Sony and Samsung went head-to-head at MWC 2014 yesterday, with both companies announcing their new flagship handsets. The Sony Xperia Z2 has improved on the Xperia Z1 in a number of ways including a slightly bigger and better display, faster chipset, more RAM, higher battery capacity and stereo speakers. The beautiful OmniBalance design remains, with its aluminium frame and glass panels. However, some will criticise the Xperia Z2 on its size and weight.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 improves on last year’s model by adding water resistance (IP67) and features such as a finger and heart sensor. It also adds a more powerful chipset, a marginally bigger display, higher MP camera sensor and battery capacity. The design remains the same as last year, along with the use of plastic throughout.
The reaction to the Galaxy Samsung S5 has been mixed, probably not a surprise given the high expectations. For once, it looks like the Xperia Z2 has a good chance to take some of the mind share from the Galaxy flagship, especially when you consider the Z2’s overall design package, higher RAM and battery capacity and let’s not forget those stereo speakers.
However, you would still expect Samsung to market the S5 extensively and it will still sell bucket loads. After all, we’re sure some people will find the heart/finger sensor useful.
Anyway, with both handsets carrying a premium price north of €500 in Europe, consumers will have a choice to make when they launch in 4-6 weeks time. You can see the specifications of both flagships compared below to get a sense of how they differ. Are any readers swayed by what the Galaxy S5 has to offer? If not, why not? We’d love to hear your thoughts below.
Specifications comparison: Xperia Z2 versus the Samsung Galaxy S5
| Phone | Xperia Z2 | Samsung Galaxy S5 |
|---|---|---|
| Display size (inches) | 5.2-inch IPS with Live Colour LED | 5.1-inch Super AMOLED |
| Screen Resolution | 1080 x 1920 | 1080 x 1920 |
| PPI | 424 | 432 |
| Construction | Glass with metal frame | Plastic |
| Water Resistant | Yes (IP55/IP58) | Yes (IP67) |
| Infrared (IR Remote) | No | Yes |
| Chipset | Qualcomm MSM8974-AB | Qualcomm MSM8974-AC |
| Processor | 2.3GHz Quad-core | 2.5GHz Quad-core |
| GPU | Adreno 330 | Adreno 330 |
| RAM | 3GB | 2GB |
| Android version | 4.4.2 | 4.4.2 |
| Storage | 16GB | 16GB/32GB |
| Expandable storage | Yes | Yes |
| Size (mm) | 146.8 x 73.3 x 8.2 | 142.0 x 72.5 x 8.1mm |
| Weight (g) | 163 | 145 |
| Colours | Black, Purple, White | Charcoal Black, Shimmery White, Electric Blue, Copper Gold |
| Rear Camera sensor | 20.7MP Exmor RS | 16MP |
| LED Flash | Yes | Yes (dual-LED) |
| HDR | Yes (photo/video) | Yes (photo/video) |
| Video Recording | 4K2K | UHD@30fps |
| Front camera sensor | 2.2 MP | 2.0MP |
| Dedicated camera button | Yes | No |
| Other camera features | 4K video, Timeshift video, Movie Creator | Worlds fastest autofocus speed up to 0.3 seconds, Selective Focus, Virtual Tour Shot |
| Battery capacity (min) | 3200 | 2800 |
| Sealed Battery | Yes | No |
| Other features | Stereo speakers; Noise cancelling; Lifelog; USB 2.0 | Ultra Power Saving Mode, Download Booster, S Health 3.0, Quick Connect, Private Mode, Kids Mode; USB 3.0 |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Ambient light, Barometer, Game rotation vector, Geomagnetic rotation vector, Gyroscope, Magnetometer, Step counter, Step detector, Significant motion detector, Proximity | Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, Hall, RGB ambient light, Gesture(IR), Finger Scanner, Heart rate sensor |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.0 (aptX) | Bluetooth 4.0 BLE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| PlayStation Certified | Yes | No |
Video via Btekt.
