Sony Xperia 1 II vs Samsung Galaxy S20: Not So Different as You Might Think

Sony kept their word and showed off not one, but two 5G phones this week: the Sony Xperia 1 II (Mark Two) and the Sony Xperia 10 II (Mark Two). The price puts it on the same level as the Samsung Galaxy S20, but how about the specs? Well, they’re not as disappointing as you might think!

Name-wise, they’re definitely a mouthful. If you think of the marketing and positioning for these devices, though, it kind of makes sense. Sony is finally seeing that their biggest strength doesn’t lie in the display or in the audio, but the camera. Although, there’s a lot of push on the audio side too. 

Their camera pedigree is well known, so borrowing Alpha camera features for phones isn’t a bad move. The flagship phone, Xperia 1 II has a triple camera on the back, with three 12MP Zeiss lenses and a ToF one. That’s not impressive at all, considering Samsung’s 108MP camera. But Sony tried to compensate in a different way – with a 1.7-inch sensor on the wide one. That’s the same as the sensor on Galaxy S20 Plus.

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And they’ve added 20fps burst mode which they’re saying it’s a mobile first. They’ve also added optical image stabilization and auto-focus 60 times per second. A bit extra, if you ask me – at least for casual users, but pretty exciting for photographers. 

Talking about pros, Sony also added a new Photo Pro app, besides the existing Cinema Pro. Open this app, and you’ll feel like you’re tuning your mirrorless camera, not your phone. The interface is that similar! 

Eye tracking is back and now works with animals, too, for photographers who take more pet portraits than humans’. And you can play with white balance, setting it just right for realistic pics. 

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How is the video recording? Better than decent.

Turns out, you can record 4K at 60 frames per second and 2K at 120 frames per second. Believe it or not, Galaxy S20 will only let you record 4K at 24 frames per second and 2K at up to 60 frames per second. And if you go for this Sony phone, you won’t need to worry about audio. The phone filters outdoor noise at capture and you can experience it in 360 Reality Audio. This means you’ll have the illusion of sound coming at you from all around you.  

Who can forget about the headphone jack guys? Stubborn ol’ Sony brought it back after giving it up last year. A move that made sense to me a couple of years ago but not in 2020. Now, the best headphone companies out there are making and selling wireless headphones that are just as good as their wired counterparts. Also, most Android phone makers – like Samsung – are throwing in earbuds, just for good measure.

Yes, some users might be nostalgic and unwilling to part with their wired headphones, but are there enough of them to matter? 

See the rest of specs and more on the Xperia 10 II, in the video above!