Sony Xperia 1 III vs Xperia 5 II: The Ultimate Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Xperia 1 III boasts a superior chipset, brighter display, and more advanced features. However, the Xperia 5 II offers significantly better battery life and a more compact form factor at a lower price. For power users, the 1 III wins; for those prioritizing battery and portability, the 5 II is the better choice.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Sony Xperia 1 III | Sony Xperia 5 II |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 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, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 - Europe | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 66 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Europe | 1, 3, 8, 28, 77, 78 SA/NSA |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat18 1200/150 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA (specific) | - | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, April 14 | 2020, September 17 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, August 25 | Available. Released 2020, October 12 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 165 x 71 x 8.2 mm (6.50 x 2.80 x 0.32 in) | 158 x 68 x 8 mm (6.22 x 2.68 x 0.31 in) |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 186 g / 187.1 g (mmWave) (6.56 oz) | 163 g (5.75 oz) |
| IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| Resolution | 1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density) | 1080 x 2520 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~449 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~84.2% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 86.9 cm2 (~80.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020 | OLED, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020 |
| Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use cases | Triluminos display X-Reality Engine | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Adreno 650 |
| OS | Android 11, upgradable to Android 13 | Android 10, upgradable to Android 12 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 3.X | UFS 3.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking | Zeiss optics, 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/1.7, 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) | 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 |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS | 4K@24/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p, 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS | 1080p@30fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| 35mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system | 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.1, A2DP, aptX HD, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, video output | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG |
| 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, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass |
| Native Sony Alpha camera support | - | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 30W wired, PD, 50% in 30 min Wireless Reverse wireless | 21W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 4000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Frosted Black, Frosted Gray, Frosted Purple | Black, Grey, Blue, Pink |
| Models | XQBC62/V, XQBC52V.UKCX, SO-51B, SOG03, A101SO, XQ-BC62, XQ-BC72, XQ-BC52, XQ-BC01, XQ-BC11, XQ-BC21, XQ-BC72 | SO-52A, XQ-AS52, XQ-AS62, XQ-AS72, A002SO, SOG02 |
| Price | € 505.26 / $ 903.43 | About 650 EUR |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 8GB RAM | - | $ 695.00 |
| RENEWED | - | £ 239.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 82h | Endurance rating 102h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -26.5 LUFS (Good) | -28.3 LUFS (Average) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 607423 (v8) GeekBench: 3515 (v5.1) GFXBench: 54fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 532655 (v8) GeekBench: 3301 (v5.1) GFXBench: 41fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Sony Xperia 1 III
- Superior Performance (Snapdragon 888)
- Brighter 4K OLED Display (120Hz)
- Variable Telephoto Lens
- Advanced Video Recording Features
- Shorter Battery Life
- Larger and Heavier
- Higher Price
Sony Xperia 5 II
- Excellent Battery Life (102h Endurance)
- More Compact and Pocketable
- Lower Price
- Still a Great Camera System
- Less Powerful Processor (Snapdragon 865)
- Lower Display Brightness
- No Variable Telephoto Lens
Display Comparison
The Xperia 1 III features a 6.5-inch 4K OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, offering stunning visuals and smooth scrolling. Its measured peak brightness of 620 nits is noticeably higher than the Xperia 5 II's 600 nits, making it easier to view in direct sunlight. Both phones have an infinite contrast ratio, delivering deep blacks and vibrant colors. The 1 III's larger size might be a drawback for some.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer excellent camera systems, but with different approaches. The Xperia 1 III features a variable telephoto lens, offering greater flexibility in framing shots. Both have excellent image processing, but the 1 III's larger sensor and more advanced features give it a slight edge in low-light conditions and video recording. The 5 II's camera is still very capable and produces excellent results.
Performance
The Xperia 1 III's Snapdragon 888 chipset provides a significant performance advantage over the Xperia 5 II's Snapdragon 865. This translates to faster app loading times, smoother multitasking, and better gaming performance. While both phones have ample RAM, the 1 III's more powerful processor makes a tangible difference in demanding tasks.
Battery Life
The Xperia 5 II shines in battery life, achieving an impressive endurance rating of 102 hours, significantly outperforming the Xperia 1 III's 82 hours. This difference is likely due to the 5 II's more efficient processor and smaller display. Users who prioritize all-day battery life will find the 5 II a more reliable companion.
Buying Guide
The Sony Xperia 1 III is ideal for photography enthusiasts, videographers, and users who demand top-tier performance and a large, immersive display. The Xperia 5 II is perfect for those seeking a more pocketable phone with excellent battery life and a great camera system, all at a more accessible price point.