14 DAY TRIAL // Today, if you’re on the market for a premium phablet, you have plenty of options. And after the first day of IFA 2015, there’s another interesting newcomer you should be watching out for. We’re talking about the world’s first 4K smartphone which has been revealed by Sony as the Xperia Z5 Premium.
The handset will provide competition to other high-end models like the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+, which got unveiled alongside the Galaxy Note5 just a few weeks ago. Well, if you’re sitting on a big pile of money and you are pretty undecided which one to buy, here’s a detailed comparison between the two devices to help you make an informed choice.
Design - the Galaxy S6 edge+ is sleeker
As with Sony’s previous flagships, the Xperia Z5 features the same OmniBalance design language, although we’re seeing flatter edges on the new model plus a brand new fingerprint scanner located in the side power button.
Samsung’s Galaxy S6 edge+ is quite different from the Xperia Z5 visually. For starters, it has a dual-edge display and fingerprint sensor located in the home button that lives at the button of the phone.
The Xperia Z5 Premium measures 6 x 2.98 x 0.3 inches / 154.4 x 75.8 x 7.8 mm, while the Galaxy S6 edge+ comes in at 6 x 2.98 x 0.27 inches / 154.4 x 75.8 x 6.9 mm, so as you can see, the Samsung phablet is a bit sleeker. On the other hand, though, it is not waterproof like the Xperia Z5 Premium.
The Sony device is available in gold and black, while the S6 edge+ is offered in black and white.
Display - the Xperia Z5 Premium has a smaller display
The 4K display is probably Xperia Z5 Premium’s major drawing point. Still, the device features a smaller display of 5.5-inch variety, while the Galaxy S6 edge+ bundles a 5.7-inch one. Besides the difference in size, the gap in resolution is a pretty major one, as Sony’s handset comes with 3840 x 2160 pixels and 806 ppi, while Samsung’s offers 2560 x 1440 resolution and 581ppi.
So basically, the Xperia Z5 Premium will be able to deliver shaper, crisper images due to the extra pixels per inch, but whether your all too human eye will be able to make a difference between a 4K display and a 2K display remains to be seen (science says no).
Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+’s display features dual-edge margins that come with specific apps. Overall, the screen of the phablet displays really crisp images, so there are no complaints here.
Sony has also added technologies for X Reality that handle the upscaling of content for 4K, while the Galaxy S6 edge+ doesn’t offer such a feature.
Processing power - the battle between Snapdragon and Exynos
Under the hood, the Xperia Z5 Premium takes advantage of the controversial Snapdragon 810, which has been accused countless times of overheating issues. Hopefully, Sony has managed to tweak the phone internally, so no such problems will arise, but until the phablet becomes available in the wild, we can’t be sure.
Sony has had problems with the Xperia Z3+, which is also based on the Snapdragon 810, but we hope that this time we’ll see a different scenario.
As for the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+, the device is based on the same domestic Exynos 7420 chipset that also powers the Galaxy S6. Samsung said no thanks to using the Snapdragon 810 after testing it internally and probably realizing the overheating problems aren’t something to be joked about.
Software - both are based on Android Lollipop
Both phablets run on Android Lollipop, but obviously, different skins are involved. Samsung has plastered its TouchWiz interface on top of the Android OS, while Sony has the Xperia UI. So don’t go expecting a stock Lollipop experience on board these two models.
Sony focuses on providing entertainment apps and other specific software like PS4 Remote Play, which allows gamers to play their console games on the device. As for Samsung, the company offers edge-friendly applications, as well as proprietary ones like the S Health.
Storage and memory - the Xperia Z5 Premium brings back the lost microSD card
The Xperia phone comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, but there’s a microSD card slot for further expansion up to 200GB. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ has 4GB of RAM and is offered with either 32GB or 64GB of built-in storage (no microSD card slot here).
The Xperia Z5 Premium rests on a 3,430 mAh battery, while the Galaxy S6 edge+ has a 3,000 mAh one. Interestingly enough, Sony says the Xperia Z5 Premium will be able to last 2 days, but given the fact that the power house is supporting a 4K display, we have to wonder if this scenario is really possible.
Cameras - Sony’s phablet has a better main shooter
The Sony Xperia Z5 Premium features a 23MP main camera (upgraded from the 20.7MP one on the Xperia Z3), with a 5MP snapper up in front. The Galaxy S6 edge+, on the other hand, only has a 16MP rear snapper plus a similar selfie shooter.
Sony prides itself with a super-fast 0.03 second auto focus system for improved image stabilization, but the cameras on the Samsung phablet should also provide advanced results.
In conclusion
It looks like the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium and Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ are both pretty mind-blowing machines with great specs and sleek looks. Still, the Xperia Z5 Premium is the first phone to come with a 4K display and it does have a microSD card slot on board.
On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ has that dual-edge display setup, which might satisfy customers’ needs for an atypical phone.