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There are not many compact flagships out there, but there are some. In this article, we’ll compare two such phones, the ASUS ZenFone 10 vs Sony Xperia 5 V. Both of these phones are excellent choices in their own right, but in case you can’t make up your mind, this article should be able to help. The Xperia 5 V actually launched quite recently, a couple of days ago, while the ZenFone 10 has been out there since June.
Both devices carry the very latest specs, though they are quite different in a number of ways. They have distinctive design languages, and there are also other differences, such as the ones in the spec department. We’ll first list their specifications side-by-side, and will then move to compare them across a number of different categories.
Specs
ASUS ZenFone 10 & Sony Xperia 5 V, respectively
– Screen size (main):
5.92-inch Super AMOLED display (144Hz, HDR10+, 1,100 nits)
6.1-inch OLED display (120Hz, 1B colors, HDR10)
– Display resolution (main):
2400 x 1080
2520 x 1080
– SoC:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
– RAM:
8GB/16GB (LPDDR5X)
8GB
– Storage:
128GB/256GB (UFS 4.0)
128GB/256GB (UFS 3.1)
– Rear cameras:
50MP (wide, f/1.9 aperture, gimbal OIS, multi-directional PDAF), 13MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture,k 120-degree FOV, 1.12um pixel size)
48MP (wide, f/1.9 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF)
– Front cameras:
32MP (f/2.5 aperture, 0.7um pixel size)
12MP (f/2.0 aperture, 1.25um pixel size)
– Battery:
4,300mAh
5,000mAh
– Charging:
30W wired, 15W wireless, 5W reverse wired (charger included)
30W wired, wireless, reverse wireless (charger not included)
– Dimensions (unfolded):
146.5 x 68.1 x 9.4mm
154 x 68 x 8.6mm
– Weight:
172 grams
182 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
– Security:
Side-facing fingerprint scanner
– OS:
Android 13 with ZenUI
Android 13
– Price:
$699
€999
– Buy:
Amazon
Amazon
ASUS ZenFone 10 vs Sony Xperia 5 V: Design
These two phones do look quite different, but both have flat sides all around. The edges are also chamfered, and both phones do sit well in the hand. They both have flat displays, though the Xperia 5 V has slightly thicker bezels at the top and bottom, to avoid having a display camera hole. The ZenFone 10 embraces the display camera hole in the top-left corner of its display.
Their backplates are quite different. The ZenFone 10 has plastic on the back, but a rubberized one, at least by the feel of it. It actually feels like paper almost, it’s quite nice, and it does add a bit of grip. The Xperia 5 V has glass on the back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), though it’s matte glass, so the fingerprints shouldn’t be much of an issue. Both smartphones do offer IP68 certification for water and dust resistance.
The Xperia 5 V does have a larger display, and it’s considerably taller than the ZenFone 10. It also has a different aspect ratio (20:9 vs 21:9), so it’s taller thanks to that too. The width, however, is pretty much identical, while the Xperia 5 V is a bit thinner too. The ZenFone 10 is lighter, it weighs 172 grams compared to 182 grams of the Xperia 5 V. Both smartphones feel excellent in the hand, and are easy to use with one hand. The ZenFone 10 is a bit more one-hand friendly due to its height and added grip.
ASUS ZenFone 10 vs Sony Xperia 5 V: Display
There is a 5.92-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) Super AMOLED display included on the ZenFone 10. That display is flat, and it supports a 144Hz refresh rate. That refresh rate is available only during gaming, for some games. HDR10+ content is also supported here, while the display brightness goes up to 1,100 nits. This display is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus from Corning.
On the flip side, the Sony Xperia 5 V has a 6.1-inch fullHD+ (2520 x 1080) OLED display. That panel is also flat, and it supports up to 1 billion colors. It has a 120Hz refresh rate, and it supports HDR10 content. The display has a 21:9 aspect ratio, so it’s quite tall and narrow. The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 is included here to protect the display.
Both of these displays are actually really good. Neither gets bright to the level of some larger flagships out there, but they’re bright enough for almost any scenario. The viewing angles are really good, and so is the touch response. The colors are vivid, and the blacks are deep. We basically don’t have complaints when it comes to either display, other than the brightness aspect. That is something you’ll notice only if you spend a lot of time in direct sunlight, though.
ASUS ZenFone 10 vs Sony Xperia 5 V: Performance
Both smartphones are fueled by the same processor. You’ll find the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 inside both of these handsets, Qualcomm’s most powerful chip at the moment. The ZenFone 10 also offers up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and UFS 4.0 flash storage. The Xperia 5 V comes with 8GB of RAM (we’re not sure if it’s LPDDR5 or LPDDR5X) and UFS 3.1 flash storage. What we know for sure is that the ZenFone 10 has faster storage.
In terms of day-to-day performance, both perform admirably. They’re extremely fast in such tasks, and chances are you won’t even notice a difference in terms of smoothness. The ZenFone 10 may be more future-proof, though. When it comes to gaming, both phones do hold its own. These may not be the best phones to play games on due to their size, but if that doesn’t bother you, they can both go the distance. Sony fixed its throttling issues with this year’s high-end devices, it seems.
ASUS ZenFone 10 vs Sony Xperia 5 V: Battery
There is a 4,300mAh battery inside the ZenFone 10, and a 5,000mAh unit inside the Xperia 5 V. Those are considerable battery sizes considering the display sizes on these two phones. Both smartphones offer great battery life, to say the least. The ZenFone 10 can really go the distance, as we managed to get over 10 hours of screen-on time on the device, a number of times. The Xperia 5 V is on a similar playing field.
Your usage will play a huge role when it comes to battery life, and also the apps you have installed, and so on. So, your mileage may vary quite a bit. Still, it’s hard to deny that both smartphones do offer great battery life. One thing to note is that we didn’t play any games outside of testing, so if you do, count that into the equation. One thing is for sure, though, these are some of the best phones for battery life when it comes to compact phones… well, they can even compete with their larger competition, with ease.
The ZenFone 10 supports 30W wired, 15W wireless, and 5W reverse wired charging. The Sony Xperia 5 V supports 30W wired, wireless charging, and also reverse wireless charging. They’re on a similar playing field in that regard. Still, do note that the ZenFone 10 does come with a 30W charger, while the Xperia 5 V comes without a charger in general. So, if you don’t have a Power Delivery charger, you’ll need to get one.
ASUS ZenFone 10 vs Sony Xperia 5 V: Cameras
Each of these two smartphones has two cameras on the back. The ZenFone 10 includes a 50-megapixel main camera (f/1.9 aperture, multi-directional PDAF, gimbal OIS), and a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera (f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree FoV). The Xperia 5 V comes with a 48-megapixel main camera (f/1.9 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS), and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (f/2.2 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF).
The images from the ZenFone 10’s main camera do tend to look a bit more processed than the ones from the Xperia 5 V’s camera. They both look great, though, with good dynamic range, plenty of detail, and good white balance. Both cameras also do a good job in low light, though the Xperia 5 V tends to balance shots a bit better. With the ZenFone 10, you do get wildly different results based on whether you tap to focus or not, in quite a few situations. It all depends on whether you want a more realistic shot, or a considerably brighter one.
Their ultrawide cameras also do a good job overall, but are noticeably not able to keep up with the main ones. Still, they’re more than usable, though we’d recommend using main cameras in low light. The Xperia 5 V also has great 2x zoom, which is supposed to be lossless, and it almost is. Everything is on par with 1x, except detail, there’s a slight loss there. All in all, both smartphones do a good job in the camera department.
Audio
Believe it or not, both of these smartphones have headphone jacks. That’s not something we see often when it comes to smartphones these days, let alone high-end smartphones. The sound both phones provide through those headphone jacks is really good too. If you prefer wireless connections, however, you’ll find Bluetooth 5.3 support on both devices.
Yes, there are stereo speakers built into both phones too. Speakers on both smartphones are good, though the ones on the Xperia 5 V are a bit louder. Detailed sound comes from both sets of speakers, and you’ll even get some bass as part of the package.