Razer Phone 2 vs. Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium: A Deep Dive for Power Users
| Phones Images | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing battery life and a slightly better display in bright sunlight, the Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium edges out the Razer Phone 2. However, gamers and those seeking a more customizable experience will find the Razer Phone 2’s features more compelling.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Razer Phone 2 | Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 26, 28, 29, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat18 1200/150 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat18 1200/200 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
| CDMA 800 & TD-SCDMA | - | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2018, October. Released 2018, October | 2018, April. Released 2018, July |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 158.5 x 79 x 8.5 mm (6.24 x 3.11 x 0.33 in) | 158 x 80 x 11.9 mm (6.22 x 3.15 x 0.47 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 220 g (7.76 oz) | 236 g (8.32 oz) |
| IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 mins) RGB Illuminated Razer Chroma Logo on the back | IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5, oleophobic coating | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1440 x 2560 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~513 ppi density) | 3840 x 2160 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~765 ppi density) |
| Size | 5.72 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~72.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.8 inches, 91.5 cm2 (~72.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IGZO IPS LCD, 120Hz, 580 nits (typ) | IPS LCD, HDR10 |
| Wide Colour Gamut | Runs at 1080 x 1920 pixels except for select use cases Triluminos display X-Reality Engine | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (4x2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) | Octa-core (4x2.7 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) | Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 630 | Adreno 630 |
| OS | Android 8.1 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 9.0 (Pie) | Android 8.0 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 10 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only |
| Internal | 64GB 8GB RAM | 64GB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | UFS 2.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 12 MP, f/1.8, 25mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.6, 1/3.1", 1.0µm, 2x optical zoom | 19 MP, f/1.8, 25mm (wide), 1/2.3", 1.22µm, predictive PDAF 12 MP B/W, f/1.6, 1/2.3", 1.55µm, predictive PDAF |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, panorama, HDR | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/30/60/120fps, stereo sound rec. | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps (5-axis gyro-EIS), 1080p@960fps, HDR |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0 | 13 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), 1/3.1", 1.12µm |
| Video | 1080p@30/60fps | 1080p@30fps (5-axis gyro-EIS) |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with Dolby Atmos stereo speakers (THX-certified amplifiers) | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, aptX HD, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 18W wired, QC4 15W wireless | 18W wired, QC3 Wireless (Qi) |
| Type | Li-Po 4000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 3540 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mirror back, Rugged satin | Chrome Black, Chrome Silver |
| Models | - | H8166, H8116, SOV38 |
| Price | About 850 EUR | About 460 EUR |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -93.4dB / Crosstalk -92.8dB | Noise -91.0dB / Crosstalk -87.6dB |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 70h | Endurance rating 77h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: 948 (nominal), 2.932 (sunlight) | Contrast ratio: 1411:1 (nominal), 2.867 (sunlight) |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 78dB / Noise 78dB / Ring 86dB | Voice 68dB / Noise 73dB / Ring 73dB |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 286076 (v7) GeekBench: 9110 (v4.4) GFXBench: 22fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 264734 (v7), 288101 (v8) GeekBench: 8509 (v4.4), 2099 (v5.1) GFXBench: 37fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Razer Phone 2
- 120Hz Display for smoother gaming
- Wireless Charging support
- QC4 Quick Charge for potentially faster wired charging
- Lower display contrast ratio
- Slightly shorter battery endurance
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
- Higher display contrast ratio for richer visuals
- Slightly longer battery endurance
- Sony’s camera expertise
- No wireless charging
- Older Quick Charge standard (QC3)
Display Comparison
Both phones feature displays capable of handling HDR content, but differ significantly in contrast. The Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium boasts a nominal contrast ratio of 1411:1, significantly higher than the Razer Phone 2’s 948. While both achieve similar peak brightness in sunlight (around 2.867-2.932 nits), the Xperia’s higher contrast delivers deeper blacks and more vibrant colors in typical viewing conditions. The Razer Phone 2’s advantage lies in its 120Hz refresh rate (not specified in the data, but a key feature of the device), offering smoother animations and a competitive edge in fast-paced games. This is a trade-off: smoothness versus color pop.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer photo and video capabilities, but the context data provides limited detail for a meaningful comparison. Sony’s expertise in camera technology suggests a more refined image processing pipeline, potentially resulting in more accurate colors and better dynamic range. The Xperia XZ2 Premium’s inclusion of a triple image sensor array (not specified in the data, but a key feature) likely provides greater versatility. The Razer Phone 2’s camera system, while capable, was often criticized for lacking the polish of competitors. Without detailed sensor size or aperture information, it’s difficult to definitively declare a winner.
Performance
Both devices are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (10nm), but the Xperia XZ2 Premium’s CPU clocks slightly higher at 2.7 GHz compared to the Razer Phone 2’s 2.8 GHz. This difference is unlikely to be noticeable in most real-world scenarios. Both utilize an octa-core configuration with 4x2.8/2.7 GHz Kryo 385 Gold and 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver cores. The Razer Phone 2’s active cooling system (not specified in the data, but a key feature) is likely to provide better sustained performance under heavy load, mitigating potential throttling during extended gaming sessions. The lack of specific RAM details prevents a full comparison, but both likely utilize LPDDR4X.
Battery Life
The Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium offers a slightly longer endurance rating of 77 hours compared to the Razer Phone 2’s 70 hours. Both support 18W wired charging with Quick Charge (QC) compatibility – the Xperia using QC3 and the Razer Phone 2 using the newer QC4 standard, potentially offering slightly faster charging speeds. The Razer Phone 2 also supports 15W wireless charging, a feature absent on the Xperia XZ2 Premium. While the Xperia has a marginally better endurance rating, the Razer Phone 2’s wireless charging capability adds convenience.
Buying Guide
Buy the Razer Phone 2 if you need a phone specifically optimized for gaming, with features like customizable performance profiles and a high refresh rate display. Buy the Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium if you prefer a more polished, all-around multimedia experience with a strong emphasis on camera quality and a higher contrast display for richer visuals.