Asus ROG Phone 3 vs. Sony Xperia 5 II: A Deep Dive into Gaming and Flagship Features
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing a balance of features and portability, the Sony Xperia 5 II is the better choice. However, dedicated mobile gamers will find the Asus ROG Phone 3’s superior battery life, faster charging, and gaming-centric features worth the trade-offs in size and subtlety.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Sony Xperia 5 II | Asus ROG Phone 3 |
| 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) / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 - A version |
| 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, 48, 66 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66, 71 - A version |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 8, 28, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 3, 5, 28, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - A version |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat18 1200/150 Mbps, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps, 5G 4.4 Gbps DL |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, September 17 | 2020, July 22. Released 2020, July 23 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, October 12 | Discontinued |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 158 x 68 x 8 mm (6.22 x 2.68 x 0.31 in) | 171 x 78 x 9.9 mm (6.73 x 3.07 x 0.39 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 163 g (5.75 oz) | 240 g (8.47 oz) |
| IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | - | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2520 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~449 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~391 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 86.9 cm2 (~80.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.59 inches, 106.6 cm2 (~79.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020 | AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+, 650 nits (typ) |
| Triluminos display X-Reality Engine | - | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x3.10 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G+ (7 nm+) |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Adreno 650 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 12 | Android 10, upgradable to Android 12, ROG UI |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Zeiss optics, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking | LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Triple | 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 | 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/1.73", 0.8µm, PDAF 13 MP, f/2.4, 11mm, 125˚ (ultrawide) 5 MP (macro) |
| Video | 4K@24/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p, 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@480fps; gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | Panorama, HDR |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm | 24 MP, f/2.0, 27mm (wide), 0.9µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with DTS:X stereo speakers (2 dedicated amplifiers) |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, aptX HD, LE | 5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1 (side), USB Type-C 2.0 (bottom), OTG, accessory connector |
| 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 |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 21W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min | 30W wired, PD3.0, QC4 10W reverse wired |
| Type | Li-Ion 4000 mAh | Li-Po 6000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Grey, Blue, Pink | Black Glare |
| Models | SO-52A, XQ-AS52, XQ-AS62, XQ-AS72, A002SO, SOG02 | ASUS_I003D, ZS661KS, I003DD, I003D |
| Price | About 650 EUR | About 650 EUR |
| SAR | - | 0.74 W/kg (head) 1.50 W/kg (body) |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 8GB RAM | $ 695.00 | - |
| RENEWED | £ 239.00 | - |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 102h | Endurance rating 120h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -28.3 LUFS (Average) | -23.1 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 532655 (v8) GeekBench: 3301 (v5.1) GFXBench: 41fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 621932 (v8) GeekBench: 13306 (v4.4), 3386 (v5.1) GFXBench: 48fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Sony Xperia 5 II
- Compact and pocketable design
- Excellent build quality and aesthetics
- Strong camera performance (likely)
- Lower peak display brightness
- 60Hz refresh rate display
- Slower charging speed
Asus ROG Phone 3
- Superior battery life
- Faster charging with Quick Charge 4
- Higher performance Snapdragon 865+ chipset
- Large and bulky design
- Aggressive gaming aesthetic
- Less pocketable
Display Comparison
The Asus ROG Phone 3 boasts a significantly brighter display at 719 nits compared to the Xperia 5 II’s 600 nits, offering improved visibility in direct sunlight. While both feature an 'Infinite' contrast ratio (typical for OLED panels), the ROG Phone 3’s 120Hz refresh rate provides a smoother gaming experience, a feature absent on the Xperia 5 II’s 60Hz panel. The ROG Phone 3’s larger 6.59-inch screen also provides a more immersive experience, while the Xperia 5 II’s 6.1-inch display prioritizes pocketability.
Camera Comparison
Both devices offer capable camera systems, but their approaches differ. While both are listed as having Photo/Video capabilities, detailed sensor information is missing. Given Sony’s expertise in camera technology, the Xperia 5 II likely prioritizes image quality and color accuracy, leveraging Sony’s image processing algorithms. The ROG Phone 3, while capable, likely focuses more on versatility and features geared towards content creation for social media. Without specific sensor details, it’s difficult to definitively declare a winner, but Sony’s brand reputation suggests a slight edge in overall image quality.
Performance
Both phones utilize the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G chipset, but the ROG Phone 3 steps up to the Snapdragon 865+ variant. This translates to a slightly higher CPU clock speed – 3.10 GHz on the ROG Phone 3 versus 2.84 GHz on the Xperia 5 II – offering a marginal performance boost in CPU-intensive tasks. Both share the same CPU core configuration (1x Cortex-A77 at higher clock, 3x Cortex-A77, 4x Cortex-A55). The ROG Phone 3’s larger size and more robust cooling system likely allow it to sustain peak performance for longer periods, mitigating thermal throttling during extended gaming sessions. Both devices feature 8GB of RAM, but the ROG Phone 3’s optimized software and hardware configuration are geared towards maximizing gaming performance.
Battery Life
The Asus ROG Phone 3 delivers a clear advantage in battery endurance, boasting a 120-hour rating compared to the Xperia 5 II’s 102-hour rating. This is likely due to a larger battery capacity (not specified in the data) and the ROG Phone 3’s more aggressive power management features. Furthermore, the ROG Phone 3 supports 30W wired charging with Quick Charge 4 and Power Delivery 3.0, significantly faster than the Xperia 5 II’s 21W charging. The ROG Phone 3 also offers 10W reverse wired charging, a feature absent on the Xperia 5 II.
Buying Guide
Buy the Sony Xperia 5 II if you need a premium smartphone that easily fits in one hand, prioritizes a balanced multimedia experience with a strong camera, and values a more understated design. Buy the Asus ROG Phone 3 if you prefer maximum gaming performance, require extended battery life for marathon sessions, and appreciate features like AirTriggers and a high refresh rate display, even if it means a larger, more aggressive aesthetic.