TechPhonesAndroid Phones3 reasons to buy a Sony Xperia over a Samsung Galaxy – and 2 not toSony Xperia and Samsung Galaxy Android phones are great devices, but there are some crucial differencesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
TechPhonesAndroid Phones3 reasons to buy a Sony Xperia over a Samsung Galaxy – and 2 not toSony Xperia and Samsung Galaxy Android phones are great devices, but there are some crucial differencesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Sony Xperia and Samsung Galaxy Android phones are great devices, but there are some crucial differences
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Basil Kronfli / T3)
(Image credit: Basil Kronfli / T3)
When it comes to thebest Android phones, you’ll always find one of thebest Samsung Galaxy phonesat or near the very top of the list. Quite right too: the Galaxy phones have a great track record of mixing style and substance to make some of thebest phonesfor most people.
But what if you’re not most people?
I think the phone market is very like the market for thebest TVs: some firms make lots of brilliant all-rounders, but some focus on things that their rivals don’t – and if those things are important to you, then the best TV for you isn’t necessarily the one that everybody else will go for. And in phones, I think the firm that focuses on different things is oftenSony.
I’ve been a fan of Sony’s phones since before theiPhonewas a twinkle in Steve Jobs' eye, and today’sXperia phonesare genuinely great devices. In some respects they beat the equivalent Samsungs hands-down, but there are also two areas in particular where Samsung does it better. So here’s my honest take on the three things Xperia phones do better than Samsung, and the two things they really don’t.
(Image credit: Basil Kronfli / T3)
(Image credit: Basil Kronfli / T3)
Three reasons to pick a Sony Xperia over a Samsung Galaxy
- Photography for the pros
If you’re serious about photography, a flagship Xperia is a better cameraphone. The Samsungs are brilliant, but they also lean heavily on AI processing – and that’s fine if you just want a really great point and shoot. But if you’re more of a pro photographer you don’t want your phone making decisions for you; that’s your job, and you want a phone that gives you access to the controls you want so that you can decide how you want to shoot the person, object or scene. If you’d like to see more, we’ve put together aSony Xperia 1 IV vs Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra camera comparisonto give you all the knowledge you need.
- Serious sound quality
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We’re talking about the inventor of the Walkman here. Of course Xperias take sound more seriously. TheSony Xperia 1 IVhas a headphone jack – a headphone jack! – for full quality when you’re listening to high-res audio that no Bluetooth codec can handle, and it also has its own LDAC for high quality audio streaming. The speakers are pretty great too but this is a phone best suited to thebest headphones, whether wireless or wired.
- Movie magic
Sony’s displays are brilliant, quite literally: the latest Xperia 1 IV is 50% brighter than its predecessor, delivering great contrast and detail across its very wide 21:9 display. There’s a great Creator Mode that keeps things cinematic rather than overly processed, and the motion processing is spectacular. If you like to watch video on your phone, this is one of the very best phones to have.
(Image credit: Samsung)
(Image credit: Samsung)
Two reasons to choose a Samsung Galaxy instead of a Sony Xperia
Sadly sometimes every silver lining has a cloud, and the undeniable brilliance of the Xperias also comes with a couple of significant setbacks. For me, these are the two biggies.
Sonys are hot, and not in a sexy way
Sonys are more expensive
The Xperia 1 IV is £1,299 in the UK; the bestSamsung Galaxyphone, theSamsungGalaxy S22 Ultra, is £1,149. In the US, the Sony is even more expensive because there are fewer configurations, so it starts at $1,599; the S22 Ultra starts at $1,199. That means if you want the Sony’s superior camera controls, audio and display, you’re going to have to pay quite a lot more for it.
Today’s best Sony Xperia 1 IV deals$1,598View$1,598ViewWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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