Samsung Galaxy S20+ vs. Sony Xperia 1 III: A Detailed Comparison for Power Users
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user, the Sony Xperia 1 III emerges as the stronger choice. Its Snapdragon 888 chipset, coupled with 30W fast charging, provides a noticeable performance and convenience advantage. However, the S20+ remains a compelling option for budget-conscious buyers who don't require the latest processing power.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Samsung Galaxy S20+ | Sony Xperia 1 III |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 - Europe |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Europe |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA (specific) | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, February 11 | 2021, April 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, March 06 | Available. Released 2021, August 25 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 161.9 x 73.7 x 7.8 mm (6.37 x 2.90 x 0.31 in) | 165 x 71 x 8.2 mm (6.50 x 2.80 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 186 g (6.56 oz) | 186 g / 187.1 g (mmWave) (6.56 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~525 ppi density) | 1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 108.0 cm2 (~90.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~84.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (peak) | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020 |
| Always-on display 120Hz@FHD/60Hz@QHD refresh rate | Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use cases | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (2x2.73 GHz Mongoose M5 & 2x2.50 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55) - GlobalOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) - USA | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - GlobalQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) - USA | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G77 MP11 - GlobalAdreno 650 - USA | Adreno 660 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5 | Android 11, upgradable to Android 13 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | UFS 3.X | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama | Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking |
| Single | - | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4", 1.12µm |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.76", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 64 MP, f/2.0, 29mm (telephoto), 1/1.72", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 1.1x optical zoom, 3x hybrid zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, f/1.0, (depth) | 12 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.3, 70mm (telephoto), f/2.8, 105mm (telephoto), 1/2.9", dual pixel PDAF, 3x/4.4x optical zoom, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 124˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.6", dual pixel PDAF 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, (depth) |
| Video | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS | 4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | Yes |
| 35mm jack | No | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG | 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, video output |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass |
| Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) ANT+ Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) | Native Sony Alpha camera support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless | 30W wired, PD, 50% in 30 min Wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 4500 mAh | Li-Po 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Cosmic Black, Cosmic Grey, Cloud Blue, Cloud White, Aura Red, Aura Blue | Frosted Black, Frosted Gray, Frosted Purple |
| Models | SM-G985, SM-G985F, SM-G985F/DS | XQBC62/V, XQBC52V.UKCX, SO-51B, SOG03, A101SO, XQ-BC62, XQ-BC72, XQ-BC52, XQ-BC01, XQ-BC11, XQ-BC21, XQ-BC72 |
| Price | € 299.97 / $ 189.60 / £ 234.21 | € 505.26 / $ 903.43 |
| SAR | 0.72 W/kg (head) 1.03 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 0.38 W/kg (head) 1.57 W/kg (body) | - |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 8GB RAM | $ 400.90 | - |
| RENEWED | $ 288.00 | - |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 87h | Endurance rating 82h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -24.4 LUFS (Very good) | -26.5 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 500114 (v8) GeekBench: 2703 (v5.1) GFXBench: 42fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 607423 (v8) GeekBench: 3515 (v5.1) GFXBench: 54fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Samsung Galaxy S20+
- Lower price point offers excellent value.
- Higher peak display brightness for outdoor visibility.
- Mature software ecosystem and wide availability of accessories.
- Older chipset (Exynos 990/Snapdragon 865) offers less performance.
- Slower charging speeds compared to the Xperia 1 III.
Sony Xperia 1 III
- More powerful Snapdragon 888 processor.
- Faster 30W wired charging.
- Creator-focused features and advanced camera controls.
- Lower peak display brightness.
- Higher price point.
Display Comparison
The Xperia 1 III’s 620 nits max brightness is noticeably lower than the S20+'s 797 nits, meaning the Samsung will be more visible outdoors in direct sunlight. Both displays share an 'Infinite' (nominal) contrast ratio, suggesting excellent black levels. However, Sony’s focus on color accuracy, a hallmark of their displays, isn’t directly quantifiable here. The S20+’s higher peak brightness is a clear advantage for everyday usability, while the Xperia 1 III likely prioritizes color fidelity for professional content creation.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer versatile camera systems, but their approaches differ. While detailed sensor specs are missing, the Xperia 1 III’s camera system is heavily marketed towards professional photographers and videographers. The Snapdragon 888’s image signal processor (ISP) is more advanced than that of the Snapdragon 865 or Exynos 990, enabling better noise reduction and dynamic range. The Xperia 1 III’s continuous optical zoom and dedicated photography controls cater to a specific user base, while the S20+ aims for a more balanced, all-purpose camera experience. The lack of detail on sensor sizes makes a direct comparison difficult, but Sony’s expertise in image sensors suggests a competitive advantage.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets. The S20+ shipped with either the Exynos 990 (globally) or the Snapdragon 865 (USA), while the Xperia 1 III exclusively uses the Snapdragon 888. The Snapdragon 888, built on a 5nm process versus the 7nm+ of the Exynos 990/865, offers superior power efficiency and thermal performance. The Xperia 1 III’s Cortex-X1 prime core also provides a performance boost over the Cortex-A77 found in both S20+ variants. While the S20+ is still capable, the Xperia 1 III will handle demanding tasks and sustained workloads with greater ease.
Battery Life
The S20+ boasts an 87-hour Endurance rating, slightly better than the Xperia 1 III’s 82-hour rating. However, the Xperia 1 III compensates with 30W wired charging, capable of reaching 50% charge in just 30 minutes, a significant improvement over the S20+'s 25W charging. While the S20+ has a slight edge in overall endurance, the Xperia 1 III’s faster charging mitigates the difference, offering greater convenience for users who frequently need to top up their battery.
Buying Guide
Buy the Samsung Galaxy S20+ if you need a reliable, well-rounded flagship experience at a significantly lower price point and prioritize a mature software ecosystem. Buy the Sony Xperia 1 III if you prefer a creator-focused device with a powerful Snapdragon 888 processor, faster charging, and a more specialized feature set geared towards photography and videography.