Sony Xperia 5 V 5G Dual XQ-DE72 256GB 8GB RAM Unlocked (GSM Only | No CDMA - not Compatible with Verizon/Sprint) Global, Mobile Cell Phone - Silver

Was looking to replace my trusty XZ2 (and it had been working fine, but no updates anymore...).X 5 Mark V fit the requirements perfectly - capable camera, up-to-date chipset, expandable storage, screen without holes, HiRes music support - everything that I wanted.With my usage pattern - battery easily lasts 3, and sometimes 4 days.Call quality, responsiveness, nice screen - all are superb. Photo and video apps with tons of tweaks, and I do wonder if SONY could have offered a simpler set of those apps, but longer software support policy instead?Biggest gripe - why does it only have 8 GB RAM and not like X 1 Mark V?Second negative - short support policy span - look at Samsung or Google (I don't think 7 years are needed, but at least 3 Android versions and 4 years security updates ?).Not a huge problem for me, but for the price and high end specs, disappointing.I also would have preferred the ability to remove Facebook without resorting to rooting the phone, etc.

I was reluctant to try this phone based on an earlier review as I live in an area with awful coverage regardless of the carrier. I figured worst case I could return the phone if it wasn't able to hold a signal. Well to my pleasant surprise, not only can it hold a signal but it does so with greater strength than any other phone I've had while living in this cellular dead zone, including various Samsungs and iPhones. It has yet to drop a single call. I'm also getting 5g connectivity though granted I had to disable the dual sim functionality to allow for it.As for the rest of the phone's features, I think if you're considering even a Sony then you're already well aware of them. I mean, what other company offers a compact flagship with a notch/hole-punched free screen, expandable memory, easy rootability, and a 3.5mm audio jack? Overall, I couldn't be more pleased with the Xperia 5 V and I hope to enjoy it for years to come.

For the price, you get an above-average phone, with great battery, perfect size, and pretty capable at doing anything.

I liked this phone's features but the onboard radios just aren't compatible with U.S. networks. No 5G, no 3G, and spotty 4G at best. I would regularly encounter dead zones. I would walk 20 feet and it would switch from 4G to no service. I never saw the 5G symbol show up. Meanwhile, my $200 motorola phone worked perfectly with the same SIM card.I did my best to make the phone work. T-Mobile customer service said the xperia 5 v was "not fully unlocked." I tried looking up procedures and codes for unlocking the xperia, but you cannot do it manually. A little research shows that this device just does not pick up the 3G, 4G, or 5G bands that U.S. carriers transmit and receive data on. There is no 3G radio at all.The descriptions say that this will not work on Verizon. That's because it does not have a CDMA radio. CDMA was a 3G technology. The newer 4G networks do not require this. Still, it's a safe bet the phone won't work reliably with any U.S. carrier - ATT, Verizon, T-Mobile, or otherwise.It might make sense to buy this phone if you were moving to a European country. That's where this was properly released.It is a shame. The phone worked well on wi-fi and had a very nice camera and speakers. I liked the SD card slot and the headphone jack most of all. I just couldn't justify spending this much on something that would not be reliable for use other than wi-fi.