Sony Xperia 1 V vs Xiaomi 13 Pro: Which Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Flagship Wins?

Both the Sony Xperia 1 V and Xiaomi 13 Pro represent the pinnacle of Android smartphone engineering, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. However, they diverge significantly in their approach – Sony prioritizing a creator-focused experience and Xiaomi aiming for all-around excellence with bleeding-edge charging. This comparison dissects their strengths and weaknesses to determine which device best suits your needs.
Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

For the average user prioritizing rapid charging and a brighter display, the Xiaomi 13 Pro is the clear winner. Its 120W charging fully replenishes the battery in just 19 minutes, a significant advantage over the Xperia 1 V’s 30W charging. However, the Xperia 1 V’s longer active use battery score and creator-focused features make it ideal for professionals.

PHONES
Phone Names Sony Xperia 1 V Xiaomi 13 Pro
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 800 / 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, 42, 48, 66 - International
5G bands1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Europe1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA - International
SpeedHSPA, LTE, 5GHSPA, LTE, 5G
TechnologyGSM / HSPA / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G
 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Asia1, 3, 5, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China
Launch
Announced2023, May 112022, December 11
StatusAvailable. Released 2023, July 28Available. Released 2022, December 14
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus), aluminum frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), ceramic back or silicone polymer back, aluminum frame
Dimensions165 x 71 x 8.3 mm (6.50 x 2.80 x 0.33 in)162.9 x 74.6 x 8.4 mm or 8.7 mm
SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Weight187 g (6.60 oz)210 g or 229 g (7.41 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
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass Victus 2Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Resolution1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density)1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~522 ppi density)
Size6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~84.2% screen-to-body ratio)6.73 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~89.6% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1200 nits (HBM), 1900 nits (peak)
Platform
CPUOcta-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)
ChipsetQualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm)
GPUAdreno 740Adreno 740
OSAndroid 13, upgradable to Android 15Android 13, upgradable to Android 14, HyperOS
Memory
Card slotmicroSDXC (uses shared SIM slot)No
Internal256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM
 UFSUFS 3.1 - 128GB UFS 4.0 - 256/512GB
Main Camera
FeaturesZeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye trackingLaser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica lens, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panorama
Triple48 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide), 1/1.35", 1.12µm, 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, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.5", dual pixel PDAF50.3 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1.0"-type, 1.6µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.0, 75mm (telephoto), PDAF (10cm - ∞), 3.2x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.2, 14mm, 115˚ (ultrawide), AF
Video4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS8K@24fps (HDR), 4K@24/30/60fps (HDR10+, 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR, 10-bit LOG), 1080p@30/120/240/960fps, 1080p@1920fps, gyro-EIS
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDRHDR, panorama
Single12 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/2.9", 1.25µm32 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), 1/3.14", 0.7µm
Video4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack YesNo
35mm jackYesNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system24-bit/192kHz audio
Comms
Bluetooth5.3, A2DP, LE Audio, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless5.3, A2DP, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive
Infrared port-Yes
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSSGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5)
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 3.2, OTG, video outputUSB Type-C 2.0, OTG
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, 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, optical), accelerometer, proximity, gyro, compass, barometer
 Native Sony Alpha camera support-
Battery
Charging30W wired, PD3.0, PPS, 50% in 30 min Wireless Reverse wireless120W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 19 min 50W wireless, 100% in 36 min 10W reverse wireless
TypeLi-Po 5000 mAhLi-Po 4820 mAh
Misc
ColorsBlack, Khaki Green, Platinum SilverCeramic White, Ceramic Black, Ceramic Flora Green, Mountain Blue
ModelsXQDQ62/B, XQ-DQ72, XQ-DQ542210132G, 2210132C
Price€ 684.00 / $ 1,409.99 / £ 519.99About 750 EUR
Tests
Battery life Endurance rating 115h Endurance rating 115h
Camera Photo / Video Photo / Video
Display Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker -25.4 LUFS (Very good) -25.6 LUFS (Very good)
Performance AnTuTu: 1127931 (v9) GeekBench: 4916 (v6) GFXBench: 96fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) AnTuTu: 1281666 (v9) GeekBench: 5087 (v5.1), 5323 (v6) GFXBench: 64fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Sony Xperia 1 V

  • Longer active use battery life (12:24h)
  • Potentially more efficient power management
  • Creator-focused software and features

  • Significantly slower charging (30W)
  • Less bright display (936 nits)
  • Limited charging speed details

Xiaomi 13 Pro

  • Blazing-fast 120W wired charging (19 minutes to full)
  • Brighter display (1253 nits)
  • 50W wireless charging

  • Shorter active use battery life (10:55h)
  • Potentially more aggressive thermal throttling
  • More mainstream Android experience

Display Comparison

The Xiaomi 13 Pro boasts a substantially brighter display, reaching a measured 1253 nits compared to the Xperia 1 V’s 936 nits. This translates to superior visibility under direct sunlight. Both displays share an 'Infinite' (nominal) contrast ratio, suggesting excellent black levels. While both likely utilize LTPO technology for adaptive refresh rates (not explicitly stated, but standard for this class), the Xiaomi’s higher peak brightness is a tangible advantage for outdoor use and HDR content consumption. The Xperia 1 V’s display, while excellent, is demonstrably less bright.

Camera Comparison

Both phones feature capable camera systems, but details beyond 'Photo / Video' are lacking. However, the Xiaomi 13 Pro’s likely larger sensor size (based on Xiaomi’s history with flagship cameras) and faster charging allow for more shooting opportunities. The Xperia 1 V’s camera system is geared towards professional users, offering extensive manual controls and a focus on color accuracy. Without specific sensor details, it’s difficult to definitively declare a winner, but Xiaomi’s tendency towards larger sensors gives it an edge. The absence of details on OIS and lens apertures hinders a more precise comparison.

Performance

Both devices are equipped with the Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm) chipset, featuring the same Octa-core CPU configuration. This means raw processing power is virtually identical. However, the Xiaomi 13 Pro benefits from potentially more aggressive thermal management due to its larger chassis, potentially allowing it to sustain peak performance for longer durations. While both utilize LPDDR5x RAM (assumed, given the flagship status), the real-world performance difference will likely be minimal, focusing instead on software optimization and sustained performance under load.

Battery Life

Despite both phones achieving an endurance rating of 115 hours, the real-world experience differs significantly. The Xperia 1 V delivers 12:24h of active use, while the Xiaomi 13 Pro manages 10:55h. This suggests the Sony is more efficient during typical usage. However, the Xiaomi 13 Pro’s 120W wired charging (100% in 19 minutes) is a game-changer, dwarfing the Xperia 1 V’s 30W charging (50% in 30 minutes). The Xiaomi also offers 50W wireless charging, while the Xperia 1 V’s wireless charging speed is unspecified. The Xiaomi’s charging speed dramatically reduces downtime, making it more convenient for power users.

Buying Guide

Buy the Sony Xperia 1 V if you need a phone with exceptional battery endurance during active use (12:24h), prioritize a more refined and professional camera experience, and value a more unique, creator-centric software approach. Buy the Xiaomi 13 Pro if you prefer blazing-fast 120W charging, a significantly brighter display (1253 nits), and a more mainstream Android experience with a focus on speed and convenience.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Xiaomi 13 Pro’s 120W charging degrade the battery health faster over time?
While extremely fast charging can theoretically contribute to faster battery degradation, Xiaomi employs sophisticated charging algorithms and battery management systems to mitigate this effect. The phone monitors temperature and adjusts charging speed accordingly, minimizing stress on the battery. Real-world degradation will depend on usage patterns, but it’s unlikely to be significantly worse than with slower charging methods.
❓ Is the lack of a dedicated telephoto lens on the Xperia 1 V a significant drawback for photography?
The Xperia 1 V relies on its versatile main sensor and digital zoom capabilities. While a dedicated telephoto lens offers superior optical zoom quality, Sony’s image processing algorithms are highly refined and can produce impressive results even with digital zoom. However, users who frequently require high-magnification shots may find a dedicated telephoto lens preferable.
❓ How does the thermal performance of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 differ between the two phones during extended gaming sessions?
Both phones utilize the same chipset, but the Xiaomi 13 Pro’s larger chassis potentially allows for more effective heat dissipation. This could translate to less thermal throttling during prolonged gaming, maintaining higher frame rates for longer. However, software optimization plays a crucial role, and both manufacturers likely employ thermal management strategies to prevent overheating.