Sony Xperia 5 II vs Xperia 1 III: Which Compact Flagship Reigns Supreme?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Sony Xperia 5 II remains the more sensible choice. While the Xperia 1 III boasts a newer Snapdragon 888 and slightly brighter display, the 5 II’s superior battery endurance (102h vs 82h) and lower price ($695 vs unknown) make it the more practical flagship for daily use. The performance gains of the 1 III aren't substantial enough to justify the price premium for the average user.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Sony Xperia 5 II | Sony Xperia 1 III |
| 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, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 48, 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 - Europe |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 8, 28, 77, 78 SA/NSA | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Europe |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat18 1200/150 Mbps, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| - | SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA (specific) | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, September 17 | 2021, April 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, October 12 | Available. Released 2021, August 25 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 158 x 68 x 8 mm (6.22 x 2.68 x 0.31 in) | 165 x 71 x 8.2 mm (6.50 x 2.80 x 0.32 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 163 g (5.75 oz) | 186 g / 187.1 g (mmWave) (6.56 oz) |
| IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2520 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~449 ppi density) | 1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 86.9 cm2 (~80.9% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~84.2% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020 | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020 |
| Triluminos display X-Reality Engine | Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use cases | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 650 | Adreno 660 |
| OS | Android 10, upgradable to Android 12 | Android 11, upgradable to Android 13 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM | 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.0 | UFS 3.X | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Zeiss optics, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking | Zeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking |
| Single | - | 8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4", 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 | 12 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.8µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.3, 70mm (telephoto), f/2.8, 105mm (telephoto), 1/2.9", dual pixel PDAF, 3x/4.4x optical zoom, OIS 12 MP, f/2.2, 124˚, 16mm (ultrawide), 1/2.6", dual pixel PDAF 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, (depth) |
| Video | 4K@24/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p, 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS | 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 | Yes | Yes |
| 35mm jack | Yes | 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 | 5.1, A2DP, aptX HD, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, video output |
| 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, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass |
| - | Native Sony Alpha camera support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 21W wired, PD3.0, 50% in 30 min | 30W wired, PD, 50% in 30 min Wireless Reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 4000 mAh | Li-Po 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, Grey, Blue, Pink | Frosted Black, Frosted Gray, Frosted Purple |
| Models | SO-52A, XQ-AS52, XQ-AS62, XQ-AS72, A002SO, SOG02 | XQBC62/V, XQBC52V.UKCX, SO-51B, SOG03, A101SO, XQ-BC62, XQ-BC72, XQ-BC52, XQ-BC01, XQ-BC11, XQ-BC21, XQ-BC72 |
| Price | About 650 EUR | € 505.26 / $ 903.43 |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 8GB RAM | $ 695.00 | - |
| RENEWED | £ 239.00 | - |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 102h | Endurance rating 82h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -28.3 LUFS (Average) | -26.5 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 532655 (v8) GeekBench: 3301 (v5.1) GFXBench: 41fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 607423 (v8) GeekBench: 3515 (v5.1) GFXBench: 54fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Sony Xperia 5 II
- Superior battery life (102h endurance)
- More affordable price ($695)
- Less prone to thermal throttling
- Older Snapdragon 865 chipset
- Slower charging speed (21W)
- Lacks wireless charging
Sony Xperia 1 III
- More powerful Snapdragon 888 chipset
- Slightly brighter display (620 nits)
- Wireless and reverse wireless charging
- Significantly shorter battery life (82h endurance)
- Higher price (unknown)
- Potential for thermal throttling
Display Comparison
Both the Xperia 5 II and 1 III feature 'infinite' contrast ratio displays, typical of OLED technology. However, the Xperia 1 III edges out the 5 II with a peak brightness of 620 nits compared to the 5 II’s 600 nits. While a 20-nit difference isn’t dramatically noticeable in everyday use, it could provide a slight advantage in direct sunlight. Both phones lack high refresh rate displays, a notable omission for a flagship in this price range. The lack of LTPO technology means neither display dynamically adjusts refresh rates to conserve battery.
Camera Comparison
Both phones share a similar camera philosophy, focusing on photo and video capabilities. Detailed sensor information is missing, but the core processing capabilities differ due to the newer ISP in the Snapdragon 888. The 1 III likely benefits from improved noise reduction and dynamic range. The absence of detailed sensor specs makes a direct comparison difficult, but the 1 III’s newer processor provides a computational photography advantage. Both phones offer versatile video recording options, a hallmark of the Xperia line.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipset: the Xperia 5 II utilizes the Snapdragon 865 5G (7nm+), while the 1 III features the Snapdragon 888 5G (5nm). The 888’s 5nm process offers improved power efficiency and a more powerful CPU core – a Cortex-X1 versus the 5 II’s Cortex-A77. This translates to slightly faster application loading and smoother multitasking on the 1 III. However, the Snapdragon 888 is known for thermal throttling under sustained load, a potential issue the 5 II’s older, less powerful chip avoids. Both devices feature 8GB of RAM, but the 1 III benefits from the architectural improvements of the Snapdragon 888’s memory controller.
Battery Life
The Xperia 5 II boasts a significantly better endurance rating of 102 hours compared to the 1 III’s 82 hours. This is despite the 1 III having faster 30W wired charging (versus 21W on the 5 II), both achieving 50% charge in 30 minutes. The 1 III also adds wireless and reverse wireless charging, features absent on the 5 II. However, the 5 II’s superior endurance suggests more efficient power management, likely due to the less power-hungry Snapdragon 865 and potentially a more optimized software experience.
Buying Guide
Buy the Sony Xperia 5 II if you prioritize all-day battery life, value for money, and a comfortable, pocketable form factor. It’s ideal for users who want a premium experience without breaking the bank. Buy the Sony Xperia 1 III if you demand the latest processor for demanding tasks, appreciate a marginally brighter display, and are willing to pay a premium for the incremental performance improvements and wireless charging capabilities.