While the press and media has been abuzz with comparisons between Samsung and Apple and how each company is trying to outsmart and outmarket each other, Sony has been quietly building up its smartphone profile. Its recent launch, the Xperia Z may not have as much attention as the Samsung Galaxy S4, but analysts have estimated that the Xperia Z has sold as many as 4.6 million units in 40 days since its launch. Today, we take a look at the flagship models of both Samsung and Sony and see how they stack up against each other.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Versus Sony Xperia Z
The soon-to-be-released Galaxy S4 comes from Samsung’s long and popular line of Galaxy S devices. It’s star features lie in its software capabilities, offering never before seen features such as Air Gestures, Smart Scroll, and Group Play. The Sony Xperia Z matches much of the Galaxy S4’s hardware components but boasts additionally of being dust-proof and waterproof. So, if you have to choose between a Galaxy S4 and an Xperia device, what would be a better choice? I hope this comparative list will help you decide.
Design
The Galaxy S4 is slightly rounded with an all plastic body coated with a smooth glazed finish. It’s a design that’s worked well for the Galaxy S3 and Samsung has preferred to retain its winning formula for the S4 as well. The Sony Xperia Z has an angular body with a premium metallic black chassis with a smooth glass panel. The Xperia Z is water resistant, made possible by a non removable back cover. The downside to it of course, is that the battery itself becomes non removable and this may not go down well with a lot of users. Positives for the Xperia Z include a premium finish, water-resistant body. Negatives: Non removable back cover. Positives for the Galaxy S4 include a removable back cover and negatives, a not-so classy look and feel.
Size and Display
Both devices feature a 5 inch screen, but the Galaxy S4 is slightly smaller at 69.8 x 136.6mm as against 71 x 139mm of the Xperia Z. Because of its plastic body, the Galaxy S4 is a tad lighter than the Xperia at 130g compared to 145g. Since both phones have a 5 inch display, and a resolution of 1080×1920, the only difference lies in the fact that the Galaxy S4 uses Super AMOLED technology, whereas the Xperia Z goes for LCD.
Verdict: There really isn’t much to choose between the two when it comes to size but the Super AMOLED display makes the Galaxy S4 display way better than the former, especially when it comes to outdoor performance.
Processors
Although the Galaxy S4 is expected to feature a 8 core processor, there are many indications that the US and the UK will only get a 1.9GHz quad-core processor which lines it up much along what the Xperia Z has: a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor. Both devices will have a 2GB of RAM. Performance wise, the Galaxy S4 is expected to beat the Xperia Z.
Storage
The Galaxy S4 comes in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB variants while only a 16GB model will be available for Xperia Z fans. Both devices offer a microSD card slot for expansion up to 64GB.
Camera and Features
Well, well, what do you know. Both the Galaxy S4 and the Xperia Z offer a 13MP rear camera and a 2 MP front camera. Features of the Xperia camera include a default Superior Auto Mode, Face Detection, Burst, Geo-Tagging, Sweep Panorama, Touch Capture, HDR mode, Smile Shutter, HDR for video recording. The Galaxy S4 camera features much of what the Xperia Z has along Drama, Beauty Face, dual camera recording and the option to record 5 seconds of audio before screen capture.
Verdict: Very little to choose between the two but the Galaxy S4 gets an advantage over the Xperia Z on account of its advanced shooting capabilities and image quality.
Battery
The Sony Xperia Z features a 2330mAh non-removable battery while the Galaxy S4 has a 2600mAh battery.
Advantage the Galaxy S4: various test indicate that the Galaxy S4 battery will beat the Xperia’s by a mile in terms of efficiency.
Operating System and UI
The Xperia Z only comes with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean while the Galaxy S4 runs Android 4.2. The Galaxy S4 beats the Xperia Z here too, because of Samsung’s TouchWiz interface offering exclusive features such as Air View, Air Gestures, and S Voice among others.
Video Capabilities
Since both devices sport a big screen that will make multimedia play enjoyable, it was only a matter of getting its codecs right. The Xperia Z doesn’t support AC3 codecs but the video player is powerful with loads of good features. Alas, no option to view subtitles. The video capabilities of the Galaxy S4 are also powerful but includes AC3 codec support and options to view subtitles.
Summary
The Samsung Galaxy S4 touts impressive features and is easily the superior of the two devices. If you are in the market for a good looking phone, one that’s water resistant, and one that’s not a Samsung, Apple, or HTC product, the Xperia Z will be a good option. If you are looking for better functionality and features, at the cost of looking cheap, the Galaxy S4 may be a better choice. Just remember both phones are flagship models of their respective companies and both are expected to sell in millions. Since price won’t be a consideration, think about what feature or functionality you want in your smartphone before making your move.
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