Sony Xperia 5 II vs. Google Pixel 5a 5G: A Deep Dive into Performance and Value
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing battery life and a consistently excellent camera experience, the Google Pixel 5a 5G is the better choice. Its 122-hour endurance rating significantly surpasses the Xperia 5 II’s 102 hours, and its image processing delivers reliably pleasing results. However, power users demanding raw performance will find the Xperia 5 II’s Snapdragon 865 more appealing.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Sony Xperia 5 II | Google Pixel 5a 5G |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 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, 48, 66 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 8, 28, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 2, 5, 12, 25, 28, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat18 1200/150 Mbps, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, September 17 | 2021, August 17 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, October 12 | Available. Released 2021, August 26 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame, aluminum back |
| Dimensions | 158 x 68 x 8 mm (6.22 x 2.68 x 0.31 in) | 156.2 x 73.2 x 8.8 mm (6.15 x 2.88 x 0.35 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + eSIM |
| Weight | 163 g (5.75 oz) | 183 g (6.46 oz) |
| IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2520 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~449 ppi density) | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~415 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 86.9 cm2 (~80.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.34 inches, 97.0 cm2 (~84.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020 | OLED, HDR |
| Triluminos display X-Reality Engine | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Prime & 1x2.2 GHz Kryo 475 Gold & 6x1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) | Qualcomm SM7250 Snapdragon 765G 5G (7 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Adreno 620 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 12 | Android 11, upgradable to Android 14 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 6GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | - | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 12.2 MP, f/1.7, 27mm, (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 16 MP, f/2.2, 119˚ (ultrawide), 1.0µm |
| Features | Zeiss optics, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking | LED flash, Pixel Shift, Auto-HDR, panorama |
| Single | - | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1.12µm |
| 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 | - |
| Video | 4K@24/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p, 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS |
| 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), 1.12µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| 35mm jack | Yes | Yes |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, aptX HD, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1 |
| 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, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 21W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min | 18W wired, PD2.0 |
| Type | Li-Ion 4000 mAh | Li-Po 4680 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Grey, Blue, Pink | Mostly Black |
| Models | SO-52A, XQ-AS52, XQ-AS62, XQ-AS72, A002SO, SOG02 | G1F8F, G4S1M |
| Price | About 650 EUR | $ 189.00 / C$ 249.99 |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 8GB RAM | $ 695.00 | - |
| RENEWED | £ 239.00 | - |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 102h | Endurance rating 122h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | - |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -28.3 LUFS (Average) | - |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 532655 (v8) GeekBench: 3301 (v5.1) GFXBench: 41fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 291303 (v8) GeekBench: 1337 (v5.1) GFXBench: 19fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Sony Xperia 5 II
- Superior processing power with Snapdragon 865
- Compact form factor for comfortable one-handed use
- Dedicated shutter button and 3.5mm headphone jack
- Significantly shorter battery life
- Higher price point
- Less consistent camera performance compared to Pixel
Google Pixel 5a 5G
- Exceptional battery life (122-hour endurance)
- Excellent camera with Google’s computational photography
- More affordable price
- Less powerful processor
- Larger form factor compared to Xperia 5 II
- Slower charging speed
Display Comparison
The Pixel 5a 5G boasts a significantly brighter display, reaching 861 nits compared to the Xperia 5 II’s 600 nits. This translates to superior visibility outdoors under direct sunlight. Both displays share an infinite (nominal) contrast ratio, but the brightness difference is a key differentiator. While the Xperia 5 II’s display is still perfectly usable, the Pixel 5a 5G offers a more comfortable viewing experience in bright environments. Neither display boasts high refresh rates, sticking to the standard 60Hz.
Camera Comparison
While both phones are capable cameras, they approach image processing differently. The Pixel 5a 5G leverages Google’s computational photography expertise, consistently delivering well-balanced images with excellent dynamic range, particularly in challenging lighting conditions. The Xperia 5 II offers more manual control and a dedicated shutter button, appealing to photography enthusiasts. However, detailed sensor information is missing for both devices, making a direct hardware comparison difficult. The Pixel 5a 5G’s strength lies in its software optimization, consistently producing reliable results without extensive user intervention.
Performance
The Xperia 5 II’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G chipset, built on a 7nm+ process, offers a substantial performance advantage over the Pixel 5a 5G’s Snapdragon 765G (7nm). The 865 features a more powerful CPU configuration – an octa-core setup with a prime Cortex-A77 core clocked at 2.84 GHz – compared to the 765G’s 2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Prime core. This difference is noticeable in demanding applications and gaming. However, the 765G is still a capable performer for everyday tasks and moderate gaming. The Xperia 5 II’s 8GB of RAM is standard for a flagship, while the Pixel 5a 5G’s RAM capacity isn’t explicitly stated, but is sufficient for its target use case.
Battery Life
The Pixel 5a 5G’s endurance rating of 122 hours significantly outpaces the Xperia 5 II’s 102 hours. This difference is primarily due to the more efficient Snapdragon 765G chipset and potentially software optimizations. While the Xperia 5 II supports faster 21W wired charging (50% in 30 minutes with PD3.0), the Pixel 5a 5G’s 18W charging (PD2.0) is adequate for its battery capacity. The Pixel 5a 5G prioritizes longevity, while the Xperia 5 II offers quicker top-ups.
Buying Guide
Buy the Sony Xperia 5 II if you need a compact flagship with top-tier processing power for demanding tasks like video editing or gaming, and value features like a dedicated shutter button and 3.5mm headphone jack. Buy the Google Pixel 5a 5G if you prefer exceptional battery life, a clean Android experience with guaranteed updates, and a consistently excellent camera that excels in low-light conditions, all at a more affordable price.