecessor

SINGAPORE — Fingerprint security finally makes an arrival in the latest iteration of Sony’s Z series, the Xperia Z5.

Even though it is almost a generation late, the fingerprint scanner is the phone’s highlight. It is ergonomically placed, easy to set up and largely accurate, from my experience. Accessing the main screen no longer requires a clumsy swipe of the screen or the keying in of a pincode.

And with a spruced-up camera and more all-rounded software performance, this is one phone worth exploring.

When it comes to photos and videos, the Sony Z5 is effortlessly on a par with the competition. The rear camera features a 23-megapixel lens, while the secondary front camera is 5.1 megapixels.

Aesthetically, I like how the camera does not protrude out of the phone’s body and sits discreetly at the top left corner. Both front and rear cameras use Sony’s Exmor sensors, which,according to Sony, captures more light. Although pictures in low light were decent in my trial, the camera really stands out when used outdoors in sunlight, offering bright, sharp pictures.

I was also amazed at how fast the auto-focus and anti-shake capabilities are. I took a series of burst shots of different subjects while panning across a landscape, and found all of the images to be sharp.

Weighing in at 154g, the Z5 is 10g heavier than its predecessor, the Z3+. I found this rather perplexing considering that the battery capacity has been reduced from 2,930mAh in the Z3+ to 2,900mAh. But the Z5’s battery life is respectable for daily use, and it still boasts a larger capacity thanrivals such as the iPhone 6S (1,715mAh), HTC One M9 (2,840mAh) and Samsung S6 (2,550mAh).

The smartphone lasted about 24 hours with intense use at multiple times of the day, but it is still a far cry from the Z3 I reviewed last year — the 3,100mAh battery went almost two full days with constant use. Sony claims that the Z5 can be used without charging for up to two days too, however, you need to use it in Stamina mode, where features such as Wi-Fi and mobile data are switched off when the screen goes black. Sony claims the Ultra Stamina mode can allow a fully charged gadget to last for more than five days.

In terms of design, Sony has stayed true to the series’ sleek, iconic look. There are a few noticeable changes compared with the Z3+, other than a relocation of the volume rocker, microphone pinhole and a newly designed power button. The front and back of the 146 x 72 x 7.3mm phone are still made of tempered glass, held by an aluminium frame. What is great is that Sony replaced the glossy back with a frosted finish to prevent fingerprint smudges.

The 13.5cm, 1,920 x 1,080 pixel display is a joy to use outdoors, with 428 pixels per inch (ppi) stacked on its screen, giving extra brightness.

Under the hood is a super-fast combination comprising a Snapdragon 810 central processing unit, 3GB of RAM, and the Android 5.1.1 Lollipop operating system. There is 32GB of memory space available, with expandable microSD storage of up to 200GB.

When it comes to speed and performance, there were no noticeable delays or stutters on my review unit.

The Sony Xperia Z5 is basically a refined version of its predecessor, as with each iteration of the Z series. It was unveiled last month at IFA 2015, with the Z5 compact and Z5 premium. The Z5 compact is a smaller, thicker version of the Z5, while the Z5 premium will have a staggering 806ppi display, larger screen, 4K videos and chrome-finished rear. Sony says the Z5 premium is the first smartphone to feature a 4K-ready display.

Although I would highly recommend this smartphone to those looking for an upgrade, it may be worthwhile to wait for the slightly pricier Z5 premium, which will hit our shores next month.

The Sony Xperia Z5 is available in black, white, gold and green for S$998 (without plan) at all Sony stores and centres, and from telcos.