Sony Xperia 1 II vs. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max: A Deep Dive Comparison
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing ease of use, long-term software support, and a polished ecosystem, the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max is the better choice. Its superior battery endurance (95h vs 83h) and faster charging, combined with the A14 Bionic’s consistent performance, provide a smoother overall experience.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Sony Xperia 1 II | Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2342 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 28, 77, 78 NSA/Sub6 | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2342 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat19 1600/150 Mbps, 5G (2+ Gbps DL) | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 77, 78, 79 Sub6 - A2410, A2411, A2412 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, February 24 | 2020, October 13 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, May 22 | Available. Released 2020, November 13 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame |
| Dimensions | 165.1 x 71.1 x 7.6 mm (6.5 x 2.80 x 0.30 in) | 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.4 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.29 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) |
| Weight | 181.4 g (6.38 oz) | 228 g (8.04 oz) |
| IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density) | 1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~84.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, HDR BT.2020 | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use cases | - | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 12 | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Zeiss optics, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, 3x optical zoom, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 124˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.55", dual pixel PDAF 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, (depth) | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.9", 1.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 65mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2.5x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10‑bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 1080p@30fps (5-axis gyro-EIS) | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, aptX HD, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 21W wired, PD 11W wireless | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update |
| Type | Li-Po 4000 mAh | Li-Ion 3687 mAh (14.13 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Purple, Mirror Lake Green | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue |
| Models | XQ-AT51, XQ-AT52, SOG01, XQ-AT42 | A2411, A2342, A2410, A2412, iPhone13,4 |
| Price | About 700 EUR | $ 328.00 / C$ 549.75 / £ 270.67 / € 339.00 |
| SAR EU | - | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 599.99 |
| 256GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 728.45 |
| 512GB 6GB RAM | - | $ 886.67 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 627.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 83h | Endurance rating 95h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -27.3 LUFS (Good) | -23.8 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 534701 (v8) GeekBench: 3295 (v5.1) GFXBench: 39fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 638584 (v8) GeekBench: 4240 (v5.1) GFXBench: 55fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Sony Xperia 1 II
- 21:9 aspect ratio display ideal for video
- Manual camera controls for professional photographers
- Expandable storage via microSD card
- Dedicated shutter button for quick photo capture
- Lower peak display brightness
- Slightly slower processor than A14 Bionic
- Less efficient battery life
- Software updates are less frequent
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Faster processor (A14 Bionic)
- Superior battery life and faster charging
- Strong ecosystem integration and software support
- Excellent computational photography
- No expandable storage
- Less manual control in the camera app
- Standard 19.5:9 aspect ratio display
- Higher initial price (though now comparable)
Display Comparison
Both devices feature 'Infinite' contrast ratio displays, typical of OLED technology. However, the iPhone 12 Pro Max boasts a higher measured peak brightness of 822 nits compared to the Xperia 1 II’s 611 nits, making it more visible in direct sunlight. While both offer excellent color reproduction, the Xperia 1 II’s 21:9 aspect ratio caters to videographers and media consumers, offering a wider viewing area, though it can make one-handed use more challenging. The lack of LTPO technology on either device means refresh rates are fixed, unlike newer flagships.
Camera Comparison
Both phones excel in camera capabilities, but approach photography differently. The iPhone 12 Pro Max leverages Apple’s computational photography prowess, delivering consistently pleasing images with excellent dynamic range and accurate colors. The Xperia 1 II, on the other hand, prioritizes manual control and a more natural look, appealing to photographers who prefer to edit their images. While both offer photo and video recording, the Xperia 1 II’s dedicated shutter button and advanced video features (like 21:9 aspect ratio recording) give it an edge for professional videographers. Sensor sizes and OIS performance are comparable, but Apple’s Deep Fusion and Smart HDR algorithms provide a distinct processing style.
Performance
The Apple A14 Bionic, fabricated on a 5nm process, demonstrates a clear architectural advantage over the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (7nm+) in the Xperia 1 II. The A14’s hexa-core configuration (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) delivers consistently high single-core and multi-core performance. While the Snapdragon 865’s octa-core setup (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) is capable, it generally trails the A14 in sustained performance due to thermal limitations. The iPhone 12 Pro Max’s 6GB of RAM is comparable to the Xperia 1 II, but Apple’s software optimization allows it to manage memory more efficiently.
Battery Life
The iPhone 12 Pro Max edges out the Xperia 1 II in battery endurance, achieving a measured 95-hour rating compared to the Xperia 1 II’s 83 hours. This translates to real-world usage, with the iPhone consistently lasting longer on a single charge. While the Xperia 1 II supports 21W wired charging with Power Delivery (PD), the iPhone 12 Pro Max offers faster charging with PD2.0, reaching 50% charge in just 30 minutes. Wireless charging is also faster on the iPhone with 15W MagSafe and Qi2 (with iOS 17.4 update) versus the Xperia 1 II’s 11W wireless charging.
Buying Guide
Buy the Sony Xperia 1 II if you are a content creator who values manual camera controls, a 21:9 aspect ratio display for video consumption, and expandable storage. Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max if you prioritize a seamless user experience, strong resale value, and a mature app ecosystem with guaranteed software updates for years to come.