Phone comparisons: Samsung Galaxy S20 vs Sony Xperia 5 II

In this article we will

compare

the Samsung Galaxy S20 vs. Sony Xperia 5 II. Both of these phones are premium offerings from their respective companies. In some ways they are similar, but for the most part they are quite different. Both devices offer a premium build, which we'll talk about soon, and both offer high-end specs. Their specs are somewhat different, as are the design approaches here.

What's also significantly different in comparison is their software, which we'll also touch on briefly. Neither of these two phones is exactly affordable, but there are phones that are much more expensive. That said, we'll be comparing the two phones to through a number of sections. We will start by listing their specifications and then move on to design, display, performance, battery, camera and audio. Let's launch the Samsung

Galaxy S20

vs Sony Xperia 5 II comparison, shall we.

Specifications

Samsung Galaxy S20

Sony Xperia 5II

Screen size

6.2-inch WQHD+ Dynamic AMOLED display (120Hz)

6.1-inch FullHD+ OLED display (120Hz)

Screen resolution

3200x1440

2520x1080

SoCs

Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 / Exynos 990

Qualcomm Snapdragon 865

RAM

12 GB (LPDDR5)

8 GB

Storage room

128 GB; Expandable up to 1 TB

128GB/256GB;Expandable

Rear cameras

12MP (f/1.8 aperture, 79 degree angle lens) 64MP (f/2.0 aperture, 76 degree angle lens) 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 120 degree ultra-wide lens)

12MP (f/1.7 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS, 24mm lens) 12MP (f/2.4 aperture, 70mm telephoto, PDAF, 3x optical zoom, 1.0um pixel size) 12MP (f/2.2 aperture , 16mm ultra-wide lens, 124 -degree lens, Dual Pixel PDAF)

Front cameras

10MP (f/2.2 aperture, 80 degree angle lens)

8MP (f/2.0 aperture, 24mm lens, 1.12um pixel size)

Battery

4000mAh, non-removable, 25W fast battery charging, wireless fast charging, reverse charging

4000 mAh, non-removable, 21 W fast battery charging (USB-C PD)

Dimensions

152 x 68 x 7.9mm

158x68x8mm

Weight

164 grams

163 grams

Connectivity

5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi, USB Type-C

5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.1, WiFi, USB Type-C

Security

Integrated fingerprint scanner (ultrasound)

Fingerprint scanner on the side

Operating system

Android 10 One UI 2.0

Android 10

Price

$999

$949.99

To buy

Samsung

sony

Samsung Galaxy S20 vs. Sony Xperia 5 II: Design

The Galaxy S20 and the Xperia 5 II are both made of metal and glass. However, these two phones feel completely different in the hand. What they have in common, however, is the fact that they are quite slippery. It's something we're used to when it comes to glass smartphones, though. The Sony Xperia 5 II is taller than the Galaxy S20, but it's narrower. Both phones are roughly as thick, although the Galaxy S20 looks thinner due to its shape.

Advertisement

Return of the Samsung Galaxy S20

The Galaxy S20 is a little more curved on the back than the Xperia 5 II, that's for sure. The Galaxy S20 also comes with a slightly curved screen, while Sony decided to include a flat screen on the Xperia 5 II.Galaxy S20 has overall thinner bezels, but it includes a display camera hole.Xperia 5 II does not have a display camera hole or notch, but it has a display camera hole. above and below the screen.

Their rear camera modules are placed in roughly the same location, but these modules are different. Both camera modules protrude from the back, while each company's branding is also visible from the back. Both of these smartphones weigh Exactly the same weight, they both measure 163 grams. That means they're not exactly heavy, especially compared to the vast majority of phones. Both phones look really good, it's all a matter of personal preference.

Samsung Galaxy S20 vs Sony Xperia 5 II: Display

Both of these devices offer compelling displays, to say the least. Both feature high refresh rate OLED displays. The Galaxy S20 sports a 6.2-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display. This panel supports HDR10+ content and comes with a 120Hz refresh rate. The Sony Xperia 5 II, on the other hand, features a 6.1-inch fullHD+ OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. Hz.This display supports HDR BT.2020, and it is a Triluminos display.

Advertisement

Both of these screens are protected by Gorilla Glass 6, which is awesome. Both phones are considered compact, although they're not exactly small. They're small compared to the vast majority of phones these days, though sure, that's why most people call them compact. They are definitely great alternatives to their bigger siblings, the Galaxy S20 Ultra and Xperia 1 II. If you like both of these phones, but find them too big, the Galaxy S20 and Xperia 5 II are great alternatives, despite the fact that you'll have to deal with somewhat smaller screens.

Now, are these screens any good in general use? Yes, they are great, actually. You won't notice the difference in resolution between the two phones, as the displays on both are extremely crisp. The colors are vivid, punchy, while blacks are deep. Viewing angles on both phones are also excellent, and both screens are more than bright enough outdoors. We don't have any major complaints about these screens, they'll be more than enough for just about anyone. The 120Hz refresh rate only helps things, because you'll enjoy using these panels even more.

Samsung Galaxy S20 vs Sony Xperia 5 II: performance

As expected, both of these devices deliver great performance. Both are high-end phones, with high-end hardware, so any performance issues would indicate serious issues. Fortunately, that's not the case with the either device. Both can handle just about anything you throw at them. It doesn't matter if you're a casual user or you really like gaming on your smartphone, this will suffice.

Advertisement

Both phones can also do image and video editing along with a ton of other CPU-intensive tasks. Speaking of SoC, both devices are powered by Snapdragon 865 SoC. Qualcomm's most powerful right now, alongside its "Plus" variant. On top of that, both phones come with plenty of RAM and well-balanced software. Android 10, but are supposed to get Android 11 in the near future.

Their software offerings are quite different though. The Galaxy S20 comes with One UI 2.5, while the Xperia 5 II offers something much closer to stock Android, but not exactly. Both skins have improved a lot and are really so at the end of the day don't expect any performance issues here. Both phones are excellent in just about every aspect of performance.

Samsung Galaxy S20 vs Sony Xperia 5 II: Battery

Samsung Galaxy S20 and Sony Xperia 5 II are well equipped when it comes to battery. Both phones come with exactly the same battery capacity, 4000 mAh batteries. Their display sizes are almost the same even though the Galaxy S20 offers a higher resolution. Note that you still can't run a 120Hz refresh rate and QHD+ resolution at the same time on the Galaxy S20, bringing it down to par with the Xperia 5 II.

Advertisement

What about actual battery life? Well, both are pretty good in that regard. The Xperia 5 II seems to manage to deliver a bit more juice in most cases, but they're pretty similar. Most users should be able to break that 5.5-6 hour mark in a single day, unless you push this SoC a lot, of course. CPU-intensive tasks will mess things up. Both phones provide good battery life, not great, but good. Battery life will be different from user to user, of course.

Speaking of battery life, when it comes time to charge these devices, the Galaxy S20 has a slight edge. The phone supports 25W wired charging, in addition to 15W wireless charging, as well as charging reverse wireless charging.The Sony Xperia 5 II is limited to 21W wired charging and it only comes with an 18W charger.It does not support wireless charging or reverse wireless charging .

Samsung Galaxy S20 vs Sony Xperia 5 II: Cameras

Both of these phones are capable of taking great photos. Both include three cameras on the back and only one on the front. The sensors are not the same, but the camera types are. You will get a wide main camera , an ultra-wide camera, and a telephoto camera on the back of each device. Both phones capture highly detailed, color-rich images while there is ample light in a scene. Galaxy S20 images tend to to be a little more saturated, for better or for worse.

Advertisement

Samsung Galaxy S20 Camera

Now, in low light, both do a pretty good job, and it's a mix between them. They manage to recognize a lot of detail and pull it out of the shadows. Images also turn out to be well balanced. They can't compare to something like the Pixel 4a or 5 in low light, but they still do a really good job. Video recording is also excellent on both, and they can both record 4K video at 60 FPS. The Galaxy S20 can also rip 8K video at 24 FPS, but we wouldn't recommend that.

Samsung Galaxy S20 vs. Sony Xperia 5 II: Audio

There isn't much of a difference in audio quality as both phones deliver. Both have a set of stereo speakers included, and those speakers are quite loud. They're also quite crisp and distortion is barely noticeable, and only at the highest volumes. Vocals turn out quite high-pitched through them, while overall they're well-balanced. We don't have any major complaints here.

If you need a 3.5mm headphone jack, the Sony Xperia 5 II has it. Speaking of which, sound through a good pair of headphones is good on both phones. balanced across the spectrum. The vast majority of people will have no complaints here.

Advertisement