Smart money’s on second-tier phones
We take a look at the best devices out there that don’t cost high-end prices
EVERYBODY wants the best, don’t they? That’s why the state-ofthe-art, top-of-the-line, flagship smartphone category exists.
Whether it’s the iPhone Pro, the Xperia 1 V or the Galaxy S24 Ultra – whichever flavour floats your boat, there’s no denying that the high end is where the big money goes. But is it where the smart money goes?
One step down from that top level is a range of devices that pack much of the same tech into a much cheaper device.
This week I’ve had my hands on Sony’s entry at this level – the Xperia 5 V.
It’s in that area between the midrange – around £500 and below – and the blow-the-budget line-up that tops a thousand. And it has some good company there, too.
So let’s see how this second tier lines up, and whether there’s value to be found at a price that’s a little less intimidating than you have to pay to get a seat at the top table.
SONY XPERIA 5 V
What you use your phone for the most will likely determine whether the Xperia 5 V is the one for you.
If you take a lot of photographs, it could be the love of your life.
It’s no surprise the 5 V is good at taking photos, of course. Sony is one of the world’s best camera makers, and there is always input from the Alpha team that makes the company’s range of pro cameras when it comes to building phone cameras.
The phone sports that Sony aspect ratio – a 21:9 display that is both taller and narrower than every other phone.
It makes the 5 V easier to operate with one hand, although the keyboard can feel a bit cramped on the narrower screen.
Its big brother – the flagship
Xperia 1 V – has a better screen, and it’s here where one of the big compromises has been made to keep the price down.
That said, I’m pretty sure the average user is not going to notice – not as good, but easily good enough, would be my verdict.
There are three areas here, though, where there are no compromises – the camera, the battery life and the processor. In my view, the three places where you don’t want to compromise, so Sony is right on the money here.
You get the same wide (52MP) and ultra-wide (12MP) camera units as you find on the 1 V… you’re just missing the telephoto lens, which again is the right call if you ask me – you can always zoom into your subject with your feet.
Battery life is great, too – the 5,000mAh unit providing easily enough juice for a demanding day and well into the next.
That’s likely down to the powerefficiency of the chip that drives the whole thing, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which is more or less state of the art currently (Apple chips aside, of course).
These three elements make the 5 V a real contender – allied with the Sony pro apps and your imagination, for those with making things rather than consumption in mind, this phone could potentially be a creative workhorse with few limitations. It certainly puts your money where its mouth is…
Cost: £849 from sony.co.uk
The competition iPHONE 15
Perhaps the most desirable smartphone apart from the iPhone 15 Pro at the moment, the iPhone 15 undercuts the 5 V by some distance. It’s the most popular for a reason, too. Apple’s famed industrial design and build quality, coupled with thoughtful and powerful software, makes it the one to beat.
From £799 at apple.com/uk
GALAXY S24
If you are an
Android die-hard, it would seem that
Samsung’s superstars are the way most people lean.
The company has carved out its spot at the top of the non-Apple device charts and intends to stay there with yearly updates that mean the S line-up just keeps getting better. This year’s vintage added some fashionable – and somehow useful – AI tricks.
From £799 at samsung.com/uk
NOTHING PHONE (2)
Nothing’s top-of-theline phone falls in with these second tier devices and it’s not lacking in comparable features. If you want an Android phone that’s just as cool as an iPhone and almost as usable, you should swerve Samsung and head in this direction. A great allrounder and a stone-cold bargain.
From £579 at nothing.tech
PIXEL 8
What Google has over the other Android contenders here is, like Apple, it makes both the software and the hardware for the Pixel 8.
The Tensor chip inside the Pixel 8 is fined-tuned to work in harmony with Google’s software, making this the most Android of all the Android experiences you can have. And at the price, that’s difficult to beat.
From £699 at store.google.com