Sony Xperia 1 vs Xperia 1 II: A Flagship Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Xperia 1 II offers a noticeable upgrade with the Snapdragon 865, improved camera features (especially autofocus), and slightly better battery life. While the Xperia 1 remains a capable device with its exceptional display, the 1 II’s enhancements make it the clear winner for most users, especially photography enthusiasts.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Sony Xperia 1 | Sony Xperia 1 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, 26, 28, 29, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66 |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 3, 28, 77, 78 NSA/Sub6 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat19 1600/150 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat19 1600/150 Mbps, 5G (2+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019, February 25. Released 2019, May 30 | 2020, February 24 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2020, May 22 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 167 x 72 x 8.2 mm (6.57 x 2.83 x 0.32 in) | 165.1 x 71.1 x 7.6 mm (6.5 x 2.80 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 178 g (6.28 oz) | 181.4 g (6.38 oz) |
| IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| Resolution | 1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density) | 1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~82.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~84.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, HDR BT.2020 | OLED, 1B colors, HDR BT.2020 |
| Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use cases Triluminos display X-Reality Engine | Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use cases | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.42 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm) | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) |
| GPU | Adreno 640 | Adreno 650 |
| OS | Android 9.0 (Pie), upgradable to Android 11 | Android 10, upgradable to Android 12 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | UFS 3.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking | Zeiss optics, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, predictive dual pixel PDAF, 5-axis OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, predictive PDAF, 2x optical zoom, 5-axis OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm | 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) |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30fps HDR, 1080p@60fps, 1080p@30fps (5-axis gyro-EIS), 1080p@960fps | 4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 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 | No | Yes |
| 35mm jack | No | 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 | 5.0, A2DP, aptX HD, LE | 5.1, A2DP, aptX HD, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 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 |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 18W wired, PD2.0 | 21W wired, PD 11W wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 3330 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 4000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Gray, Purple, White | Black, Purple, Mirror Lake Green |
| Models | J8110, J8170, J9110, J9150, SOV40, SO-03L | XQ-AT51, XQ-AT52, SOG01, XQ-AT42 |
| Price | About 500 EUR | About 700 EUR |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -93.6dB / Crosstalk -85.2dB | - |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 79h | Endurance rating 83h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -26.7 LUFS (Good) | -27.3 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 356734 (v7), 418206 (v8) GeekBench: 10985 (v4.4), 2753 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 534701 (v8) GeekBench: 3295 (v5.1) GFXBench: 39fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Sony Xperia 1
- Exceptional 120Hz OLED display
- Excellent build quality
- Unique 21:9 aspect ratio
- Good battery life
- Older processor
- No 5G connectivity
- Slower charging
- Camera lacks advanced features of 1 II
Sony Xperia 1 II
- Faster Snapdragon 865 processor
- Improved camera with Real-time Eye AF
- 5G connectivity
- Wireless charging
- Slightly better battery life
- Slightly lower peak brightness than Xperia 1
- Higher price
- Still uses USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 (limited transfer speeds)
Display Comparison
Both Xperia models boast stunning 6.5-inch OLED displays with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 21:9 aspect ratio, perfect for movies and gaming. The Xperia 1 achieves a slightly higher peak brightness of 665 nits compared to the 1 II's 611 nits, though the difference is minimal in real-world use. Both offer exceptional contrast ratios (infinite nominal). The 1 II does have slightly improved color accuracy.
Camera Comparison
The camera systems are a key differentiator. Both feature a triple-lens setup (12MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP telephoto). However, the Xperia 1 II introduces a new autofocus system with Real-time Eye AF, borrowed from Sony's Alpha cameras, resulting in significantly better subject tracking and sharper images, especially for portraits. The 1 II also offers more manual controls and professional video recording features. The 1's camera is still excellent, but the 1 II is a clear step up for serious photographers.
Performance
The Xperia 1 II's Snapdragon 865 is a significant upgrade over the Xperia 1's Snapdragon 855. The 865 offers improved CPU and GPU performance, making the 1 II noticeably faster for demanding tasks like gaming and video editing. The 1 II also benefits from 5G connectivity, which the original 1 lacks. Both phones handle everyday tasks with ease.
Battery Life
Both phones offer excellent battery life, with endurance ratings of 79h and 83h respectively. The Xperia 1 II's slightly larger battery and more efficient processor contribute to its marginally better longevity. Both support 18W wired charging, but the 1 II adds 11W wireless charging, a welcome addition.
Buying Guide
The Sony Xperia 1 is a great choice for users who prioritize a truly cinematic display experience and don't need the absolute latest processor. It's a solid option if you can find it at a significantly reduced price. The Xperia 1 II is ideal for photographers and videographers who want advanced camera controls, faster performance, and 5G connectivity. It's the better all-around flagship.