If you prioritize a larger screen and prefer a glass back which is generally considered more premium, the Sony Xperia 5 III would be a better option for you. However, the Asus Zenfone 10 provides a better overall camera quality and higher refresh rate which can result in smoother visuals, albeit with a smaller screen and a plastic back. The Xperia 5 III, being older, may also lack some of the latest features and improvements present in the more recent Zenfone 10 but comes at a lower price. Both phones offer similar storage capacity and operating systems, leaving the choice to individual preferences on camera, build quality, screen, and price. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Asus Zenfone 10
Very good battery life
Excellent performance
Advantages of the Sony Xperia 5 III
The Sony Xperia 5 III has no clear advantages over the Asus Zenfone 10.
Key differences
Overall Camera Quality
6.5/10
6.0/10
The Asus Zenfone 10 and Sony Xperia 5 III both have only fair overall camera quality, though the Asus Zenfone 10 has somewhat better overall camera quality.
The cameras on the Asus Zenfone 10 and Sony Xperia 5 III are considered fair due to factors like mediocre dynamic range and low light performance, with the Asus's camera versatility being even less impressive. However, both phones offer a fair selfie experience keeping them balanced in that key aspect.
Video Quality
6.7/10
6.0/10
The Asus Zenfone 10 and Sony Xperia 5 III both have only fair videos, though the Asus Zenfone 10 takes somewhat better videos.
The Asus Zenfone 10 provides excellent video stabilization, but its dynamic range and low light performance for videos are only good, with fair microphone quality. Conversely, the Sony Xperia 5 III offers very good video resolution and framerate, alongside very good stabilization, but similar to the Zenfone 10, it delivers a good dynamic range in videos and fair video low light performance and microphone quality.
Battery
8.7 Hours
7.3 Hours
The Asus Zenfone 10 has 8.7 hours of battery life. The Sony Xperia 5 III has 7.3 hours of battery life.
Screen Size
The Asus Zenfone 10 has a screen size of 5.92 inches and the Sony Xperia 5 III is 6.1 inches.
Cost
$700
$450
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Asus Zenfone 10 has a price of $700 and the Sony Xperia 5 III costs $450.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Asus Zenfone 10 to have only fair photos, while the Sony Xperia 5 III takes poor photos.
The Asus Zenfone 10's camera takes poor photos partly because it has poor dynamic range, low light performance, camera versatility, and its selfie capabilities are just fair. Meanwhile, the Sony Xperia 5 III's camera performs a bit better with fair selfie quality but still struggles with its dynamic range and low light performance, resulting in only fair photo quality overall.
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How the Asus Zenfone 10 and the Sony Xperia 5 III compare to other phones
"It's the best small phone for fans of compact handsets, but the Asus Zenfone 10 could pull users away from Samsung and Google flagships with top-quality performance and battery life. If you can forgive its more limited photography options and the shorter-than-average software support window, the Zenfone 10 is a top choice."
"The Sony Xperia 5 III excels when it comes to rear camera photography, its display and multi-media features, and all-day battery life. Buy the Xperia 5 III if you’re looking for a fun but imperfect camera setup, customizable gaming features, all-day battery life, and all the best multimedia capabilities that Sony has to offer"
Get a great deal on the Asus Zenfone 10 or the Sony Xperia 5 III
About ASUS
Asus is a well-known player in the mobile world, and in the past few years it has been known for covering specific niches in the smartphone market. Their Zenfone line of devices appeal to small phone enthusiasts, by providing very well-rounded and capable phones at a package that is not too large to operate with one hand – something hard to find in modern Android smartphones. Conversely, their ROG line of devices cater to mobile gamers, by providing a slew of hardware and software features, specifically tailored to enhance the mobile gaming experience. Additionally, Asus is one of the only manufacturers left that continues to include headphone jacks in their lineup of phones, a feature that has become exceedingly rare in today's market.
About Sony
Sony has had a long history in the mobile market, entering the scene all the way back in 1993 with its first commercially available phone, the CM-H333. Nowadays, their Xperia line of phones provide well-rounded and sometimes expensive devices with a focus on camera software that includes extensive support for manual tweaking of settings. Sony's dedication to audio quality is also evident in its smartphones, which often feature high-resolution audio support while also being one of the few remaining manufacturers that consistently provide headphone jacks in their phones. The company's version of Android is also considered to be close to stock, enabling a bloatware-free experience for its users.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec phones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest phone information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
68
Phones evaluated
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8
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69,360
Consumer hours saved
About the phone team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Phones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Seth Peoples
Phones Expert
Seth is a US-based product expert focusing on smartphones and he is a moderator of one of the largest smartphone subreddits. His tailored recommendations have helped him earn over 87k comment karma, putting him in the top 1% of Redditors.
Efthimis Kotanidis
Phones Expert
Efthimis is a Greece-based product expert focusing on smartphones. He has been recommending phones for 4 years and his recommendations on Reddit have earned him over 35k karma.