Xperia 5, last Xperia ever

[dinger]

My wife and me have been using Sony phones since their partnership with Ericsson and We have bought 14 Sony phones over the last 16 years, since 2003 and our first Sony Ericsson T230 to the most recent compacts - Z3, Z5 and XZ1.

We were satisfied with our Z5 and XZ1 but Z5 had some issues with proximity sensor and scratched camera lens (both my fault) and XZ1 had a broken screen (her fault) which was too expensive to repair/replace so I had to buy a new phone. And unfortunately – it was the latest addition to our Sony family – Xperia 5 will be our last Sony ever (My wife already chose S10+ over Xperia 1 or 5).

So, here are the reasons why we are ditching Sony after 16 years of using Sony/SonyEricsson phones:

1. Shorter warranty in our country: while all EU member states have a 2 year warranty – in my country (Croatia, which is also an EU member), it's only ONE year for the same phone. Why?

2. False advertising Xperia5 camera as the same as in Xperia1. I know Sony did not advertise it, but every online review of Xperia 5 states that it has the SAME camera as Xperia1. TechRadar and GsmArena even copy/pasted Xperia1 camera reviews because 'it was the same'.

3. Unable to resolve problem with Google phone missed call notifications for almost two months (or even longer on Xperia1). And don't blame it on Google. I paid 850 € to Sony for a Sony product which I cannot use like I should be able to. Not to mention I already had a serious trouble because of this issue - I did not answer an urgent call from my business partner! What should I say to him? 'sorry for the convenience, but you know, I just bought a 850€ phone which is not properly showing missed calls?'.

4. removing 3.5mm jack and giving us the USB adapter to use with classic 3.5mm jack headset supplied with phone which leads to unexpected problems.

5. unable to use headset and charge phone at the same time. No, I don't use it only for music, I use it to talk with clients while we work on something. And yes, EC270 is not compatible with Xperia5.

6. USB type C connector on both sides of the supplied cable which makes Xperia5 unable to connect to PC without additional adapter.

7. No wireless charging and usb type C connector on both sides makes me unable to charge phone while in a car, without using additional adapter.

8. Also unable to use Android Auto which requires usb connection.

9. Fingerprint sensor issues

10. stopping development and removing Sony native apps and replacing them with Google apps (or not replacing at all – like Radio app)

11. Idiotic translating and localization of the menus and unnecessary use of shortened words in a way no sane person would ever use it. I will post more about this in another topic.

12. I just found out today - my phone is DUAL SIM model which I never ordered and it was not mentioned anywhere on local dealers web shop: https://www.sancta-domenica.hr/komunikacije/mobiteli/mobitel-sony-xperia-5-black.html

[Yekollu]

go to the Contacts app -> 3 lines on the top left -> settings  -> default account for new contacts

what do you see there? It should be set to your google account

[abrolenas]

Yes it is set google account. 

But do no want to use google contacts. I save my contacts in the phone with app True phone dialer. 

Now I have to make copy of my contacts before I install or temove some apps becouse My phone contacts are deleted. It happens not always.

[Yekollu]

Looks like a bug with the True caller app... You should get in touch with the app developers

[abrolenas]

I tried to do the same with my colleague's Huawei also android 10. All is ok on that phone. Contacts are safe on phone.

Today I connected to the Facebook with Facebook app. when connect I lose contacts. Import contacts and when disconect - lose contacts again.

I wrote to sony and to true phone - no answer from bouth

[Yekollu]

Just because an app works well on a phone does not mean it is optimized for all the phones as well... 

[abrolenas]

Today I removed True phone and intaled another phone app which can safe contacts in the phone. 

With new app the same. I lose phone contacts on the same situations.

I think it some wrong with Sony soft. 

I wrote to Sony again.

And if they think that is normal to lose contacts - it is really my last Sony phone. 

[abrolenas]

Merry Christmas!!

Could you install on your Xperia 5 install True phone dialer (True Phone

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hb.dialer.free)

create some new contacts and save them in phone's memory. After open synchronize google contacts or open Facebook app and login or logout. 

After see is still these new contacts or you lose them. 

Thank in advance

[abrolenas]

Thank for your testing.

Some is wrong. It is not solution deny another apps  to connect to contacts or some else if they need it for well working.

when I synchronize contacts with google - my well pictures on contacts become with very low resolution, but also very strange not all.

I found simple sulutions. I seve contat on the phone as google acount but not sinchonize contacts with google.

It seems all work well on the phone now.

By the way - no answer from Sony concerning this.

[Gilgameshuk]

I have THe xperia 1 and not the 5 but Will attempt to address your urgent questions.

1. Shorter warranty in our country: while all EU member states have a 2 year warranty – in my country (Croatia, which is also an EU member), it's only ONE year for the same phone. Why?

E.U LAWS and warranty differ from state to state, can you please explain why this is the fault of Sony?

2. False advertising Xperia5 camera as the same as in Xperia1. I know Sony did not advertise it, but every online review of Xperia 5 states that it has the SAME camera as Xperia1. TechRadar and GsmArena even copy/pasted Xperia1 camera reviews because 'it was the same'.

Reviews are reviews and many people pointed this out to GSMArena that their info was wrong (I posted a correction to them not long after the review was published) but hardly Sony's fault.

3. Unable to resolve problem with Google phone missed call notifications for almost two months (or even longer on Xperia1). And don't blame it on Google. I paid 850 € to Sony for a Sony product which I cannot use like I should be able to. Not to mention I already had a serious trouble because of this issue - I did not answer an urgent call from my business partner! What should I say to him? 'sorry for the convenience, but you know, I just bought a 850€ phone which is not properly showing missed calls?'.

Never Experienced this

4. removing 3.5mm jack and giving us the USB adapter to use with classic 3.5mm jack headset supplied with phone which leads to unexpected problems.

Use BluTooth, or if like me and if you are an AUDIOPHILE then buy a Audioquest Dragonfly Black USB DAC/headphone amp and a USB C TO USB A OTG cable and download USB AUDIOPLAYER from the google store, this beats ANYTHING ANY internal DAC can do on any phone. You get HIFI grade sound in your phone this way.

5. unable to use headset and charge phone at the same time. No, I don't use it only for music, I use it to talk with clients while we work on something. And yes, EC270 is not compatible with Xperia5.

Look on Fleabay or amazon, there ARE splitters out there that do that, not sure what Sony's official view on these splitters that allow charging and headphones at the same time.

6. USB type C connector on both sides of the supplied cable which makes Xperia5 unable to connect to PC without additional adapter.

Try Blutooth or simply use a cable from an older phone, or even better have a modern PC motherboard that supports USB type C. Sony Xperia 1 and 5 supports POwer Delivery method that is much faster than the old Qualcom charge rates. A cable can easily be purcvhased from a SONY dealer for a few quid-no fuss.

7. No wireless charging and usb type C connector on both sides makes me unable to charge phone while in a car, without using additional adapter.

Erm you knew it lacked wireless charging, but purchased it anyway? Wireless charging IS nice but its so slow.

8. Also unable to use Android Auto which requires usb connection.

Android auto is made by google, address your issues there please.

9. Fingerprint sensor issues

On my Xperia 1 there was some slight finger print issues 80% success rate only-but fair play to Sony after a few updates the X1 sensor became snappy as **bleep**. The trick when registering your finger print is to use DIFFERENT PARTS of the same finger or simply role your finger on the sensor as you resgister the finger print,

10. stopping development and removing Sony native apps and replacing them with Google apps (or not replacing at all – like Radio app)

I DID enjoy the experia lounge and admittedly I miss that-but the rest of the apps are useless, the radio app is useless as there is internet radio anyway. So long as they keep the music app and i'm happy. 

11. Idiotic translating and localization of the menus and unnecessary use of shortened words in a way no sane person would ever use it. I will post more about this in another topic.

No idea mate, English is good enough for me, what would be cool if there was an APP to show all the icons and words in ancient SUMERIAN Cuneiform (of which i understand a fair amount of :D) Perhaps you can offer to work with Sony on improving their Croatian?

12. I just found out today - my phone is DUAL SIM model which I never ordered and it was not mentioned anywhere on local dealers web shop: https://www.sancta-domenica.hr/komunikacije/mobiteli/mobitel-sony-xperia-5-black.html

Not Sony's fault, that is the dealers. Getting the DUAL SIM version is BETTER and very useful-so why are you complaining?

On balance and trying to see it from your point of view: If you had complained about OIS NOT and NEVER working in 4k or 1080p HDR mode then you will have a legitimate point of view good bud. OIS on Xperia 1 and 5 only works in 1080p NON HDR.

Sony did mislead us when they said it was OIS+EIS, but what is turns out they REALLY meant (judging by the no progression on this) OIS on 1080 normal and everything else is EIS only-which is strange as its still the same lense and a GIMBAL (what OIS essentialy is) is mechanical and still should work in any mode! We can now assume that this issue Sony will never fix or explain. If you had based your frustrations on this then in part I could understand your statement, however in fairness 99% of the above points you made is not Sony's fault 

Proof here (shameless plug too)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOHJpCn-tU5tNRpp5Tapg8w/videos

and just to lighten the mood:

Short video filmed with Xperia 1 selfie of me trolling an Apple Store in favour of Sony

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW4jLbj_w_U

[Strampke]

@dinger 

It is hard to accept when you pay a lot for your smartphone and it does not work as intended.

Some features are not there, microphone jack, wireless charger.

Options change, that's how it is.

My advise is to dive into the Support app and read the Xperia tips (top of forum) to learn how to have full profit of what is present.

Xperia 5 is a magnificent device, 21:9 is a very nice alternative to the prior screen format and Xperia 5 fits very good in the hand.

Adapt a bit and enjoy what you have.

Oh and BTW. (for @abrolenas and many, many others)

Android is Google and Google is everywhere.

Take it for granted or do not buy an Android phone.

Enjoy synchronisation of addresses, photos and whatever instead of trying to hide information.

Google has access anyway whether you like it or not.

Use the power of Google assistant and everything else that is built into Android  to smarten your life.

From Google you can run, but you cannot hide.