The Sony Xperia Z5 Compact was built around a sensible idea: a full-specification phone in a body you can use with one hand. It is a plain, frosted-glass slab with a plastic frame, and it has been associated with Spectre, though that link needs handling with care.
In the film
Daniel Craig’s Bond is linked to a Sony Xperia phone in Spectre (2015), possibly the one he uses in the Aston Martin DB10 when calling Moneypenny. Which model it is has not been confirmed: our evidence names the Z5 or the Z5 Compact as possibilities, and a reader comment on one site points to the Z3 Compact instead. Sony did market a Spectre-branded edition of the Z5 Compact in 2015, but that is a tie-in, not proof of what is on screen. We would not describe this as the phone Bond carries. See our Spectre page for the film’s other pieces.
The details of the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
A true compact. It measures 127 x 65 x 8.9mm and weighs 138g, with a 4.6in screen. It is small enough to sit in a jacket pocket without pulling the cloth out of line.
Sealed. It is rated IP68, dust tight and immersible to 1.5m for 30 minutes, yet it keeps a 3.5mm headphone socket and a dedicated microSD slot, taking cards of up to 200GB.
Glass and a plain frame. The front and back are glass, the frame is plastic. The look is deliberately unadorned, which is its appeal.
The internals. A Snapdragon 810 processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 23MP rear camera and a 2700mAh battery. Sony quotes up to two days of battery life.
Using it now
This is a phone for the collector or the man who wants a second, deliberately simple handset, not a daily driver. It launched with Android 5.1.1 and, according to GSMArena, was upgradable to 7.1.1, so newer apps may not support it. Sony has discontinued it, and it is now found second-hand or refurbished, which is why our button runs an eBay search for it. We would buy one for the size and the Spectre association, not for the software, and we would check the battery and the condition of the glass before paying anything.
If you are interested in the gadgets of the Craig years more broadly, see our gadgets and electronics section, or the Daniel Craig page.
Specifications
| Models | E5803, E5823, SO-02H |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 127 x 65 x 8.9mm |
| Weight | 138g |
| Build | Glass front and back, plastic frame |
| Display | 4.6in IPS LCD, 720 x 1280 pixels |
| Processor and memory | Snapdragon 810, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, microSD slot |
| Camera | 23MP rear, 5MP front |
| Battery | 2700mAh, non-removable |
| Water resistance | IP68 |
| Colours | Graphite Black, White, Yellow, Coral |
| Price | Discontinued; UK pre-order price £450 (September 2015) |
Full details are on Sony’s specifications page for the Xperia Z5 Compact.
Questions
Is the Xperia Z5 Compact the phone Bond uses in Spectre?
It has not been confirmed. The film’s handset may be the Z5, the Z5 Compact or an earlier Xperia, and no source we have checked settles it.
Is the Xperia Z5 Compact waterproof?
Yes, it is rated IP68: dust tight and immersible to 1.5m for 30 minutes.
Can you still buy the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact new?
No. It is discontinued, so examples now come second-hand or refurbished.
Is it still usable today?
For calls, music and photographs, it can be. GSMArena lists upgrades up to Android 7.1.1, so newer apps may not run well.
More of the period’s gadgets are in our film guide.
