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Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact vs Pixel 2 vs iPhone 8 specs comparison: Which has the upper hand?

by Peter Kostadinov / Feb 26, 2018, 6:55 AM

Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact vs Pixel 2 vs iPhone 8 specs comparison: Which has the upper hand?

Sony has a long tradition of introducing compact devices with no-compromise hardware and the all-new XZ2 Compact is the latest Sony device that meets those criteria. With a Snapdragon 845, it will possibly be the most powerful 5-inch Android phone in the coming months.

And indeed, with a Snapdragon 845 inside, one could only hardly find a more able-bodied phone that keeps the overall footprint overly pocketable.

However, the Xperia XZ2 Compact has a bunch of caveats of its own. Despite its super-thick body of 12.1mm, it only houses a 2,870mAh battery, which sounds like awful space management of the internal parts. We've seen similarly-sized phones with large 4,000 batteries, so we wonder what exactly commanded the lack of a larger unit in Sony's new compact phone. You might argue that headphone jacks usually command a fair amount of space, but the device doesn't have that one and the mystery thickens.

Here's how the XZ2 Compact fares against the lot of its rivals on the compact phone market.

Front view
Side view

Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact

Dimensions

5.31 x 2.56 x 0.48 inches

135 x 65 x 12.1 mm

Weight

5.93 oz (168 g)

Google Pixel 2

Dimensions

5.74 x 2.74 x 0.31 inches

145.7 x 69.7 x 7.8 mm

Weight

5.04 oz (143 g)

Apple iPhone 8

Dimensions

5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 inches

138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm

Weight

5.22 oz (148 g)

Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact

Dimensions

5.31 x 2.56 x 0.48 inches

135 x 65 x 12.1 mm

Weight

5.93 oz (168 g)

Google Pixel 2

Dimensions

5.74 x 2.74 x 0.31 inches

145.7 x 69.7 x 7.8 mm

Weight

5.04 oz (143 g)

Apple iPhone 8

Dimensions

5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 inches

138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm

Weight

5.22 oz (148 g)

To see the phones in real size or compare them with other models, visit our Visual Phone Size Comparison page

Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact vs Google Pixel 2 vs Apple iPhone 8

Display

Display size

5.0 inches

4.7 inches

Resolution

1080 x 2160 pixels

1080 x 1920 pixels

750 x 1334 pixels

Pixel density

483 ppi

441 ppi

326 ppi

Technology

IPS LCD

AMOLED

IPS LCD

Screen-to-body ratio

73.56 %

67.92 %

65.34 %

Colors

16 777 216

Peak brightness

700 cd/m2 (nit)

625 cd/m2 (nit)

Camera

Rear

Yes

Main camera

19 megapixels

12.2 megapixels

12 megapixels

Hardware Features

Laser and Phase detection autofocus, CMOS image sensor

Optical image stabilization, Laser and Phase detection autofocus, CMOS image sensor

Sapphire crystal lens cover, Optical image stabilization, Phase detection autofocus, CMOS image sensor, Back-illuminated sensor (BSI)

Specifications

Aperture size: F2.0; Focal length: 25 mm; Sensor size: 1/2.3"; Pixel size: 1.22 μm

Aperture size: F1.8; Focal length: 27 mm; Sensor size: 1/2.6"; Pixel size: 1.4 μm

Aperture size: F1.8; Focal length: 28 mm; Sensor size: 1/3"; Pixel size: 1.22 μm

Flash

LED

Dual LED

Quad LED

Software Features

Digital image stabilization, Manual focus, HDR, Panorama, Face detection, Burst mode, Scenes, Exposure compensation, ISO control, White balance presets, Shutter speed control, Touch to focus, Self-timer, Digital zoom, Geo tagging

HDR, Panorama, Face detection, Voice activation, Burst mode, Night mode, Exposure compensation, ISO control, White balance presets, Shutter speed control, Touch to focus, Self-timer, Digital zoom, Geo tagging

HDR, Panorama, Face detection, Burst mode, Exposure compensation, Touch to focus, Digital zoom, Geo tagging

Video recording

3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (960 fps), 1280x720 (HD)

3840x2160 (4K UHD) (30 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (120 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (240 fps)

3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (240 fps)

Features

High Dynamic Range mode (HDR), Time-lapse video, Digital image stabilization, Video calling, Video sharing

Optical image stabilization, Digital image stabilization, Video calling, Video sharing

Optical image stabilization, Time-lapse video, Continuous autofocus, Picture-taking during video recording, Video light

Front

5 megapixels

8 megapixels

7 megapixels

Video capture

1920x1080 (Full HD) (30 fps)

Design

Dimensions

5.31 x 2.56 x 0.48 inches (135 x 65 x 12.1 mm)

5.74 x 2.74 x 0.31 inches (145.7 x 69.7 x 7.8 mm)

5.45 x 2.65 x 0.29 inches (138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm)

Weight

5.93 oz (168 g)

5.04 oz (143 g)

5.22 oz (148 g)

Materials

Back: Plastic; Frame: Aluminum

Back: Aluminum, Glass

Back: Glass; Frame: Aluminum

Resistance

Water, Dust

IP certified

IP 68

IP 67

Biometrics

Fingerprint (touch)

Hardware & Performance

System chip

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SDM845

Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 MSM8998

Apple A11 Bionic APL1W72

Processor

Octa-core, 2800 MHz, Kryo 385, 64-bit, 10 nm

Octa-core, 2350 MHz, Kryo 280, 64-bit, 10 nm

Hexa-core, 2390 MHz, Monsoon and Mistral, 64-bit, 10 nm

GPU

Adreno 630

Adreno 540

Apple 3-core GPU

RAM

4 GB LPDDR4

2 GB LPDDR4

Storage expansion

Slot Type

microSDXC, microSDHC, microSD

OS

Android (8.0 Oreo)

Android (9.0 Pie, 8.1 Oreo, 8.0 Oreo)

iOS (12.x, 11.x)

Battery

Capacity

2870 mAh

2700 mAh

1821 mAh

Talk time

10.80 hours

14.00 hours

Stand-by time

21.2 days (510 hours)

Talk time (3G)

20.80 hours

Stand-by time (3G)

22.9 days (550 hours)

Stand-by time (4G)

20.8 days (500 hours)

Music playback

73.00 hours

40.00 hours

Video playback

15.30 hours

13.00 hours

Cellular

LTE (FDD)

Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 26, 28, 29, 32, 66

Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 66

Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 66

LTE (TDD)

Bands 38, 39, 40, 41

Bands 38, 40, 41

Bands 38, 39, 40, 41

UMTS

800, 850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz

850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz

850, 900, 1700/2100 MHz

GSM

850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz

CDMA

800, 1900 MHz

Data

LTE-A Cat 15/5 (800/75 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS

LTE-A Cat 15/5 (800/75 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA, UMTS

LTE-A Cat 12/13 (600/150 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s

Connectivity

Mobile Payment

Apple Pay

Multimedia

Screen mirroring

DLNA, Wireless screen share

Wireless screen share

Shopping information

MSRP price

$ 749

$ 849

Options

12 Comments

1. TypicalGeek

Posts: 209; Member since: Feb 19, 2015

Sony's compact phone is still the one to beat. Can't say the same about their mid-size flagship.

posted on Feb 26, 2018, 6:56 AM 4

8. sgodsell

Posts: 6835; Member since: Mar 16, 2013

Wow the worst one here in this comparison is the overpriced iPhone 8 with its low resolution display and massive bezels.

posted on Feb 26, 2018, 9:16 AM 1

10. rouyal

Posts: 1567; Member since: Jan 05, 2018

How can it be overpriced if it is guaranteed to have more sales than the other two compared. Something is only overpriced if people aren't willing to pay for it's cost when compared to it's quality. The Pixels sales numbers reflect an overpriced phone. And this XZ2c will be yet another Android flunkee

posted on Feb 26, 2018, 6:41 PM 0

2. dimas

Posts: 3286; Member since: Jul 22, 2014

What's with that bulgy xz2 compact back? Is that a phone or another ninja turtle for injustice 2? Sony doesn't even know what's ugly and practical anymore.

posted on Feb 26, 2018, 7:00 AM 3

3. Ciro1900

Posts: 591; Member since: Dec 17, 2017

Xz 2 compact destroy s8 y pixel

posted on Feb 26, 2018, 7:03 AM 1

4. bucknassty

Posts: 1305; Member since: Mar 24, 2017

why so... fat

posted on Feb 26, 2018, 7:03 AM 0

5. mikedemoda

Posts: 126; Member since: Mar 19, 2010

so it's full of air just in case you drop it it's got an airbag built-in now, in all seriousness, it's simply unacceptable to have a high-end phone with the thickness of phones from 10 years ago, I mean, the original iPhone 2G is even thinner!!!

posted on Feb 26, 2018, 7:08 AM 0

6. Cat97

Posts: 1765; Member since: Mar 02, 2017

The thickness is very tapered, it is actually much thinner on the sides, it will sit perfectly in a pocket without bulging out.

posted on Feb 26, 2018, 7:31 AM 1

7. Cat97

The XZ2 Compact is much smaller and with much smaller bezels than the other two last-era dinosaurs. There isn't even a comparison, just look at them side by side. And about awful space management, look at the iPhone X, much larger than XZ2 Compact, yet identical battery size (and the iPhone X went to an L-shape battery to be able to do that !). The small space is because the auxiliary co-processors needed in a true flagship.