We have said before that the Galaxy S8 was the best smartphone on the market, but does the under-rated Xperia XZ Premium beat it?
Xperia XZ Premium vs Galaxy S8: Sure, Samsung’s Galaxy S8 is the best-selling device of the year with a little over 10 million units sold during the first two months. And, there is no denying the fact that Sony’s Xperia XZ Premium can never beat the Galaxy S flagship when it comes to sales. But, does the selling numbers determine the quality of a product? Well, you know the answer!
So, we compare the Xperia XZ Premium vs Galaxy S8 to check out which one of these mighty mobiles is the best for you!
Xperia XZ Premium vs Galaxy S8: Design
I’ll give it to the Galaxy S8, and you might probably know why! The Galaxy S8 features a gorgeous new look with a nearly bezel-less 5.8-inch (1440 x 2960p) Super AMOLED Infinity display curved along the longer sides. However, not many changes have been made to the rear when compared to its predecessor.
On the other hand, Sony has opted for an old-school design with huge bezels on the top and bottom of the display. That is so 2016, Sony! On the front, the phone packs a 5.46-inch screen with a resolution of 3840 x 2160p. One thing worth noting here is that the Xperia XZ Phone is the first and currently the only phone on the market to feature a 4K HDR display. Now we are talking about a technology used in Sony’s Bravia TVs. It’s worth saying here that Sony also has an exclusive partnership with Amazon for 4K HDR content.
To make things easier for you here, the display on the Xperia XZ Premium gives you a pixel density of 807ppi, while the Galaxy S8’s Infinity display manages to give 570ppi. Now that’s a plus one for the Xperia XZ Premium.
The build quality of both these phones are remarkably great with a mix of glass and metal. Also, both the phone comes with a fingerprint sensor onboard. Besides the fingerprint sensor, the Galaxy S8 also features an iris scanner, thus adding extra security backup to your device.
Xperia XZ Premium vs Galaxy S8: Specs
Ah, Snap! Things are getting difficult to judge here. Both the phones pack the latest and greatest hardware on the market coupled with the latest Android operating system. Speaking of which, both the phones come powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 835 processor, along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Also, they have a microSD card slot so you can expand storage up to 256GB.
But, the battery capacity is a bit larger on the Xperia XZ Premium, which is backed by a 3230 mAh battery. However, considering that XZ Premium has a 4K display to power, that amount of battery should be necessary. While the Galaxy S8 has a 3000 mAh battery packed inside to make it through the day. Both the devices can fetch you at least one day of battery life even after hours of using FaceBook or other social media and playing power-hungry games.
Xperia XZ Premium vs Galaxy S8: Camera
Now is where things are getting interesting! One of the things worth mentioning here is the amazing Ultra slow-mo feature on the Xperia XZ Premium. The camera on the XZP has the capability to shoot videos at 960 frames per second. If you are a fan of slow-mo videos, this is a feature you’ll surely fall in love with.
Moving on to the main part, the XZ Premium features a 19MP, f/2.0 shooter in the back, that also packs Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) functionality. Other features include predictive phase detection, laser autofocus, and an LED flash.
Moving on to the Galaxy S8, it comes with a slightly lower 12MP, f/1.7 sensor on the back, with features such as Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), LED Flash and predictive phase detection.
Needless to say, both phones do a wonderful job in taking shots both during the daytime where is too much of light around. However, the pictures taken using the Xperia XZ Premium looks a bit more natural compared to the Galaxy S8. Meanwhile, the colors on the picture look a bit oversaturated on the Galaxy S8.
However, low-light photography seems to work pretty well on both XZ Premium and Galaxy S8, although it’s slightly better on the latter. Plus, the absence of a wider aperture and optically stabilized lens on the Xperia is a bit of a letdown if you ask me!
New Update: Well, there is something you should know before you opt to buy the Xperia XZ Premium. One of the best features the phone is known to pack also appears to be its worst feature. Unfortunately, the high megapixel count on the camera sensor couldn’t save the device from a rather irritating distortion issue that’s been haunting the users for a while now.
The Anti-distortion feature of the new Motion Eye Camera on the XZ Premium was touted to be one of the best selling points about the device. But, the exact opposite notion of that is what exactly is happening to the pictures taken using the camera — the objects that should actually appear straight are getting distorted, thus, making it look severely warped throughout. In fact, the worst part is that Sony refused to initiate a solution to fix the issue while also referring to the distortion on the pictures to be a part of the feature. Weird indeed!
New update 25/10: With the new Android 8.0 Oreo update, Sony has finally fixed the camera distortion issue on the Xperia XZ Premium devices. You’ll find a new option – “Correct for image distortion” – under the camera settings, which on enabling, will fix the camera issues.
Xperia XZ Premium vs Galaxy S8: Price
A few days earlier, we’ve told you about a killer deal on the Galaxy S8 that can help you save you around $150, i.e, you can now grab a Galaxy S8 for just $574.99. Well, these killer deals are not exclusive for the S8, some are available for the XZ premium as well. This Amazon deal offers a $166 off on the original price of XZ Premium. So, you’re getting the device for just $634.
Xperia XZ Premium vs Galaxy S8: Conclusion
Make no mistake: Don’t fall for the beautiful Infinity display on the S8. Sure, the Galaxy S8 offers very cool design, but it has a greater disadvantage. Honestly speaking, I am not a big fan of this all-screen front design; you’re likely to crack the display even during accidental drops. That aside, the phone is solid and comes packed with all top-of-the-line specifications.
Xperia XZ Premium is indeed a great device and manages to stack pretty well against the Galaxy S8 with solid hardware and 4K display. So, if you don’t gimmick a bezel-less design, this device could work pretty well for you!
So, which of the two do you think is better? Share your thoughts in the commenting section below.
