Sony Xperia X Performance vs Xperia Z5 Review – Upgrade or not?

With a faster chipset and improved waterproof design, could the Sony Xperia X Performance (available for P29k price in the Philippines online stores) outclass the Sony Xperia Z5? You can find in our Ultimate Comparison and Review covering the camera, performance, benchmark, battery and more.

More reviews and comparisons

• Sony Xperia X Performance vs Samsung Galaxy S7
• Sony Xperia X Performance Review
• Mass Camera Comparison: X Performance vs iPhone 6s vs OnePlus 3 vs Galaxy S7

Design and build

There’s a saying that it if is not broken then don’t fix it. That’s true to Sony’s smartphone offering. The Xperia X Performance is a subtle change from the classic, premium, and waterproof Xperia Z5. Thanks to the curved glass and metal back, the Xperia X Performance felt really good in the hands.

The smaller 5-inch display and more rounded design language are also a joy to hold, though we still miss the feel of the frosted glass back from the Xperia Z5. In exchange of the metal build of the Xperia X Performance is a polycarbonate frame which is the fancy term for plastic. This ensures sturdier build and better radio signal experience.

Almost anything on the exterior ranging from the physical buttons and their placements is still present and provide tactile and clicky experience. The fingerprint sensor, however, is noticeably more accurate and faster on Xperia X Performance.

What’s missing on Xperia X Performance is the lanyard eyelid and dedicated dual SIM version. Instead, you will have to pick a 2nd nano SIM or microSD card.

There’s nothing we could ask more on the new Xperia X Performance, it’s refined and rugged as every bit of its predecessor.

Display

The two displays are identical except that the X Performance is slightly sharper because of the smaller display, but the difference is hardly noticeable at all.
Both are bright and well-saturated screens compared to other LCDs due to the Triluminos and X-reality engine that Sony uses too in their high-end Televisions.

Experience will just matter if you turn off or on the battery saver or the two aforementioned display settings.

Camera in still, selfie, and video

The main 23MP cameras on the back are pretty much the same setup as to each other. However, Sony managed to squeeze some additional features to the Xperia X Performance such as faster shutter speed with 0.6 seconds capture time from a locked screen and the predictive hybrid autofocus similar to the high-end cameras of the company.

Main camera in low light and HDR

In terms of detail handling and color, we used the Superior auto mode and the Xperia X Performance nails HDR scene more accurately than the Xperia Z5. There’s also a bit of improved preserved details and more pleasing colors in daylight photos while night shooting is neck and neck.

Selfie photos in night and daylight

The selfie camera of the X Performance is 13MP shooter with wider lens compared to the 5MP of Z5. We still see most of the natural colors even though the selfies taken from the X Performance are brighter and with amplified beautification level.

Video quality and stabilization are on par on both with the X Performance having an extra feature of object tracking or predictive autofocus. The missing 4K video on the Xperia X Performance still baffles us. Nevertheless adding a 4K video feature on the future is just easy as updating the software. (Video sample below.)

Performance and benchmark

Perhaps the biggest bump on Xperia X Performance is on the internal hardware. Sporting a Snapdragon 820 quad-core, the phone tops the chart in our benchmark tests while actual performance is noticeably smoother on X Performance especially when playing graphics-intensive games.

The last year’s Snapdragon 810 is still a capable hardware that would surely perform for more years to come.

Antutu benchmark ranking and score

Battery and charging

Packing a 2700mAh battery, it’s obviously a step down from the 2900mAh of Xperia Z5. The lesser juice still equates to an average battery life for the X Performance with a screen on time playing between 3 to 4 hours.

Quick Charging 2.0 is supported on the X Performance but you’ll need a dedicated adapter for it.

Battery life rating

Sony Xperia Z5 battery life review and charging speed in Android Marshmallow

Speaker and audio

One of the best features of high-end Xperia series is the high-res audio quality and built-in noise canceling feature. The stereo speakers are repositioned on the middle while the quality is likely unchanged.

Price and Verdict

With a price of $700 USD or roughly 30k in the Philippines, the Sony Xperia X Performance is definitely the first Android flagship of Sony this year. It’s a little expensive than the Z5 but the differences are really worth it if you’re choosing between the two.

But if you’re coming from Xperia Z5 or Z5 compact, this phone is not the upgrade you’ve been looking for but more as an option between the two. And preferably designed for users with much older Xperia phones.

Sony Xperia X Performance vs Xperia Z5 Full Video Review

READ NEXT

• Sony Xperia Z5 vs Xiaomi Mi5 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 vs iPhone 6s vs Nokia Lumia 1020 Camera Review
• Sony Xperia Z5 vs LG G4 Comparison
• Sony Xperia X Performance Philippines