Sony Xperia 1 IV vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra: The Ultimate Flagship Battle

The Sony Xperia 1 IV and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra represent the pinnacle of smartphone technology, each boasting impressive features and capabilities. Choosing between them can be tough, as both offer a premium experience. This comprehensive comparison will break down their strengths and weaknesses to help you decide which device best suits your needs.
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🏆 Quick Verdict

The Galaxy S22 Ultra edges out the Xperia 1 IV with its brighter display, more versatile camera system, and slightly better battery life. However, the Xperia 1 IV’s unique features like its dedicated shutter button and creator-focused software appeal to a specific niche.

PHONES
Phone Names Sony Xperia 1 IV Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 - Europe1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International
5G bands1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Europe1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International
SpeedHSPA, LTE, 5GHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL)
TechnologyGSM / HSPA / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Asia1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA
Launch
Announced2022, May 112022, February 09
StatusAvailable. Released 2022, June 11Available. Released 2022, February 25
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame
Dimensions165 x 71 x 8.2 mm (6.50 x 2.80 x 0.32 in)163.3 x 77.9 x 8.9 mm (6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in)
SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
Weight185 g (6.53 oz)228 g / 229 g (mmWave) (8.04 oz)
 IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised) Stylus, 2.8ms latency (Bluetooth integration, accelerometer, gyro)
Display
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass VictusCorning Gorilla Glass Victus+
Resolution1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density)1440 x 3088 pixels, 19.3:9 ratio (~500 ppi density)
Size6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~84.2% screen-to-body ratio)6.8 inches, 114.7 cm2 (~90.2% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1750 nits (peak)
 Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use casesAlways-on display
Platform
CPUOcta-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510)Octa-core (1x2.8 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A510) - EuropeOcta-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) - ROW
ChipsetQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm)Exynos 2200 (4 nm) - EuropeQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) - ROW
GPUAdreno 730Xclipse 920 - EuropeAdreno 730 - ROW
OSAndroid 12, upgradable to Android 13Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8
Memory
Card slotmicroSDXC (uses shared SIM slot)No
Internal256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM
 UFS 3.XUFS 3.1
Main Camera
FeaturesZeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye trackingLaser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Quad-108 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 10 MP, f/4.9, 230mm (periscope telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 10x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video
Single12 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/2.9", 1.25µm-
Triple12 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)-
Video4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDRHDR
Single12 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/2.9", 1.25µm40 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/2.82", 0.7µm, PDAF
Video4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack YesNo
35mm jackYesNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG
Comms
Bluetooth5.2, A2DP, LE Audio, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive5.2, A2DP, LE
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSSGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 3.2, OTG, video outputUSB Type-C 3.2, OTG
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band or tri-band (region dependent), Wi-Fi Direct, DLNAWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compassFingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
 Native Sony Alpha camera supportSamsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified) Ultra Wideband (UWB) support
Battery
Charging30W wired, PD3.0, PPS, 50% in 30 min Wireless Reverse wireless45W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
TypeLi-Po 5000 mAhLi-Ion 5000 mAh
Misc
ColorsBlack, Violet, WhitePhantom Black, White, Burgundy, Green, Graphite, Red, Sky Blue, Bora Purple
ModelsXQCT62-B, XQCT54, XQCT54C0V.YD, XQCT54C0B.YD, XQCT54C0W.YD, XQCT54C0V.EEAC, XQCT54C0B.EEAC, XQ-CT72, XQ-CT54, XQ-CT62, SO-51CSM-S908B, SM-S908B/DS, SM-S908U, SM-S908U1, SM-S908W, SM-S908N, SM-S9080, SM-S908E, SM-S908E/DS
Price$ 1,120.00 / € 489.00€ 397.07 / $ 269.98 / £ 304.99 / ₹ 63,899
SAR-1.18 W/kg (head)     0.98 W/kg (body)
SAR EU-1.05 W/kg (head)     1.58 W/kg (body)
Tests
Battery life Endurance rating 100h Endurance rating 108h
Camera Photo / VideoPhoto / Video
Display Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker -27.6 LUFS (Good) -27.3 LUFS (Good)
Performance AnTuTu: 838832 (v9) GeekBench: 3403 (v5.1) GFXBench: 74fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)AnTuTu: 968359 (v9) GeekBench: 3657 (v5.1) GFXBench: 37fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Sony Xperia 1 IV

  • Excellent video recording capabilities
  • Dedicated shutter button and creator-focused features
  • Clean and customizable Android experience
  • High-quality OLED display
  • Unique 21:9 aspect ratio

  • Lower peak brightness compared to S22 Ultra
  • Less versatile camera system
  • Slower charging speed
  • Can be expensive

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G

  • Brighter and more vibrant display
  • More versatile camera system with excellent zoom
  • Longer battery life
  • Integrated S Pen stylus
  • Feature-rich software

  • Exynos variant may have slightly lower performance
  • Software can feel bloated to some users
  • Expensive

Display Comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra’s display is the clear winner here. Its 1266 nits peak brightness significantly outshines the Xperia 1 IV’s 602 nits, making it much easier to view in direct sunlight. Both offer excellent contrast ratios (infinite nominal), and vibrant colors, but the S22 Ultra’s sheer brightness gives it a noticeable advantage. The Xperia 1 IV’s 120Hz refresh rate is smooth, but the S22 Ultra’s adaptive refresh rate is more efficient.

Camera Comparison

The Galaxy S22 Ultra’s camera system is more versatile, offering a wider range of focal lengths and features. Its 108MP main sensor captures incredible detail, and its zoom capabilities are unmatched. The Xperia 1 IV excels in video recording, offering features like 4K 120fps recording and excellent stabilization. While the Xperia 1 IV’s camera is capable, the S22 Ultra’s overall versatility and image quality give it the edge.

Performance

Both phones are incredibly fast thanks to their flagship processors. The Xperia 1 IV uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, while the S22 Ultra utilizes either the Exynos 2200 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 depending on the region. Performance is generally comparable in everyday tasks and gaming, though some benchmarks suggest a slight edge for the Snapdragon variant of the S22 Ultra. Thermal management can be a concern on both devices under sustained load.

Battery Life

The Galaxy S22 Ultra boasts a slightly better endurance rating (108h) compared to the Xperia 1 IV (100h). While the difference isn't massive, the S22 Ultra’s larger battery capacity and more efficient display contribute to its longer battery life. Both phones support fast charging, but the S22 Ultra’s 45W wired charging is faster than the Xperia 1 IV’s 30W.

Buying Guide

The Sony Xperia 1 IV is ideal for content creators, photography enthusiasts who appreciate manual controls, and users who value a clean Android experience. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is perfect for those seeking a feature-rich, all-around flagship with a stunning display, powerful performance, and a versatile camera system.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Which phone is better for photography?
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra offers a more versatile camera system with better zoom capabilities and overall image quality. However, the Xperia 1 IV excels in video recording.
❓ Is the Xperia 1 IV worth it if I'm a content creator?
Yes, the Xperia 1 IV's dedicated creator features, excellent video recording, and clean Android experience make it a compelling choice for content creators.