Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact vs iPhone 13 mini: A Compact Showdown
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The iPhone 13 mini offers a significantly faster processor, a brighter display, and a more modern camera system. While the XZ2 Compact boasts impressive battery endurance, the iPhone's overall performance and ecosystem advantages make it the clear winner for most users, despite its slightly shorter battery life.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact | Apple iPhone 13 mini |
| 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, 26, 28, 29, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2628, A2629, A2630 |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 Sub6/mmWave - A2628 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (4CA) Cat15 800/150 Mbps | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| - | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2629, A2630 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2018, February. Released 2018, April | 2021, September 14 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2021, September 24 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic back, aluminum frame | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 135 x 65 x 12.1 mm (5.31 x 2.56 x 0.48 in) | 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.7 mm (5.18 x 2.53 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 168 g (5.93 oz) | 141 g (4.97 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2160 pixels, 18:9 ratio (~483 ppi density) | 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~476 ppi density) |
| Size | 5.0 inches, 64.5 cm2 (~73.5% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.4 inches, 71.9 cm2 (~85.1% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IPS LCD, HDR BT.2020 | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Triluminos display X-Reality Engine | - | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (4x2.7 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) | Hexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 630 | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 8.0 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 10 | iOS 15, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only | No |
| Internal | 64GB 4GB RAM | 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM, 512GB 4GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.9", 1.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm |
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | 19 MP, f/2.0, 25mm (wide), 1/2.3", 1.22µm, predictive PDAF | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6" SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 1080p@30fps (gyro-EIS), 1080p@960fps | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | - | HDR |
| Single | 5 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/5.0" | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 1080p@30fps (gyro-EIS) | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 24-bit/192kHz audio | - | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, aptX HD, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| 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, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 18W wired, QC3 | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update |
| Type | Li-Ion 2870 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 2438 mAh (9.34 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Black, White Silver, Moss Green, Coral Pink | Starlight, Midnight, Blue, Pink, Red, Green |
| Models | H8324, H8314, SO-05K | A2628, A2481, A2626, A2629, A2630, iphone14,4 |
| Price | About 430 EUR | € 299.00 / $ 240.00 / £ 244.89 |
| SAR | - | 1.19 W/kg (head) 1.19 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.97 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -93.4dB / Crosstalk -92.7dB | - |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 88h | Endurance rating 75h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: 1315:1 (nominal), 3.765 (sunlight) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 66dB / Noise 73dB / Ring 83dB | -25.9 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 265326 (v7), 308651 (v8) GeekBench: 8487 (v4.4), 2174 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 772512 (v9) GeekBench: 4681 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact
- Exceptional battery life
- Compact and lightweight design
- Near-stock Android experience
- Good value for money (used)
- Water and dust resistance
- Outdated processor
- Lower screen brightness
- Less impressive camera
- Limited software updates
- Older design
Apple iPhone 13 mini
- Powerful A15 Bionic chip
- Excellent camera system
- Bright and vibrant display
- Premium build quality
- Seamless iOS ecosystem
- Fast charging (PD, MagSafe)
- Higher price
- Shorter battery life than XZ2 Compact
- Lightning port (not USB-C)
- Limited customization options compared to Android
Display Comparison
The iPhone 13 mini's display shines with a measured 831 nits of peak brightness, making it far more visible in direct sunlight compared to the XZ2 Compact. While the XZ2 Compact's contrast ratio is impressive (1315:1 nominal, 3.765 in sunlight), the iPhone's 'infinite' nominal contrast and superior brightness provide a noticeably better viewing experience. The iPhone also benefits from Apple's color accuracy and calibration.
Camera Comparison
The iPhone 13 mini's camera system is a clear upgrade. It offers improved image quality, better low-light performance, and advanced features like Cinematic mode. While the XZ2 Compact's camera is decent, it lacks the sophistication and computational photography capabilities of the iPhone. The iPhone's video recording is also superior.
Performance
The iPhone 13 mini's A15 Bionic chip utterly dominates the XZ2 Compact's Snapdragon 845. The A15 offers significantly faster processing speeds, smoother multitasking, and better graphics performance. The XZ2 Compact, while capable for its time, struggles to keep up with modern apps and games. The A15's efficiency also contributes to better overall power management despite the slightly lower endurance rating.
Battery Life
The XZ2 Compact initially held an edge with an 88h endurance rating, but real-world usage paints a different picture. The iPhone 13 mini, despite a lower endurance rating (75h), benefits from more efficient power management and optimized software. Both phones offer respectable battery life for their size, but the iPhone's charging speeds (PD2.0, MagSafe) provide a significant advantage.
Buying Guide
The Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact is ideal for users prioritizing exceptional battery life and a near-stock Android experience on a budget. The iPhone 13 mini is best suited for those deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem, seeking top-tier performance, a great camera, and a premium user experience, even in a smaller form factor.