Samsung Galaxy S7 vs Sony Xperia XZ: Battle of the Android Flagships; Which Premium Smartphone is Better? Specs and Features Compared
Disregarding the recall fiasco of the Galaxy Note 7, Samsung has no doubt released some of its best smartphones to date this year. However, Sony is trying to catch up in the smartphone arena with the release of their premium devices. Today, we compare the two companies' flagships, the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Sony Xperia XZ.
Display and Body
Perhaps the most iconic and promising feature of the Samsung smartphone lineup is their display. The Super AMOLED technology ensures deep blacks and vivid color saturations in the screen. The Galaxy S7 sports a 5.1-inch display that has Quad-HD 1440 x 2560 resolution.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The Sony Xperia XZ, however, packs an IPS LCD screen with a 5.2-inch glass. It has a lower screen resolution of full HD at 1080 x 1920 pixels. It is infused with Sony's Triluminos display technology and an X-Reality engine that boosts the overall display quality of the device.
Both devices are protected by Gorilla Glass, with the Galaxy S7 sporting the 4th model and the Xperia XZ with an unspecified version. The Samsung smartphone, much like its predecessors, is covered with premium glass both at the front and back. The Xperia XZ, however, has a tough aluminum chassis. Both phones have IP68 certification for water resistance and dustproofing.
Performance and Hardware
Being the flagship smartphones of their respective lineups, both the Galaxy S7 and Xperia XZ sport nothing, but the highest end specifications. They are both powered by the latest Snapdragon 820 chipset for the most optimal performance. This is coupled with the Adreno 530 GPU for a smooth graphic operation.
For the memory, the Galaxy S7 touts 4GB of RAM coupled with either 32GB or 64GB of internal memory. The Xperia XZ then offers a smaller, but very capable RAM capacity of 3GB with similar internal memory options. Both have expandable storage of up to 256GB via a microSD.
With the headphone jack getting axed in some of the more recent smartphones, it is satisfying to see both of these devices to still come with it. The Galaxy S7 also has a home button fingerprint scanner. However, the Xperia XZ models coming to the US is stripped off this security feature.
Camera and Battery
These two smartphones arguably have the best Android cameras in the market right now. The Galaxy S7 comes with a 12MP rear camera with f/1.7 aperture and a host of autofocusing and stabilizing features. Same goes with the Xperia XZ with a 23MP rear sensor and an f/2.0 aperture. The selfie snapper of the Galaxy S7 is a 5MP sensor with the same aperture as its back sibling. The one on the Xperia XZ then ups the ante with 13MP for the front lens, also sporting an f/2.0 aperture.
The battery size of the Galaxy S7 is a 3000 mAh one, while the Xperia XZ has a slightly smaller 2900 mAh battery pack. Coupled with battery saving features and an efficient Android 6.0 Marshmallow software, these devices can last an entire day of usage.
Price
The base model of the unlocked Samsung Galaxy S7 starts at $670. The Xperia XZ costs a little steeper at $700. However, factoring in all the premium specifications and value for the buck, both of these devices are definitely worth getting.
