Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium vs Xperia 1 II: A Clash of Flagships
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🏆 Quick Verdict
The Xperia 1 II edges out the XZ2 Premium thanks to its newer Snapdragon 865 chipset, improved camera capabilities, and slightly better battery life. While the XZ2 Premium boasts incredible sunlight readability, the 1 II’s overall package makes it the more compelling choice for most users.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium | Sony Xperia 1 II |
| 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, 26, 28, 29, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 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 |
| 5G bands | - | 1, 3, 28, 77, 78 NSA/Sub6 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat18 1200/200 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (6CA) Cat19 1600/150 Mbps, 5G (2+ Gbps DL) |
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE | GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2018, April. Released 2018, July | 2020, February 24 |
| Status | Discontinued | Available. Released 2020, May 22 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 158 x 80 x 11.9 mm (6.22 x 3.15 x 0.47 in) | 165.1 x 71.1 x 7.6 mm (6.5 x 2.80 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 236 g (8.32 oz) | 181.4 g (6.38 oz) |
| IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass 6 |
| Resolution | 3840 x 2160 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~765 ppi density) | 1644 x 3840 pixels, 21:9 ratio (~643 ppi density) |
| Size | 5.8 inches, 91.5 cm2 (~72.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.5 inches, 98.6 cm2 (~84.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IPS LCD, HDR10 | OLED, 1B colors, HDR BT.2020 |
| Runs at 1080 x 1920 pixels except for select use cases Triluminos display X-Reality Engine | Runs at 1096 x 2560 pixels except for select use cases | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (4x2.7 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4x1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 (10 nm) | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) |
| GPU | Adreno 630 | Adreno 650 |
| OS | Android 8.0 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 10 | Android 10, upgradable to Android 12 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) - dual SIM model only | microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 64GB 6GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 | UFS 3.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | 19 MP, f/1.8, 25mm (wide), 1/2.3", 1.22µm, predictive PDAF 12 MP B/W, f/1.6, 1/2.3", 1.55µm, predictive PDAF | - |
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR | Zeiss optics, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR, eye tracking |
| 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 0.3 MP, TOF 3D, (depth) |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps (5-axis gyro-EIS), 1080p@960fps, HDR | 4K@24/25/30/60/120fps HDR, 1080p@30/60/120fps; 5-axis gyro-EIS, OIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | - | HDR |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), 1/3.1", 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 | No | Yes |
| 35mm jack | No | 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 | 5.0, A2DP, aptX HD, LE | 5.1, A2DP, aptX HD, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG |
| 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, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 18W wired, QC3 Wireless (Qi) | 21W wired, PD 11W wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 3540 mAh, non-removable | Li-Po 4000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Chrome Black, Chrome Silver | Black, Purple, Mirror Lake Green |
| Models | H8166, H8116, SOV38 | XQ-AT51, XQ-AT52, SOG01, XQ-AT42 |
| Price | About 460 EUR | About 700 EUR |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Audio quality | Noise -91.0dB / Crosstalk -87.6dB | - |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 77h | Endurance rating 83h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: 1411:1 (nominal), 2.867 (sunlight) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | Voice 68dB / Noise 73dB / Ring 73dB | -27.3 LUFS (Good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 264734 (v7), 288101 (v8) GeekBench: 8509 (v4.4), 2099 (v5.1) GFXBench: 37fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 534701 (v8) GeekBench: 3295 (v5.1) GFXBench: 39fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
- Exceptional sunlight display readability
- Compact and premium design
- Powerful Snapdragon 845 chipset (for its time)
- Good audio quality
- Older chipset and technology
- Camera lacks versatility compared to newer phones
- Slower charging speed
- Design can feel dated
Sony Xperia 1 II
- Modern Snapdragon 865 chipset with 5G
- Versatile triple-lens camera system
- Bright and vibrant display
- 21:9 aspect ratio ideal for content creation
- Faster charging
- Larger size may not suit everyone
- Price point can be high
- Some users may find the UI less intuitive than other Android skins
Display Comparison
The XZ2 Premium's display shines in direct sunlight with a remarkable 2867:1 contrast ratio. However, the Xperia 1 II features a brighter 611 nits display and an 'infinite' contrast ratio (likely a marketing term, but indicative of excellent black levels). The 1 II also has a wider aspect ratio (21:9) which is great for cinematic content. While both are OLED, the 1 II's overall display experience is more modern.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable cameras, but the Xperia 1 II takes the lead. It features a triple-lens setup with more versatile focal lengths (ultra-wide, wide, telephoto) and improved image processing. The 1 II also benefits from a dedicated Real-time Eye AF feature and more advanced video recording capabilities. While the XZ2 Premium's camera is still good, the 1 II offers a more comprehensive and modern photography experience.
Performance
The Xperia 1 II's Snapdragon 865 is a significant upgrade over the XZ2 Premium's Snapdragon 845. The 865 offers improved CPU and GPU performance, 5G connectivity, and better power efficiency. Expect smoother multitasking, faster app loading times, and enhanced gaming performance on the 1 II. The Cortex-A77 cores in the 1 II are a substantial leap over the Kryo 385 cores in the XZ2 Premium.
Battery Life
Both phones have an endurance rating of 77h/83h respectively, suggesting similar real-world battery performance. However, the Xperia 1 II's more efficient Snapdragon 865 chipset likely contributes to slightly better longevity, especially with heavy usage. The 1 II also supports faster charging speeds (21W vs 18W).
Buying Guide
The Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium is a good choice for users prioritizing exceptional sunlight display performance and a compact form factor, especially if found at a significantly reduced price. The Sony Xperia 1 II is ideal for photography enthusiasts, content creators, and those seeking a modern flagship experience with 5G connectivity and a superior processor.