Sony Xperia P vs Sony Xperia S

A spec-by-spec comparison of the Sony Xperia P and the Sony Xperia S, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.

Head to head

Sony Xperia PSony Xperia S
Price$47$75
Our rating6/106/10
Battery1,305 mAh1,750 mAh
RAM (max)—1 GB
Storage (max)16 GB32 GB
Screen size4 in4.3 in
Main camera8 MP12 MP
Weight (lower is lighter)120 g144 g
ReleasedMay 2012Feb 2012
Summary: Sony Xperia P is ahead on weight (lower is lighter). Sony Xperia S is ahead on battery, storage (max), screen size, main camera.
★ Which should you buy? Sony Xperia S is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Sony Xperia P is the cheaper option.

Display

Sony Xperia PSony Xperia S
TypeLED-backlit LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colorsLED-backlit LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size4.0 inches, 44.1 cm2 (~60.8% screen-to-body ratio)4.3 inches, 52.0 cm2 (~61.0% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution540 x 960 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~275 ppi density)720 x 1280 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~342 ppi density)
ProtectionScratch-resistant glassScratch-resistant glass, Sony Mobile BRAVIA Engine
FeaturesWhiteMagic technology (RGBW pixels for high brightness up to 960 nits), Mobile BRAVIA Engine—

Platform

Sony Xperia PSony Xperia S
OSAndroid 2.3 (Gingerbread), upgradable to 4.1 (Jelly Bean)Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), upgradable to 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean)
ChipsetST-Ericsson NovaThor U8500Qualcomm MSM8260 Snapdragon S3
CPUDual-core 1.0 GHz Cortex-A9Dual-core 1.5 GHz Scorpion
GPUMali-400Adreno 220

Memory

Sony Xperia PSony Xperia S
Internal16GB (approximately 13GB user-available)32GB (25.8 GB user available), 1GB RAM
RAM1GB—
Card slotNoNo

Main Camera

Sony Xperia PSony Xperia S
Single8 MP, f/2.4, 28mm (wide), AF12 MP, f/2.4, 24mm (wide), 1/3.0", AF
FeaturesLED flash, panorama, touch focus, geo-tagging, face detection, smile detection, Exmor R sensorLED flash, panorama, geo-tagging, touch focus, face/smile detection
Video1080p@30fps1080p@30fps

Selfie Camera

Sony Xperia PSony Xperia S
SingleVGA (0.3 MP)1.3 MP
Video480p720p@30fps

Battery

Sony Xperia PSony Xperia S
TypeLi-Ion 1305 mAh, non-removableLi-Ion 1750 mAh, non-removable
Stand-byUp to 470 h (2G) / Up to 470 h (3G)Up to 450 h (2G) / Up to 420 h (3G)
Talk timeUp to 6 h 40 min (2G) / Up to 5 h (3G)Up to 7 h 30 min (2G) / Up to 8 h 30 min (3G)

Body

Sony Xperia PSony Xperia S
Dimensions122 x 59.5 x 10.5 mm (4.80 x 2.34 x 0.41 in)128 x 64 x 10.6 mm (5.04 x 2.52 x 0.42 in)
Weight120 g (4.23 oz)144 g (5.08 oz)
BuildAluminum unibody design—
SIMMini-SIMMini-SIM

Comms

Sony Xperia PSony Xperia S
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspotWi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, hotspot
Bluetooth2.1, A2DP, EDR2.1, A2DP, EDR
GPSYes, with A-GPS—
NFCYesYes
RadioStereo FM radio with RDSStereo FM radio, RDS
USBmicroUSB 2.0, USB On-The-GomicroUSB 2.0, USB On-The-Go
Positioning—GPS, A-GPS

Launch

Sony Xperia PSony Xperia S
AnnouncedFebruary 2012 (at MWC)January 2012
StatusDiscontinued, Released May 2012Available. Released February 2012

Frequently asked questions

Which has the better battery, Sony Xperia P or Sony Xperia S?

Sony Xperia S — 1,305 mAh for the Sony Xperia P versus 1,750 mAh for the Sony Xperia S.

Which is lighter, Sony Xperia P or Sony Xperia S?

Sony Xperia P — 120 g for the Sony Xperia P versus 144 g for the Sony Xperia S.

Which is newer, Sony Xperia P or Sony Xperia S?

Sony Xperia P — May 2012 for the Sony Xperia P versus Feb 2012 for the Sony Xperia S.

Is the Sony Xperia P or the Sony Xperia S rated higher?

We rate the Sony Xperia P 6/10 and the Sony Xperia S 6/10.

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