Sony has two new Android phones that are very similar to each other. So which is right for you?
That’s part of the purchasing decision that Sony has made pretty tough. While we’re open in our admiration for the company that makes one of the only high-end, yet sub 5-inch Android phones around, the close nature of the two phones in hardware and in experience can make choosing all the more difficult.
Having spent a good amount of time with both, let’s see if we can help.
Check out our full review
If you want to know all about both phones, we’ve rounded them both up into one handy review. In it we also recommend the Compact over the regular Z5 and our reasons why. It’s a good place to start to get a little background on each of them.
Read: Sony Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Compact review
How different are they?
The good thing about the two phones is that they’re mostly alike. The bad thing when you’re deciding which to buy, is that they’re mostly alike. There’s not a whole lot on the hardware front to differentiate, and the size is the most noticeable thing.
If you want a Full HD, larger display, then the larger phone is going to be more up your street. The Compact shrinks to 4.6-inches and 720p, but is a lot more hand and pocket friendly. And despite having less RAM, the Compact performs just as well most of the the time as the bigger one. All while having arguably better battery life.
Check the link below to get the full run down on what’s different.
Read: What’s the difference between the Sony Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Compact?
Price
Based on the UK market, the Xperia Z5 costs around £100 more than the Xperia Z5 Compact. There will be deals and carrier subsidies you can take advantage of, but it’s pretty straight forward. The smaller one costs a good chunk of change less than the bigger one. And price is always one of the defining factors in which phone you should buy.
Buy the Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Compact at Amazon UK
So, which should you buy?
We can only advise, as the ultimate decision is yours. But our recommendation remains the same as in our full review. The Xperia Z5 Compact represents an all-round better value package than the Xperia Z5. It’s a smaller phone with no compromises over its larger sibling.
Unless you absolutely have to have the larger display, our recommendation would always be to get the smaller one and keep a good amount of your cash in your wallet.
For more on both phones check out our dedicated Xperia Z5 page here and Xperia Z5 Compact page here.
Sony Xperia Z5, Z5 Compact and Z5 Premium
- Read our Xperia Z5 review
- Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact: What’s the difference?
- Get the latest news
- Full specs: Z5 | Z5 Premium | Z5 Compact
- First 5 things to do with your Xperia Z5
- Join the forums: Z5 | Z5 Compact | Z5 Premium