Sony Xperia 1 IV vs Google Pixel 7 Pro: The Ultimate Showdown

The Sony Xperia 1 IV and Google Pixel 7 Pro represent two distinct philosophies in smartphone design. Sony prioritizes a creator-focused experience with a stunning display and powerful camera system, while Google emphasizes AI-powered features and a seamless software experience. Let's dive into a detailed comparison to see which phone emerges as the victor.

Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

The Pixel 7 Pro offers a more polished and user-friendly experience with its superior software and brighter display. However, the Xperia 1 IV caters to content creators with its exceptional camera versatility and unique 4K 120Hz display. Ultimately, the best choice depends on your priorities.

PHONES
Phone Names	Sony Xperia 1 IV	Google Pixel 7 Pro

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, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - GE2AE
5G bands	1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Europe	1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 257, 258, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - GE2AE
Speed	HSPA, LTE, 5G	HSPA, LTE, 5G
Technology	GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
	1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Asia	1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 75, 76, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - GP4BC

Launch
Announced	2022, May 11	2022, October 06
Status	Available. Released 2022, June 11	Available. Released 2022, October 13

Body
Build	Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame	Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frame
Dimensions	165 x 71 x 8.2 mm (6.50 x 2.80 x 0.32 in)	162.9 x 76.6 x 8.9 mm (6.41 x 3.02 x 0.35 in)
SIM	· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM	Nano-SIM + eSIM
Weight	185 g (6.53 oz)	212 g (7.48 oz)
	IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)	IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)

Display
Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus	Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Resolution	1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density)	1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~512 ppi density)
Size	6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~84.2% screen-to-body ratio)	6.7 inches, 110.6 cm2 (~88.7% screen-to-body ratio)
Type	OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020	LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1000 nits (HBM), 1500 nits (peak)
	Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use cases	Always-on display

Platform
CPU	Octa-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510)	Octa-core (2x2.85 GHz Cortex-X1 & 2x2.35 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55)
Chipset	Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm)	Google Tensor G2 (5 nm)
GPU	Adreno 730	Mali-G710 MP7
OS	Android 12, upgradable to Android 13	Android 13, upgradable to Android 15, up to 5 major Android upgrades

Memory
Card slot	microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot)	No
Internal	256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM	128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM
	UFS 3.X	UFS 3.1

Main Camera
Features	Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking	Laser AF, Dual-LED flash, Pixel Shift, Auto-HDR, panorama
Single	12 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/2.9", 1.25µm	10.8 MP, f/2.2, 21mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.22µm
Triple	12 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.3, 85mm (telephoto), f/2.8, 125mm (telephoto), 1/3.5", dual pixel PDAF, 3.5x-5.2x continuous optical zoom, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 124˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.5", dual pixel PDAF 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, (depth)	50 MP, f/1.9, 25mm (wide), 1/1.31", 1.2µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 48 MP, f/3.5, 120mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.55", 0.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 126˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.9", 1.25µm, AF
Video	4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS	4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS, OIS, 10-bit HDR

Selfie camera
Features	HDR	HDR, panorama
Single	12 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/2.9", 1.25µm	10.8 MP, f/2.2, 21mm (ultrawide), 1/3.1", 1.22µm
Video	4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS	4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps

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	5.2, A2DP, LE Audio, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive	5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD
NFC	Yes	Yes
Positioning	GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS	GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5)
Radio	No	No
USB	USB Type-C 3.2, OTG, video output	USB Type-C 3.2
WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band or tri-band (region dependent), Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct

Features
Sensors	Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass	Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
	Native Sony Alpha camera support	Ultra Wideband (UWB) support

Battery
Charging	30W wired, PD3.0, PPS, 50% in 30 min Wireless Reverse wireless	23W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min 23W wireless Reverse wireless
Type	Li-Po 5000 mAh	Li-Ion 5000 mAh

Misc
Colors	Black, Violet, White	Obsidian, Snow, Hazel
Models	XQCT62-B, XQCT54, XQCT54C0V.YD, XQCT54C0B.YD, XQCT54C0W.YD, XQCT54C0V.EEAC, XQCT54C0B.EEAC, XQ-CT72, XQ-CT54, XQ-CT62, SO-51C	GP4BC, GE2AE, GFE4J
Price	$ 1,120.00 / € 489.00	€ 248.84 / $ 204.00 / £ 259.99 / ₹ 36,999

Tests
Battery life	Endurance rating 100h	Endurance rating 83h
Camera	Photo / Video	Photo / Video
Display	Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)	Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker	-27.6 LUFS (Good)	-24.8 LUFS (Very good)
Performance	AnTuTu: 838832 (v9) GeekBench: 3403 (v5.1) GFXBench: 74fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)	AnTuTu: 796369 (v9) GeekBench: 3187 (v5.1) GFXBench: 34fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Sony Xperia 1 IV

Exceptional 4K 120Hz display
Versatile camera system with variable zoom
Dedicated shutter button
Creator-focused features
Excellent battery life (rated)

Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 can throttle under load
Lower peak brightness compared to Pixel 7 Pro
Software experience less polished than Pixel
Slower wireless charging

Google Pixel 7 Pro

Brighter and more vibrant display
Excellent computational photography
Seamless Android experience
Google’s AI features (Magic Eraser, etc.)
Faster wireless charging

Tensor G2 not as powerful as Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
Less manual camera control
Battery life slightly lower (rated)
Charging speed slower than Xperia 1 IV

Display Comparison

The Xperia 1 IV boasts a 6.5-inch 4K OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 602 nits. While the resolution is impressive, the Pixel 7 Pro’s 6.7-inch OLED display shines with a significantly higher peak brightness of 1090 nits, making it much easier to see outdoors. Both offer excellent contrast and color accuracy, but the Pixel 7 Pro’s brightness gives it a clear edge.

Camera Comparison

Both phones have exceptional camera systems. The Xperia 1 IV offers a versatile triple-lens setup with a 12MP main, 12MP ultrawide, and 12MP telephoto lens, plus a variable optical zoom. The Pixel 7 Pro features a 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, and 48MP telephoto lens with a 5x optical zoom. The Pixel 7 Pro excels in computational photography, producing consistently excellent images in various conditions. The Xperia 1 IV provides more manual control and a dedicated shutter button, appealing to serious photographers.

Performance

The Xperia 1 IV utilizes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, a powerful chipset, but known for thermal throttling. The Pixel 7 Pro’s Google Tensor G2, while not as rawly powerful, is optimized for Google’s AI and machine learning tasks, resulting in smooth performance for everyday tasks and enhanced features like Magic Eraser. The Tensor G2 also tends to run cooler. While the Xperia 1 IV has a slight edge in benchmark scores, the Pixel 7 Pro’s optimized performance is more noticeable in real-world usage.

Battery Life

The Xperia 1 IV has a reported endurance rating of 100 hours, which is impressive. The Pixel 7 Pro’s endurance rating is 83 hours. However, real-world usage often differs. Both phones support fast charging, but the Xperia 1 IV’s 30W wired charging is slightly faster than the Pixel 7 Pro’s 23W wired charging. Wireless charging is available on both, but the Pixel 7 Pro offers faster wireless charging speeds.

Buying Guide

The Sony Xperia 1 IV is ideal for photographers and videographers who value manual controls, a dedicated shutter button, and a creator-centric feature set. The Google Pixel 7 Pro is perfect for users who want a seamless Android experience, exceptional computational photography, and a phone that's easy to use.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Which phone has the better camera for casual users?

The Google Pixel 7 Pro is generally better for casual users due to its superior computational photography and ease of use. It consistently produces excellent images with minimal effort.

❓ Is the Xperia 1 IV worth the extra cost?

The Xperia 1 IV is worth the extra cost if you're a serious photographer or videographer who values manual controls, a dedicated shutter button, and a creator-centric feature set. Otherwise, the Pixel 7 Pro offers a more well-rounded experience at a potentially lower price.