Sony Xperia 5 III vs Samsung Galaxy S22 5G: The Ultimate Showdown

The smartphone market is brimming with options, making it tough to choose. Today, we pit two compelling contenders against each other: the Sony Xperia 5 III, known for its unique features and photography prowess, and the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G, a flagship powerhouse. Let's dive into a detailed comparison to help you decide which one deserves your money.
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🏆 Quick Verdict

The Galaxy S22 5G offers a brighter display, more modern design, and generally faster software updates. However, the Xperia 5 III boasts exceptional battery life and a more compact form factor, appealing to users prioritizing longevity and a smaller size. It's a close call, depending on your priorities.

PHONES
Phone Names Sony Xperia 5 III Samsung Galaxy S22 5G
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 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, 48, 66, 71 - USA1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International
5G bands1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - USA1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International
SpeedHSPA, LTE, 5GHSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G (5+ Gbps DL)
TechnologyGSM / HSPA / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - Asia1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 66, 71, 260, 261 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - USA
Launch
Announced2021, April 142022, February 09
StatusAvailable. Released 2021, October 08Available. Released 2022, February 25
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame
Dimensions157 x 68 x 8.2 mm (6.18 x 2.68 x 0.32 in)146 x 70.6 x 7.6 mm (5.75 x 2.78 x 0.30 in)
SIM· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIMNano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time)
Weight168 g (5.93 oz)167 g / 168 g (mmWave) (5.89 oz)
 IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min)IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) Armor aluminum frame with tougher drop and scratch resistance (advertised)
Display
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass 6Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+
Resolution1080 x 2520 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~449 ppi density)1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~425 ppi density)
Size6.1 inches, 86.9 cm2 (~81.4% screen-to-body ratio)6.1 inches, 90.1 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR BT.2020Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak)
 -Always-on display
Platform
CPUOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55)Octa-core (1x2.8 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A510) - EuropeOcta-core (1x3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) - ROW
ChipsetQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm)Exynos 2200 (4 nm) - EuropeQualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) - ROW
GPUAdreno 660Xclipse 920 - EuropeAdreno 730 - ROW
OSAndroid 11, upgradable to Android 13Android 12, up to 4 major Android upgrades, One UI 8
Memory
Card slotmicroSDXC (uses shared SIM slot)No
Internal128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM
 UFS 3.XUFS 3.1
Main Camera
FeaturesZeiss optics, Zeiss T* lens coating, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye trackingLED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Single8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4", 1.12µm10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, Dual Pixel PDAF
Triple12 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 PDAF50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 70mm (telephoto), 1/3.94", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55" 1.4µm, Super Steady video
Video4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDRHDR
Single8 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.24", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF
Video1080p@30fps, 5-axis gyro-EIS4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Sound
3.5mm jack YesNo
35mm jackYesNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
 24-bit/192kHz audio Dynamic vibration system32-bit/384kHz audio Tuned by AKG
Comms
Bluetooth5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive5.2, A2DP, LE
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSSGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 3.1, OTG, video outputUSB Type-C 3.2, OTG
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNAWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compassFingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
 Native Sony Alpha camera supportSamsung DeX, Samsung Wireless DeX (desktop experience support) Bixby natural language commands and dictation Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified)
Battery
ChargingWired, PD, 50% in 30 min25W wired, PD3.0 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
TypeLi-Po 4500 mAhLi-Ion 3700 mAh
Misc
ColorsBlack, Green, PinkPhantom Black, White, Pink Gold, Green, Graphite, Sky Blue, Violet, Cream, Bora Purple
ModelsXQBQ62/G, XQBQ52G.UKCX, XQBQ52B.UKCX, XQ-BQ52, XQ-BQ72, XQ-BQ42, XQ-BQ62, SO-53BSM-S901B, SM-S901B/DS, SM-S901U, SM-S901U1, SM-S901W, SM-S901N, SM-S9010, SM-S901E, SM-S901E/DS
Price€ 431.90 / £ 199.99$ 172.63 / C$ 304.00 / £ 186.11 / € 198.01
SAR-1.03 W/kg (head)     1.15 W/kg (body)
SAR EU-1.21 W/kg (head)     1.59 W/kg (body)
Tests
Battery life Endurance rating 100h Endurance rating 85h
Camera Photo / Video Photo / Video
Display Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker -26.7 LUFS (Good) -26.4 LUFS (Good)
Performance AnTuTu: 708394 (v9) GeekBench: 3549 (v5.1) GFXBench: 53fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) AnTuTu: 745496 (v8), 881428 (v9) GeekBench: 3682 (v5.1) GFXBench: 69fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Sony Xperia 5 III

  • Exceptional battery life
  • Compact and lightweight design
  • Dedicated shutter button and manual controls
  • Excellent audio quality

  • Less bright display
  • Older chipset
  • Less versatile camera system compared to S22

Samsung Galaxy S22 5G

  • Brighter and more vibrant display
  • Powerful performance
  • Versatile camera system
  • Sleek and modern design

  • Shorter battery life
  • Can get warm under heavy load
  • More expensive

Display Comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S22 5G takes a clear lead in the display department. Its measured peak brightness of 982 nits significantly outshines the Xperia 5 III's 590 nits, making it much easier to view outdoors. Both offer excellent contrast ratios (nominally infinite), but the S22's Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel provides richer colors and better overall visual quality. The Xperia 5 III's display is still good, but not in the same league.

Camera Comparison

The Xperia 5 III excels in photography with its manual controls and dedicated shutter button. It offers a more traditional photography experience. The Galaxy S22 5G boasts a more versatile camera system with improved low-light performance and computational photography capabilities. While both capture excellent images, the S22 5G's software processing often results in more vibrant and shareable photos straight out of the camera.

Performance

Both phones pack powerful processors. The Xperia 5 III utilizes the Snapdragon 888, while the Galaxy S22 5G features either the Exynos 2200 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (region dependent). While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 generally edges out the Exynos 2200 in sustained performance, both offer flagship-level speed for demanding tasks and gaming. The S22 5G's newer architecture might provide a slight advantage in efficiency, but real-world performance differences are often negligible.

Battery Life

The Xperia 5 III is the clear winner in battery life, boasting an impressive endurance rating of 100 hours. The Galaxy S22 5G manages 85 hours, which is still respectable but falls short. If battery longevity is a top priority, the Xperia 5 III is the better choice.

Buying Guide

The Sony Xperia 5 III is ideal for photography enthusiasts who appreciate manual controls, a compact design, and long battery life. The Samsung Galaxy S22 5G is perfect for those seeking a premium experience with a vibrant display, powerful performance, and a sleek design, even if it means sacrificing some battery endurance.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Which phone has better low-light camera performance?
The Samsung Galaxy S22 5G generally performs better in low-light conditions thanks to its improved sensor and software processing.
❓ Is the Xperia 5 III worth buying in 2024?
Yes, if you prioritize battery life, a compact design, and manual camera controls, the Xperia 5 III remains a compelling option, especially at a discounted price.