The Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc, a flagship from 2011, represented a peak in Sony's early Android efforts. Now, let's pit it against the Samsung Galaxy S20, a powerhouse from 2020. This comparison explores how far smartphone technology has advanced and which device offers the better experience today.
🏆 Quick Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy S20 utterly dominates this comparison. While the Xperia Arc holds nostalgic charm, the S20's superior display, performance, camera, and battery life make it the clear winner. It's a generational leap in technology.
| Network |
|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 900 / 2100 - LT15i | HSDPA 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 |
| Speed | HSPA 7.2/5.76 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE |
| | HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 / 800 - LT15a | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO |
| Launch |
|---|
| Announced | 2011, January. Released 2011, March | 2020, February 11 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2020, March 06 |
| Body |
|---|
| Build | - | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 125 x 63 x 8.7 mm (4.92 x 2.48 x 0.34 in) | 151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9 mm (5.97 x 2.72 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | Mini-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 117 g (4.13 oz) | 163 g (5.75 oz) |
| | - | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
| Display |
|---|
| Protection | Scratch-resistant glass | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| Resolution | 480 x 854 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~233 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~563 ppi density) |
| Size | 4.2 inches, 48.6 cm2 (~61.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.2 inches, 93.8 cm2 (~89.5% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | LED-backlit LCD, | Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1200 nits (peak) |
| | - | Always-on display
120Hz@FHD/60Hz@QHD refresh rate |
| Platform |
|---|
| CPU | 1.0 GHz Scorpion | 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 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon S2 | Exynos 990 (7 nm+) - GlobalQualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) - USA |
| GPU | Adreno 205 | Mali-G77 MP11 - GlobalAdreno 650 - USA |
| OS | Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), upgradable to 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, One UI 5 |
| Memory |
|---|
| Card slot | microSDHC (dedicated slot), 8 GB included | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 320MB 512MB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM |
| | - | UFS 3.0 |
| Main Camera |
|---|
| Features | LED flash | LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | 8 MP, AF | - |
| 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 |
| Video | 720p@30fps | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS & OIS |
| Selfie camera |
|---|
| Features | - | HDR |
| Single | - | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF |
| Video | - | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps |
| | No | - |
| Sound |
|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| | - | 32-bit/384kHz audio
Tuned by AKG |
| Comms |
|---|
| Bluetooth | 2.1, A2DP | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | - | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, A-GPS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | Stereo FM radio, RDS | FM radio (Snapdragon model only; market/operator dependent) |
| USB | microUSB 2.0 | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features |
|---|
| Browser | HTML, Adobe Flash | - |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| | ANT+
HDMI port
MP4/H.264/WMV player
MP3/eAAC+/WMA/WAV player
TrackID music recognition
NeoReader barcode scanner
Document viewer
Voice memo/dial/commands
Predictive text input | Samsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support)
ANT+
Bixby natural language commands and dictation
Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) |
| Battery |
|---|
| Charging | - | 25W wired, PD3.0
15W wireless (Qi)
4.5W reverse wireless |
| Music play | Up to 31 h | - |
| Stand-by | Up to 430 h (2G) / Up to 400 h (3G) | - |
| Talk time | Up to 7 h (2G) / Up to 7 h (3G) | - |
| Type | Removable Li-Po 1500 mAh battery | Li-Ion 4000 mAh |
| Misc |
|---|
| Colors | Midnight Blue, Misty Silver | Cosmic Grey, Cloud Blue, Cloud Pink, Cloud White, Aura Red |
| Models | - | SM-G980, SM-G980F, SM-G980F/DS |
| Price | About 180 EUR | $ 252.72 / C$ 249.99 / £ 185.00 / € 185.00 |
| SAR | - | 0.76 W/kg (head) 1.01 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | 0.66 W/kg (head) | 0.28 W/kg (head) 1.52 W/kg (body) |
| Tests |
|---|
| Audio quality |
Noise -89.4dB / Crosstalk -91.5dB | - |
| Battery life | - |
Endurance rating 71h
|
| Camera |
Photo / Video |
Photo / Video |
| Display |
Contrast ratio: 1207:1 (nominal) |
Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker |
Voice 66dB / Noise 66dB / Ring 78dB
|
-23.9 LUFS (Very good)
|
| Performance | - |
AnTuTu: 525029 (v8)
GeekBench: 12557 (v4.4), 2750 (v5.1)
GFXBench: 44fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc
- Nostalgic design
- Compact size
- Good build quality (for its time)
- Outdated performance
- Low-resolution display
- Poor camera
- Short battery life
- Lack of modern features
Samsung Galaxy S20
- Excellent display
- Powerful performance
- Versatile camera system
- Long battery life
- Fast charging
- 5G connectivity (depending on variant)
- Larger size
- Can be expensive (now used)
Display Comparison
The Galaxy S20 boasts a significantly brighter display (814 nits vs. Arc's unspecified brightness) and a theoretically infinite contrast ratio, offering vibrant colors and deep blacks. The Arc's 1207:1 contrast ratio is respectable for its time, but pales in comparison. The S20's resolution is also far superior.
Camera Comparison
The Galaxy S20's camera system is a major upgrade. It offers multiple lenses, higher resolution sensors, and advanced features like optical image stabilization. The Arc's camera is functional but lacks the detail and versatility of the S20.
Performance
The Galaxy S20's Octa-core processors (either Exynos or Snapdragon) are vastly more powerful than the Xperia Arc's single-core 1.0 GHz Scorpion processor. The S20 handles demanding apps and games with ease, while the Arc struggles with modern software.
Battery Life
The Galaxy S20's endurance rating of 71 hours is exceptional. The Xperia Arc's battery life was decent for its time, but falls far short of the S20's longevity. The S20 also supports fast charging and wireless charging, features absent in the Arc.
Buying Guide
Who should buy the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc? Primarily collectors or those seeking a nostalgic experience of early Android. Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy S20? Anyone needing a modern, high-performing smartphone with a fantastic camera and long battery life.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Is the Xperia Arc still usable in 2024?
Yes, but with significant limitations. It can run basic apps, but modern apps may not be compatible or perform well. It's best suited for nostalgia or as a secondary device.
❓ Can I upgrade the software on the Xperia Arc?
Officially, no. Sony stopped supporting the Xperia Arc long ago. Custom ROMs are available, but flashing them can be risky and voids any warranty.
