Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A vs Sony Xperia Z3
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A and the Sony Xperia Z3, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A | Sony Xperia Z3 |
|---|
| Our rating | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Battery | 2,800 mAh | 3,100 mAh |
| Wired charging | — | 18W |
| RAM (max) | 3 GB | 3 GB |
| Storage (max) | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| Screen size | 5.1 in | 5.2 in |
| Main camera | 16 MP | 20.7 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 145 g | 152 g |
| Released | Jun 2014 | Sep 2014 |
Summary: Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A is ahead on weight (lower is lighter). Sony Xperia Z3 is ahead on battery, screen size, main camera.
★ Which should you buy? Sony Xperia Z3 is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs.
Reviewed by the infozme.com Editorial Team — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A | Sony Xperia Z3 |
|---|
| Type | Super AMOLED | IPS LCD, Triluminos display, X-Reality Engine |
| Size | 5.1 inches | 5.2 inches |
| Resolution | 1440 x 2560 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~577 ppi density) | 1080 x 1920 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~424 ppi density) |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 (assumed, based on original S5) | Scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating |
Platform
| Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A | Sony Xperia Z3 |
|---|
| OS | Android 4.4.2 (KitKat), upgradable to 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) | Android 4.4.4 (KitKat), upgradable to 6.0 (Marshmallow) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 (APQ8084) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AC) |
| CPU | Quad-core 2.5 GHz Krait 450 | Quad-core 2.5 GHz Krait 400 |
| GPU | Adreno 420 | Adreno 330 |
Memory
| Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A | Sony Xperia Z3 |
|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot), up to 128GB | microSDXC (dedicated slot), up to 128 GB |
| Internal | 32GB 3GB RAM (some variants 16GB 2GB RAM) | 16GB 3GB RAM, 32GB 3GB RAM |
Main Camera
| Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A | Sony Xperia Z3 |
|---|
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.2, 31mm (standard), 1/2.6", 1.12µm, PDAF | 20.7 MP, f/2.0, 25mm (wide), 1/2.3", AF |
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama | LED flash, panorama, HDR |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR, stereo sound rec. | 2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR |
Selfie Camera
| Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A | Sony Xperia Z3 |
|---|
| Single | 2 MP, f/2.4, 22mm (wide) | 2.2 MP, f/2.8 |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
Battery
| Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A | Sony Xperia Z3 |
|---|
| Type | Removable Li-Ion 2800 mAh battery | Li-Ion 3100 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | 5W wired | Fast charging 18W (Quick Charge 2.0) |
Body
| Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A | Sony Xperia Z3 |
|---|
| Dimensions | 142 x 72.5 x 8.1 mm (5.59 x 2.85 x 0.32 in) | 146 x 72 x 7.3 mm (5.75 x 2.83 x 0.28 in) |
| Weight | 145 g (5.11 oz) | 152 g (5.36 oz) |
| Build | Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame, IP67 dust/water resistant | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), glass back (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame |
| SIM | Micro-SIM | Nano-SIM |
| IP Rating | — | IP65/IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
Comms
| Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A | Sony Xperia Z3 |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 4.0, A2DP, EDR, LE | 4.0, A2DP, aptX |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS | — |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | No | FM radio with RDS |
| USB | microUSB 3.0 (MHL 2.1 TV-out), OTG | microUSB 2.0 (MHL 3 TV-out), OTG |
| Positioning | — | GPS, GLONASS |
Launch
| Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A | Sony Xperia Z3 |
|---|
| Announced | June 2014 | 2014, September 04 |
| Status | Discontinued | Released 2014, September 19 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A or Sony Xperia Z3?
Sony Xperia Z3 — 2,800 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A versus 3,100 mAh for the Sony Xperia Z3.
Which is lighter, Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A or Sony Xperia Z3?
Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A — 145 g for the Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A versus 152 g for the Sony Xperia Z3.
Which is newer, Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A or Sony Xperia Z3?
Sony Xperia Z3 — Jun 2014 for the Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A versus Sep 2014 for the Sony Xperia Z3.
Is the Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A or the Sony Xperia Z3 rated higher?
We rate the Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A 7/10 and the Sony Xperia Z3 7/10.
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