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The Xperia 5 V landed quite recently, and it’s here to compete with other compact flagship handsets. In this article, we’ll compare the Google Pixel 7 vs Sony Xperia 5 V. These two smartphones are easily direct competitors. They’re both not only high-end smartphones from their respective companies, but have very similar display sizes. In other words, they’re both compact.
Having said that, they do look considerably different, and differ in various other ways, specs included. So, this article will hopefully give you a better idea as to what phone is better suited for you. We’ll compare the spec sheets of both smartphones first, and will then move to compare the two devices across various different categories.
Specs
Google Pixel 7 & Sony Xperia 5 V, respectively
– Screen size (main):
6.3-inch AMOLED display (90Hz, HDR10+, 1,400 nits)
6.1-inch OLED display (120Hz, 1B colors, HDR10)
– Display resolution (main):
2400 x 1080
2520 x 1080
– SoC:
Google Tensor G2
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
– RAM:
8GB (LPDDR5)
8GB
– Storage:
128GB/256GB (UFS 3.1)
128GB/256GB (UFS 3.1)
– Rear cameras:
50MP (wide, f/1.9 aperture, multi-directional PDAF), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture,k 114-degree FOV, 1.25um pixel size)
48MP (wide, f/1.9 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF)
– Front cameras:
10.8MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1.22um pixel size)
12MP (f/2.0 aperture, 1.25um pixel size)
– Battery:
4,355mAh
5,000mAh
– Charging:
20W wired, 20W wireless, reverse wireless (charger not included)
30W wired, wireless, reverse wireless (charger not included)
– Dimensions (unfolded):
155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7mm
154 x 68 x 8.6mm
– Weight:
197 grams
182 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.2/5.3
– Security:
In-display fingerprint scanner (optical)
Side-facing fingerprint scanner
– OS:
Android 13
Android 13
– Price:
$599
€999
– Buy:
Amazon
Amazon
Google Pixel 7 vs Sony Xperia 5 V: Design
Both the Pixel 7 and Xperia 5 V are made out of metal and glass, but the Xperia 5 V has flat sides. They do look fairly different, though. The Pixel 7 has a flat display with thin bezels, and a centered display camera hole. The Xperia 5 V utilizes a flat display too, but without a punch hole. Its top and bottom bezels are slightly thicker because of that, though. Their back sides are also fairly different. The Pixel 7 has a camera visor back there, which connects to the frame on the left and right sides. The Xperia 5 V has a much smaller camera island, in the top-left corner.
All the physical buttons are located on the right side of the Pixel 7. That’s not the case with the Xperia 5 V, plus that phone has an extra key in comparison with the Pixel 7. Its power/lock button is on the right side, along with a camera shutter button, which is placed much lower. The volume up and down buttons sit on the left-hand side. Both smartphones do offer an IP68 certification for water and dust resistance.
The Pixel 7 is slightly taller, and considerably wider than the Xperia 5 V. The two phones are about the same thickness, and the Pixel 7 is 15 grams heavier. That is to be expected, as it has a larger display at 6.3 inches, compared to a 6.1-inch panel on the Xperia 5 V. Sony’s handset also has a taller display aspect ratio. You’ll find the Gorilla Glass Victus on the back of the Pixel 7, and the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back of the Xperia 5 V.
Both devices do feel like premium offerings in the hand, though the in-hand feel is entirely different. So… to each its own.
Google Pixel 7 vs Sony Xperia 5 V: Display
There is a 6.3-inch fullHD+ (2400 x 1080) AMOLED display on the Pixel 7. That display is flat, and it supports a 90Hz refresh rate. It also supports HDR10+ content, and gets up to 1,400 nits of brightness at its peak. The display aspect ratio here is 20:9, while the display is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus. The Pixel 7 also has a slightly higher screen-to-body ratio in comparison with the Xperia 5 V.
Speaking of which, Sony’s handset includes a 6.1-inch fullHD+ (2520 x 1080) OLED display. That panel is also flat, and it has a 120Hz refresh rate. It supports up to 1 billion colors, and HDR10 content too. The display aspect ratio here is 21:9, so the display is narrow and tall, basically. The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 is placed on top of this panel.
The thing is, both of these displays are quite good, but quite different. They have different aspect ratios, and the Xperia 5 V offers a higher refresh rate. That is something you may notice if you’re used to 120Hz displays. They are somewhat equal when it comes to brightness. Neither is as bright as some other flagships in the market, but both are more than bright enough. You may lack brightness only in direct sunlight. The displays are vivid, and have good viewing angles too.
Google Pixel 7 vs Sony Xperia 5 V: Performance
The Google Tensor G2 fuels the Pixel 7 handset. The phone also includes 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and UFS 3.1 flash storage. Sony’s device, on the other hand, is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. It comes with 8GB of RAM, and UFS 3.1 flash storage. We’re not sure what RAM is Sony using, it’s either LPDDR5 or LPDDR5X. Is the performance difference visible, though? Well, yes, kind of.
The Xperia 5 V does feel a bit more snappy, but only in direct comparison. The Pixel 7 is plenty fast and everything, but there’s a slight difference between them. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is a more powerful processor, there’s no doubt about it. It also handles graphically-intensive games better than the Tensor G2. On top of that, it heats up less in the processor. The Xperia 5 V does have the edge in that regard, but both phones perform really well overall.
Google Pixel 7 vs Sony Xperia 5 V: Battery
The Pixel 7 includes a 4,355mAh battery, while the Xperia 5 V has a 5,000mAh unit. Sony’s handset not only has a lot larger battery pack, but a smaller display, and a more power efficient chip. Does that reflect in actual battery life? Well, yes, very much so. The Xperia 5 V has an outstanding battery life, while the Pixel 7 is only average, nothing more than that.
Getting around 7 hours of screen-on-time on the Pixel 7 is possible. The Xperia 5 V on the other hand, can provide considerably more than that. Getting over the 8-hour screen-on-time mark, and even 9 in some cases is not out of the question. It will all depend on your usage, of course. We did not play any games, other than for testing purposes, and your usage will be considerably different in many ways. On top of that, different apps are in play, and different signal strengths. So, your mileage may vary.
When it comes to charging, the Pixel 7 offers 20W wired, 20W wireless, and also reverse wireless charging. The Xperia 5 V supports 30W wired, wireless, and reverse wireless charging. Do note that neither phone comes with a charging adapter included in the box. Neither phone exactly shines in terms of charging speed either, but at least they both support wireless charging.
Google Pixel 7 vs Sony Xperia 5 V: Cameras
The Google Pixel 7 has a 50-megapixel main camera (f/1.9 aperture, multi-directional PDAF, OIS) and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera (114-degree FoV). The Sony Xperia 5 V, on the other hand, includes a 48-megapixel main camera (f/1.9 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS), and a 12-megapixel ultrawide shooter (Dual Pixel PDAF). The two devices have considerably different camera sensors, especially the main ones, and the end results are different.
The Xperia 5 V aims to keep things closer to real life, even though it does add some flare to the image. The Pixel 7 does process images considerably, as we’re used to with Pixel phones. That makes images look great in most cases, and what most people end up preferring, but not close to real life. It’s all a matter of choice, as both smartphones do an excellent job, albeit in different ways. Their ultrawide cameras do a good job too, but not to the level of main cameras. Sony’s 2x “loss-less” zoom is also quite excellent, even though you do end up losing a bit of detail.
In low light, they also do things differently. The Pixel 7 tends to brighten up the scene quite a bit, and pulls out as much detail as possible. The Xperia 5 V tries to keep things closer to real life, and leaves a lot of the image darker, while balancing things out. The end results in both cases are excellent, but also quite different at the same time. It’s all a matter of preference, really, but both smartphones do a great job.
Audio
You will find stereo speakers included in both of these phones. The loudness is on par between them, and both sets of speakers do provide a nice sound overall. Don’t expect miracles, and you’ll be happy with what you get here.
The Xperia 5 V also has an audio jack, unlike the Pixel 7. So, if you aim to connect your headphones through a wire, you’re good to go. If not, you do get Bluetooth 5.2 with the Pixel 7, and Bluetooth 5.3 with the Xperia 5 V.