Sony's new flagship smartphone for 2013 is the Xperia Z, but how does it compare to the most popular Android smartphone of 2012, the Samsung Galaxy S3? We’ll explain all the differences in our Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Sony Xperia Z comparison review.
The Galaxy S3 has been around for quite a while now but until the Galaxy S4 arrives some time later this year to replace it this is the most relevant comparison between Samsung and Sony.
We had hands-on time with the Xperia Z at CES so this article focuses mainly on the specifications of each phone with comment where appropriate.
We'll be bringing you a full Xperia Z review as soon as we can but for now check out the following articles.
Sony Xperia Z release date, price and specs
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Sony Xperia Z: Price
Sony hasn't announced an official retail price for the Xperia Z although many online retailers have it pegged for about £520 SIM-free. Provided this price is correct, the Samsung's Galaxy S3 is the cheaper of the two since it sells for under £450 on a SIM-free basis.
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Sony Xperia Z: Design and build
Although the two smartphones have different screen sizes they are almost identical in their dimensions. Both are 71mm across and the Xperia Z is only 2mm taller at 139mm. Sony's handset is also the thinner of the two at 7.9mm compared to 8.6mm.
In terms of weight the Samsung Galaxy S3 is the lighter at 133g. The Xperia Z weighs 146g because it uses more glass in its design rather than plastic.
Which is more attractive is down to opinion but it's worth pointing out that the Xperia Z benefits from a dust and waterproof design (IP57 certified). After spending time with both handsets, it's the Xperia Z which has a better build quality.
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Sony Xperia Z: Screen
Samsung's Galaxy S3 has one of the biggest screens we've seen on a smartphone (ignoring the Galaxy Note) at 4.8in. Sony has opted for a larger 5in 'Reality Display' screen, the biggest it has ever put into a smartphone.
The Galaxy S3 has a resolution of 720 x 1280 but this is trumped by the 1080 x 1920 on offer from the Xperia Z. The Full HD means the highest pixel density we've seen on a smartphone of 441ppi making the Galaxy S3's 306ppi look quite paltry.
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Sony Xperia Z: Processor and memory
The core internal specification of the Samsung Galaxy S3 consists of a 1.4GHz Exynos 4 Quad, an own-brand quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM. The Xperia Z uses the same 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro found in the Google Nexus 4with 2GB of RAM.
The Galaxy S3 managed a respectable score of 1659 in GeekBench 2. Although we haven't been able to benchmark the Xperia Z yet since we only saw it at CES, we expect it to achieve a similar score to the Nexus 4 which scored 2009.
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Sony Xperia Z: Storage
Sony has only made the Xperia Z with 16GB of internal storage but Samsung offers much more flexibility. The Galaxy S3 comes in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models, matching the iPhone 5. Both handsets have a microSD card slot for expansion but the Samsung supports cards up to 64GB – twice the size that the Xperia Z supports.
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Sony Xperia Z: Cameras
At 8Mp, the Galaxy S3's camera was a pretty standard resolution for 2012 but if the Xperia Z is anything to go by then 13Mp is a new standard for this year. Both cameras have the ability to record video in full HD 1080p quality but Sony's Exmor RS sensor promises higher quality results.
The Sony Xperia Z also has a better quality front facing camera at 2.2Mp which can shoot 1080p video. The Galaxy S3's camera is restricted to 1.9Mp and 720p video.
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Sony Xperia Z: Connectivity
Connectivity features are on a par consisting of dual-band Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, near-field communications (NFC) and digital living network alliance (DLNA) certification. Neither have any physical ports beyond microUSB and headphone.
As standard the Xperia Z has 4G LTE connectivity and there is a 4G LTE specific model of the Galaxy S3.
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Sony Xperia Z: Software
The Xperia Z and Galaxy S3 are both Google's Android smartphones running version 4.1 Jelly Bean. There is a newer version of Android which the Galaxy S3 is waiting for and will be available for the Xperia Z after launch.
Android looks quite different between the smartphones since both vendors use their own interface overlay. Much like the looks of a phone, which overlay is better is mostly down to personal taste.
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Sony Xperia Z: Battery
With a 7.8Wh (2100mAh) removable battery we found the Galaxy S3 lasted a couple of days of general use. The Xperia Z has a larger 8.6Wh (2330mAh) but non-removable battery, but how long it can keep the phone going with its Full HD screen is yet to be seen.
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