Clash OF Flagships: Sony Xperia Z5 Vs iPhone 6s Comparison, Is Bigger Always Better?
The Xperia Z5 was one of the most highly anticipated flagships from Sony last year.
Based on its specs and features, it was evident from day-1 that the device was designed to rival contemporary heavyweights like Apple's iPhone 6S and Samsung's Galaxy S6.
Aggressive marketing by both Sony and Apple in the ensuing months further intensified the Sony Xperia Z5 vs iPhone 6S standoff.
For end users, making a choice between the two was certainly no easy task.
Look-wise, the Xperia Z5 bears an instantly disguisable design difference that consumers can easily feel.
With its metal frame along with precision engraving, the Xperia Z5 is indeed pretty smooth and sports a rather simplified form compared to its predecessors.
The iPhone's 'S' models generally don't flaunt radical shift in design, the iPhone 6S being no exception to that trend.
The device looks almost similar to the iPhone 6, albeit with added thickness and a 7000 Series aluminum shell that gives it a more robust build.
While the iPhone 6S was initially expected to come with an enhanced display compared to the previous models, it did not happen.
The device offers the same 4.7-inch screen with 2,000 x 1,125 pixels and 488 pixels per inch.
To its credit, Apple did try something exciting by adding 3D Force Touch that enables the phone to perfectly spot the difference between a press, a tap and a long press.
The Xperia Z5, on the other hand, boasts a 5.2-inch LCD display with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixel and 424 pixels per inch. It offers full HD instead of the iPhone 6S' 2k which in turn, helps it deliver a longer battery life.
With wide viewing angles, Sony did, in fact, make sure to come up with top-notch display quality in the Z5.
All variants of the Z5 comes with 32 GB built-in storage as well as a microSD slot for expandable storage capacity.
The iPhone 6S is available in three variants with different storage capacity - 16 GB, 64GB and 128 GB (no microSD slot).
It is tough drawing a comparison between the processing powers of these flagships because the iPhone 6S carries Apple's own processor with 2 GB of RAM. The Xperia Z5, meanwhile, boasts a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 clocked at 2 GHz and 1.5 GHz and 3 GB of RAM.
Sony flagships are always known for their superior camera quality and the Z5 stands true to that reputation. The Z5's 23 MP rear camera comes equipped with the highly regarded Exmor RS sensor and optical image stabilization that makes it superior to the iPhone 6S' 12 MP camera. The front cameras in both Z5 and iPhone 6S are 5.1 MP and 5 MP respectively.
When it comes to performance, the Z5 was described by TechRadar's James Peckham as "particularly slick at maneuvering around all my apps. Multitasking has improved on previous Xperia Z phones, and sliding in and out of apps is satisfyingly quick."
As for the iPhone 6S, Malarie Gokey of Digital Trends said that because of a faster processor, enhanced camera quality and a cool new user interface, the device is indeed a remarkable improvement from its older siblings.
So, which one is better, the bigger Xperia 5 or the more sleek iPhone 6S?
Quite obviously, both devices have their unique set of pros and cons. It all goes down to consumer preference when choosing between these flagship mobile phones.