Launched in the second half of 2018, the Xperia XZ3 seems to be positioning itself as a natural competitor to the Galaxy S9 in terms of both design and performance. The two smartphones share many strengths, but there are some points of differentiation between the two that might make you switch to one or the other. So let’s take a closer look.
Sony Xperia XZ3 and Galaxy S9: technical sheet
Both smartphones are equipped with two SoCs of the same generation carved at 10 nm: Snapdragon 845 for Xperia XZ3 and Exynos 9810 for the European version of Galaxy S9. With 4 GB of RAM each, they are no different on this basis. However, there is a variation in terms of internal memory, with 64 or 128GB options for the Sony and 64 or 256GB for the S9. The first city, on the other hand, can manage 512GB of storage via microSD, versus 400GB for the S9.
On the battery capacity side, we stay light on both sides: 3000 mAh for the Galaxy S9, 3300 mAh for the Xperia Xz3. Good point for the latter, a release directly under Android 9 Pie, the latest version of Google’s operating system. As for the Galaxy S9, the Android Pie update should be deployed in December 2019. From a technical page standpoint, deciding between the two devices is not easy. The Xperia XZ3 ultimately benefits little from its launch 6 months later.
| Sony Xperia XZ3 specifications | Galaxy S9 spec sheet | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 153 x 72 x 10.1mm | 147.6 x 68.7 x 8.5mm |
| Weight | 183g | 163g |
| Screen | 6″ OLED 18:9 | 5.8″ AMOLED Infinity Display 18.5:9 |
| Definition | 1440x 2880 pixels | 1440 x 2960 pixels |
| photo / video | Rear: 19MP f/1.6 Front: 13MP f/1.9 |
Rear: 12 MP f/1.5 – f/2.4 Front: 8MP, f/1.6 |
| BONE | Android 9.0 Pie | Android 8.0 Oreo |
| internal memory | 64/128GB | 64/128/256GB |
| Micro SD | Yes, up to 512GB | Yes, up to 400GB |
| connection | WiFi Miracast, Bluetooth 5.0, DNLA Certified, Google Cast | Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual band, WiFi Direct, hotspot |
| NFC | Yup | Yup |
| SoCs | Snapdragon 845 | Exynos 9810 |
| data store | 4GB | 4GB |
| Fingerprint sensor / face recognition | Yup | Yup |
| water resistance | Yup | IP68 |
| battery | 3300mAh | 3000mAh |
| charging port | USB Type-C (v3.1) | USB 3.1 Type-C |
| Fast charging | Quick Charge 3.0 | Yup |
| Wireless Qi charging | Yup | Yup |
| Colors | Black, pearl grey, iridescent green and plum | Black, blue, gray and purple |
| Price | 799€ | 859€ |
Design and display: Is the Xperia XZ3 a bad copy of the Galaxy S9?
During our Xperia XZ3 review, “the most beautiful screen ever seen”. Despite a slightly lighter designation than the S9 for a larger screen, Sony’s smartphone is truly impressive. Pleasant to the touch and great for multimedia, this is one of its main assets. Of course, Samsung has long mastered the art of panels and delivered an excellent display for its S9. Both are (or are) among the best on the market with the Note 9.
Sony has definitely given up on the design that establishes the originality of its smartphones with this XZ3, which looks exactly like the Galaxy S9 inspired a lot. The two phones don’t have a notch, and while the Sony phone looks a bit more durable than its companion, it’s also less sexy in terms of design. The S9 offers less thick edges on the top and bottom, and edges that drop to the sides. Finally, the XZ3 looks like a slightly worse, too bad, copy of the S9.
Xperia XZ3 and Galaxy S9, photography champions
While manufacturers were hoarding photo sensors while accumulating megapixels a few years ago, the Sony Xperia XZ3 and Samsung Galaxy S9 share another feature: They only have one rear photo module: 19 MP and f/1.6 aperture for the XZ3, 12 MP and f/1.5 or f for the S9. 2.4 aperture. Variable aperture is one of the key features of the Galaxy S9 that allows you to set the smartphone to perform well in low or high light conditions. Again, both phones perform very well in this regard.
Price of XZ3 and S9
At 799 euros, the XZ3 is more expensive than its predecessor, the XZ2, without introducing a separate revolution in aesthetics. This kicks in value for money. We made the same observation with the Galaxy S9, with a few new features and a price of 859 euros compared to the S8. But since its launch in March 2018, the price of Samsung’s mobile has dropped and it is now possible to buy it for less than 600 euros. This could give it a small advantage over its competitor, given the price difference and the small difference between the two.
