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Sony Xperia Z4 vs Samsung Galaxy S6 vs HTC One M9 specs comparison: a Mexican standoff

posted by Peter K.

Apr 20, 2015, 3:13 AM

Sony Xperia Z4 vs Samsung Galaxy S6 vs HTC One M9 specs comparison: a Mexican standoff

Sony is the latest manufacturer that refreshed its upper echelon portfolio, as its Xperia Z4 just popped up and relieved the Xperia Z3 from its flagship duties. True, it's pretty much an incremental refreshment and doesn't bring anything strikingly new to the mix. Instilling a noticeable "deja vu" feel, the Xperia Z4 is the latest embodiment of Sony's time-tested OmniBalance design language paired with respectable hardware.

Still, are the subtle hardware changed in the specs sheet enough to ensure the Sony Xperia Z4 a more prominent spot on the market scene? With rivals like the Samsung Galaxy S6/S6 edge, the HTC One M9, Apple's champions, and undoubtedly, the upcoming LG G4, the Xperia Z4 will have a hard time competing with the top dogs. Then again, it's a device that will certainly attract a host of admirers with its slim, metal body, and sleek OmniBalance design.

How does the Xperia Z4 fare against the Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9, which are already on the market? Well, let's check out right below:

Sony Xperia Z3+ vs Samsung Galaxy S6 vs HTC One M9

Display

Size

5.2 inches

5.1 inches

5.0 inches

Technology

IPS LCD

Super AMOLED

S-LCD 3

Screen-to-body

70.88 %

70.48 %

68.52 %

Features

Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor

Scratch-resistant glass, Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor

Hardware & Performance

System chip

Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994

Samsung Exynos 7 Octa 7420

Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994

Processor

Octa-core, 2000 MHz, ARM Cortex-A57 and ARM Cortex-A53, 64-bit

Octa-core, 2100 MHz, ARM Cortex-A57 and ARM Cortex-A53, 64-bit, 14 nm

Octa-core, 2000 MHz, ARM Cortex-A57 and ARM Cortex-A53, 64-bit

GPU

Adreno 430

Mali-T760 MP8

Adreno 430

RAM

3GB LPDDR4

Internal storage

32GB

128GB, not expandable

32GB

OS

Android (7.1 Nougat, 7.0 Nougat, 6.0 Marshmallow, 5.0 Lollipop)

Android (7.0 Nougat, 6.0 Marshmallow, 5.1 Lollipop, 5.0 Lollipop), Samsung TouchWiz UI

Android (7.0 Nougat, 6.0 Marshmallow, 5.1 Lollipop, 5.0 Lollipop), HTC Sense UI

Battery

Capacity

2930 mAh

2550 mAh

2840 mAh

Charging

Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0

Fast charging

Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0

Talk time

17.00 hours

25.40 hours

Stand-by time

24.6 days (590 hours)

16.3 days (391 hours)

Talk time (3G)

23.00 hours

21.70 hours

Stand-by time (3G)

16.8 days (402 hours)

Internet use

3G: 10 hours; LTE: 12 hours; Wi-Fi: 12 hours

Music playback

91.00 hours

57.00 hours

Video playback

9.70 hours

13.00 hours

Camera

Rear

Single camera

Main camera

20.7 MP

16 MP

20 MP

Features

Autofocus, CMOS image sensor

OIS, Autofocus, BSI sensor

Sapphire crystal lens cover, Autofocus, CMOS image sensor, BSI sensor

Specifications

Aperture size: F2.0; Focal length: 25 mm; Sensor size: 1/2.3"; Pixel size: 1.12 μm

Aperture size: F1.9; Focal length: 28 mm; Sensor size: 1/2.6"; Pixel size: 1.12 μm

Aperture size: F2.2; Focal length: 27.8 mm; Sensor size: 1/2.4"; Pixel size: 1.2 μm

Video recording

3840x2160 (4K UHD) (30 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (60 fps)

3840x2160 (4K UHD) (30 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (60 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (120 fps)

3840x2160 (4K UHD) (30 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (60 fps)

Recording format

MPEG4, H.264

Features

HDR, Continuous autofocus, Picture-taking during video recording, EIS, Video calling

OIS, HDR, Continuous autofocus, Picture-taking during video recording, Video light, Video calling

Continuous autofocus, Picture-taking during video recording, EIS, Video calling

Front

5 MP

4 MP

Video capture

1920x1080 (Full HD)

2560x1440 (QHD) (30 fps)

1920x1080 (Full HD)

Design

Dimensions

5.76 x 2.83 x 0.27 inches (146.3 x 71.9 x 6.9 mm)

5.65 x 2.78 x 0.27 inches (143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8 mm)

5.69 x 2.74 x 0.38 inches (144.6 x 69.7 x 9.61 mm)

Weight

5.08 oz (144 g)

4.87 oz (138 g)

5.54 oz (157 g)

Materials

Back: Glass; Frame: Metal

Back: Glass; Frame: Aluminum

Back: Aluminum

Resistance

Water, Dust; IP 68

Splash; IP X3

Biometrics

Fingerprint (touch)

Features

Notification light, Touch sensitive control keys

Notification light

Sony Xperia Z4

View more + 4 images

Related phones

View Full specs

PhoneArena Rating:

9.3

Read Full Review

User Rating:

8.9

Based on 61 Reviews

Display 5.1 inches
2560 x 1440 pixels

Camera 16 MP (Single camera)
5 MP front

Hardware Samsung Exynos 7 Octa, 3GB RAM

Storage 128GB, not expandable

Battery 2550 mAh

OS Android 7.0 Nougat
Samsung TouchWiz UI

View Full specs

PhoneArena Rating:

8.3

Read Full Review

User Rating:

9.1

Based on 24 Reviews

Display 5.0 inches
1920 x 1080 pixels

Camera 20 MP (Single camera)
4 MP front

Hardware Qualcomm Snapdragon 810, 3GB RAM

Storage 32GB, microSDXC

Battery 2840 mAh

OS Android 7.0 Nougat
HTC Sense UI

FEATURED VIDEO

Options

35 Comments

34. marlowe10011

Posts: 16; Member since: Aug 23, 2014

What ever you say Sony xperia z4 is better because it is complete of what ever you need. So what if you have good screen but no SD card expansion. Everything will be useless.

posted on Apr 21, 2015, 10:58 PM 0

33. sbadaniel

Posts: 3; Member since: Apr 20, 2015

Sony Xperia Z4 and HTC One M9 use Snapdragon 810, that can't be the flagship smartphones this year. Both have to compete against Huawei P8 lowering their price near $400 or even far below $400. Think about Huawei P8, which has a better front and rear cameras with OIS!

posted on Apr 21, 2015, 1:16 AM 0

32. SamJasper

Posts: 12; Member since: Apr 06, 2015

Those who said Z4/M9 is better than S6, Please read the Specs comparison 10 times thoroughly then you will realize the true winner(S6). Sorry guys a winner is a winner. No doubt.

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 8:28 PM 0

28. qxavierus

Posts: 54; Member since: Mar 20, 2012

Btw, Picture-taking is already present in Z2, so Z4 should have it too imo.

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 3:57 PM 0

24. SK_WS

Posts: 46; Member since: Apr 17, 2015

well there's not much to compare on paper as the flagships in this year packed with similar hardware should be focus more on the overall experience, battery life, camera quality etc

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 7:22 AM 0

20. Tricell1991

Posts: 75; Member since: Mar 25, 2015

It's can't comparison to S6 S6 Smoke Z4 for really fast. beside i'm not the Samsung fanboy.

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 5:52 AM 1

17. dancheung77

Posts: 202; Member since: Jan 28, 2015

Looking good, battery life and sd card is what I care for. But I also would like to know how will the compact be like

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 5:17 AM 0

14. azene unregistered

if z4 got a new design , 5 stars everything right now is great except dat omnibalance :/

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 5:05 AM 0

12. geusan

Posts: 137; Member since: Oct 19, 2014

ip certigication, smooth ui, micro sd, better audio quality, better battery life, better design, dual edge screen doesn't make s6 beautifull, ugly s6+dual edge screen = still ugly. even if they add quad edge screen, it still ugly, average battery life, no micro sd, laggy tw

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 4:53 AM 2

31. iushnt

Posts: 3191; Member since: Feb 06, 2013

S6 clear winner here. UFS 2.0 storage, Exynos 7420 processor, DDR4 Ram, smooth UI, better Screen, 1.9f camera and of course great design unlike z4 being same as z3.

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 5:18 PM 0

11. kobainez

Posts: 454; Member since: Apr 13, 2012

The funny thing is, Z4 managed to fit in much bigger battery compared to s6 with only 0.1mm difference

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 4:53 AM 3

16. Jason2k13

Posts: 1491; Member since: Mar 28, 2013

yeah because the Z4 also has OIS hey?

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 5:13 AM 2

18. kobainez

Posts: 454; Member since: Apr 13, 2012

What does ois has something to do with battery?

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 5:18 AM 1

19. Jason2k13

Posts: 1491; Member since: Mar 28, 2013

maybe you should read what you said carefully 1st and ill answer?

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 5:23 AM 3

21. kobainez

Posts: 454; Member since: Apr 13, 2012

Did i mentioned anything about z4 camera on my initial comment?

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 5:56 AM 2

25. buccob

Posts: 2982; Member since: Jun 19, 2012

It doesn't, but the Z4 (just as the previous Z devices) has a flush camera within the body, no ugly lens sticking out of the back, it can lay flush on a surface and the DIS on Sony Xperia has proven to be at least ON PAR with OIS from the competition according to reviewers... I personally tested my Z3C against a Nexus 5 and the stabilization on my Sony was much better thant the one on the Nexus even with OIS

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 7:25 AM 1

35. sunjay140

Posts: 118; Member since: Mar 19, 2015

Because the S6 is waterproof, has front facing speakers and a non-protruding camera.

posted on Apr 22, 2015, 7:05 AM 0

9. gaming64 unregistered

I give the Z4 here my trophy! It has the perfect specs for a phone. Not too beastly and not too inferior.

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 4:48 AM 1

8. kobainez

Posts: 454; Member since: Apr 13, 2012

^bigger camera sensor+waterproof+stereo speakers unlike samdung

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 4:40 AM 2

5. hellbread

Posts: 309; Member since: Nov 21, 2014

Interesting how people hate sony for big bezels but screen to body ratio is little better comparing to s6...

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 4:08 AM 3

6. maherk

Posts: 7113; Member since: Feb 10, 2012

Maybe because there are no on screen buttons that take space from the 5.2" screen. On the Z3, 90% of the time you ll get 0.2" lost due to on screen buttons, where as you ll get a true 5.1" screen on the S6 with a physical home button doubled as a fingerprint scanner. Comparing Z3's screen to body ration with another phone that has on screen buttons is another story.

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 4:13 AM 3

15. hellbread

Posts: 309; Member since: Nov 21, 2014

I agree, I have changed Sony Z1 for Samsung Galaxy Alpha only for that reason. I like off screen buttons. But I was surprised when I saw it has better screen to body ratio. I would never tell that by just looking at those two phones.

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 5:05 AM 1

23. buccob

Posts: 2982; Member since: Jun 19, 2012

the Alpha? you should have gone to the Z3 Compact... I actually do not mind the on-screen buttons there are only around 2 out of >100 apps that I have installed that do not take advantage of the Immersive Mode and shoud... so most of the time, while watching photos, videos, games... the buttons disappear and my screen is 4.6". Anyway how is the Alpha doing for you? I've never seen it in person but I recommended to a couple of people (though they got something different... iP5s and Z1C instead)

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 7:19 AM 0

26. maherk

Posts: 7113; Member since: Feb 10, 2012

The moment it got released in my country i went and got it in gold as a gift for my mom, and almost 5 weeks ago my friend got the silver one. The battery life on it is very good, standby time is great, blazing fast, feels great in the hand, the screen is sharp but would've been better to go with 1080 instead of 720, camera is a good performer outdoors, not so much while indoors or at low light situations. Overall, it is a great phone for it's price, i wouldn't ask more from a $335 smartphone.

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 7:47 AM 0

27. hellbread

Posts: 309; Member since: Nov 21, 2014

I had big dilemma between those two. Only reason I went for Alpha are those off screen buttons. I used iphones for long time and I just need to have that physical home button. I have that Alpha since it came out, overall I am pleased with it but maybe i should go with S5, this one is too small for my hands.

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 9:30 AM 1

2. kobainez

Posts: 454; Member since: Apr 13, 2012

There's still IFA left. If sony didnt unveil a new flagship there, tata sony

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 3:28 AM 1

1. redmd

Posts: 1970; Member since: Oct 26, 2011

The S6 won't have competition this year. Z4 and M9 are like Z3 and M8 + SD810. Sony is becoming lazy. it's Z3 with insignificant incremental upgrades.

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 3:25 AM 9

3. JaneChenLong

Posts: 374; Member since: Mar 18, 2015

No, sony not becoming lazy unlike the USA, market situation in japan is very fast. smartphone only have 6-9 month sales period. If they don't introduce new phone (Z4), the sales will dive.

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 3:34 AM 4

4. josephnero

Posts: 795; Member since: Nov 16, 2011

How so?It's better than S6 already.and battery life will destroy S6 plus water proof and better screen to body ratio.open your eyes.Sammy fans are exactly like isheeps these days

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 4:05 AM 4

7. maherk

Posts: 7113; Member since: Feb 10, 2012

Better screen, camera, wireless charging, fingerprint scanner, faster updates, MUCH better processor. And before you brag about the waterproofing on Sony phones, maybe you wanna do a little search of the thousands of cases found on XDA of the Xperias dying after getting used under water. It's like when you guys kept bragging about the 20.7MP camera, which ended up producing the worst poctures out of a 2014 flagship(along with the 4mp m8)

posted on Apr 20, 2015, 4:20 AM 10

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