Sony Xperia Z1 vs Sony Xperia Z2
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Sony Xperia Z1 and the Sony Xperia Z2, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
Head to head
| Sony Xperia Z1 | Sony Xperia Z2 |
|---|
| Price | $52 | $65 |
| Our rating | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Battery | 3,000 mAh | 3,200 mAh |
| Wired charging | — | 18W |
| RAM (max) | 2 GB | 3 GB |
| Storage (max) | 64 GB | 128 GB |
| Screen size | 5 in | 5.2 in |
| Main camera | 20.7 MP | 20.7 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 170 g | 163 g |
| Released | Sep 2013 | Apr 2014 |
Summary: Sony Xperia Z2 is ahead on battery, ram (max), storage (max), screen size.
★ Which should you buy? Sony Xperia Z2 is the stronger overall pick on the measured specs. If budget matters more than the extra capability, Sony Xperia Z1 is the cheaper option.
Reviewed by the infozme.com Editorial Team — see how we research & rate phones.
Display
| Sony Xperia Z1 | Sony Xperia Z2 |
|---|
| Type | TFT LCD, 16M colors | IPS LCD, Triluminos display, X-Reality Engine |
| Size | 5.0 inches, 64.5 cm2 (~64.7% screen-to-body ratio) | 5.2 inches |
| Resolution | 1080 x 1920 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~441 ppi density) | 1080 x 1920 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~424 ppi density) |
| Features | Triluminos display, X-Reality Engine | — |
| Protection | — | Shatter proof glass |
Platform
| Sony Xperia Z1 | Sony Xperia Z2 |
|---|
| OS | Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), upgradable to 5.1 (Lollipop) | Android 4.4.2 (KitKat), upgradable to 6.0 (Marshmallow) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm MSM8974 Snapdragon 800 | Qualcomm MSM8974AB Snapdragon 801 |
| CPU | Quad-core 2.2 GHz Krait 400 | Quad-core 2.3 GHz Krait 400 |
| GPU | Adreno 330 | Adreno 330 |
Memory
| Sony Xperia Z1 | Sony Xperia Z2 |
|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot), up to 64 GB | microSDXC (dedicated slot), up to 128GB |
| Internal | 16GB 2GB RAM (some variants 32GB) | 16GB 3GB RAM |
Main Camera
| Sony Xperia Z1 | Sony Xperia Z2 |
|---|
| Single | 20.7 MP, f/2.0, 27mm (wide), 1/2.3", AF | 20.7 MP, f/2.0, 27mm (wide), 1/2.3", AF |
| Features | LED flash, panorama, HDR | LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR |
Selfie Camera
| Sony Xperia Z1 | Sony Xperia Z2 |
|---|
| Single | 2 MP, 1080p@30fps | 2.2 MP, f/2.8 |
| Video | — | 1080p@30fps |
Battery
| Sony Xperia Z1 | Sony Xperia Z2 |
|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 3000 mAh, non-removable | Li-Ion 3200 mAh, non-removable |
| Stand-by | Up to 880 h (2G) / Up to 850 h (3G) | — |
| Talk time | Up to 15 h (2G) / Up to 15 h (3G) | — |
| Charging | — | 18W wired (Quick Charge 2.0) |
Body
| Sony Xperia Z1 | Sony Xperia Z2 |
|---|
| Dimensions | 144 x 74 x 8.5 mm (5.67 x 2.91 x 0.33 in) | 146.8 x 73.3 x 8.2 mm (5.78 x 2.89 x 0.32 in) |
| Weight | 170 g (6.00 oz) | 163 g (5.75 oz) |
| SIM | Micro-SIM | Micro-SIM |
| Protection | IP55/IP58 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | — |
| Build | — | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), glass back, aluminum frame |
| IP rating | — | IP58 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) |
Comms
| Sony Xperia Z1 | Sony Xperia Z2 |
|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot |
| Bluetooth | 4.0, A2DP, aptX | 4.0, A2DP, aptX |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS | — |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Radio | Stereo FM radio, RDS | FM radio, RDS |
| USB | microUSB 2.0 (MHL TV-out), USB Host | microUSB 2.0 (MHL 3 TV-out), USB On-The-Go |
| GPS | — | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS |
Launch
| Sony Xperia Z1 | Sony Xperia Z2 |
|---|
| Announced | 2013, September 04 | February 2014 (MWC) |
| Status | Released 2013, September | Released April 2014 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Sony Xperia Z1 or Sony Xperia Z2?
Sony Xperia Z2 — 3,000 mAh for the Sony Xperia Z1 versus 3,200 mAh for the Sony Xperia Z2.
Which has more RAM, Sony Xperia Z1 or Sony Xperia Z2?
Sony Xperia Z2 — 2 GB for the Sony Xperia Z1 versus 3 GB for the Sony Xperia Z2.
Which is lighter, Sony Xperia Z1 or Sony Xperia Z2?
Sony Xperia Z2 — 170 g for the Sony Xperia Z1 versus 163 g for the Sony Xperia Z2.
Which is newer, Sony Xperia Z1 or Sony Xperia Z2?
Sony Xperia Z2 — Sep 2013 for the Sony Xperia Z1 versus Apr 2014 for the Sony Xperia Z2.
Is the Sony Xperia Z1 or the Sony Xperia Z2 rated higher?
We rate the Sony Xperia Z1 8/10 and the Sony Xperia Z2 8/10.
Best phone lists →
