Samsung Galaxy Note 2 vs Sony Xperia Z
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and the Sony Xperia Z, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Samsung Galaxy Note 2 | Sony Xperia Z |
|---|
| Price | $109 | $594 |
| Our rating | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Battery | 3,100 mAh | 2,330 mAh |
| Storage (max) | 64 GB | 128 GB |
| Screen size | 5.5 in | 5 in |
| Main camera | 8 MP | 13.1 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 182 g | 146 g |
| Released | Oct 2012 | Feb 2013 |
Summary: Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is ahead on our rating, battery, screen size. Sony Xperia Z is ahead on storage (max), main camera, weight (lower is lighter).
★ Which should you buy? Specs are close to an even split here, so Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is the better buy — the extra cost of the other one isn't matched by a clear spec advantage.
Reviewed by the infozme.com Editorial Team — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Samsung Galaxy Note 2 | Sony Xperia Z |
|---|
| Type | HD Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors | TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors |
| Size | 5.5 inches, 83.4 cm² (~68.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.0 inches, 69.8 cm² (~69.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 720 x 1280 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~267 ppi density) | 1080 x 1920 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~441 ppi density) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 2 | Shatter proof glass, Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 |
Platform
| Samsung Galaxy Note 2 | Sony Xperia Z |
|---|
| Chipset | Exynos 4412 Quad | Qualcomm APQ8064 Snapdragon S4 Pro |
| CPU | Quad-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A9 | Quad-core 1.5 GHz Krait 300 |
| GPU | Mali-400MP4 | Adreno 320 |
Memory
| Samsung Galaxy Note 2 | Sony Xperia Z |
|---|
| RAM | 2 GB | 2GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB, 32GB, 64GB | 16GB (approx. 11GB user accessible) |
| Card Slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot, up to 64GB) | — |
| Card slot | — | microSDHC, up to 32GB (officially), up to 128GB (unofficially) |
Main Camera
| Samsung Galaxy Note 2 | Sony Xperia Z |
|---|
| Modules | 8 MP, f/2.6, AF | Single 13.1 MP, f/2.4, 28mm (wide), 1/3.06", AF |
| Features | LED flash, BSI sensor, autofocus, zero shutter lag, simultaneous HD video and 6MP image recording | Exmor RS sensor, LED flash, HDR, panorama, face detection |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps, HDR |
Selfie Camera
| Samsung Galaxy Note 2 | Sony Xperia Z |
|---|
| Modules | 1.9 MP | Single 2.2 MP, f/2.2 |
| Video | 720p | 1080p@30fps |
| Features | — | Exmor R sensor |
Battery
| Samsung Galaxy Note 2 | Sony Xperia Z |
|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 3100 mAh, removable | Non-removable Li-Ion 2330 mAh |
| Talk time | Up to 16 h (3G) | Up to 11 h (2G) / Up to 14 h (3G) |
| Stand-by | — | Up to 550 h (2G) / Up to 530 h (3G) |
Body
| Samsung Galaxy Note 2 | Sony Xperia Z |
|---|
| Dimensions | 151.1 x 80.5 x 9.4 mm (5.95 x 3.17 x 0.37 in) | 139 x 71 x 7.9 mm (5.47 x 2.80 x 0.31 in) |
| Weight | 182 g (6.42 oz) | 146 g (5.15 oz) |
| SIM | Micro-SIM | Micro-SIM |
| Build | Plastic body, Gorilla Glass 2 front | Glass front (Gorilla Glass), glass back, plastic frame |
| Durability | — | IP55/IP57 dust and water resistant (up to 1m for 30 min) |
Comms
| Samsung Galaxy Note 2 | Sony Xperia Z |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 4.0, A2DP, LE, EDR | 4.0, A2DP |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS | — |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | microUSB 2.0 (MHL TV-out, USB Host) | microUSB 2.0 (MHL TV-out) |
| Radio | Stereo FM radio (market dependent) | Stereo FM radio with RDS |
| Positioning | — | GPS, GLONASS |
Launch
| Samsung Galaxy Note 2 | Sony Xperia Z |
|---|
| Announced | August 2012 | CES 2013, January 2013 |
| Status | Released October 2012 | Released February 2013 |
| OS at launch | Android 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean), upgradable to 4.4.2 (KitKat) | Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean), upgradable to 5.1.1 (Lollipop) |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or Sony Xperia Z?
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 — 3,100 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 versus 2,330 mAh for the Sony Xperia Z.
Which is lighter, Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or Sony Xperia Z?
Sony Xperia Z — 182 g for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 versus 146 g for the Sony Xperia Z.
Which is newer, Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or Sony Xperia Z?
Sony Xperia Z — Oct 2012 for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 versus Feb 2013 for the Sony Xperia Z.
Is the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or the Sony Xperia Z rated higher?
We rate the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 8/10 and the Sony Xperia Z 6/10.
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