One of the most anticipated comparisons is finally here, the PureView-equipped Microsoft Lumia 950 XL meets the Sony Xperia Z5 in our Ultimate Comparison. Let’s find out which phone will emerge better in different departments of our Lumia 950 XL vs Xperia Z5 camera review and comparison.
The Lumia 950 XL is a polycarbonate-made device with removable back cover and battery. It’s far from being a premium device but it feels solid and rugged. On the other hand, Xperia Z5 is made out of metal and frosted glass. It’s waterproof and dustproof at the same time.
The fingerprint scanner on Xperia Z5 works fast whereas the Iris Scanner on Lumia 950 is a little bit slow.
The Lumia 950 XL sports a 5.7-inch 1440p AMOLED ClearBlack display while the Xperia Z5 features 5.2-inch 1080p IPS Triluminos display. Both screens are punchy and crisp with great viewing angles.
Pixel density on Lumia 950 XL is higher despite its larger screen. It’s worth mentioning that Lumia 950 XL incorporates Gorilla Glass 4 while Xperia Z5 with unknown scratch protection.
The main snapper on Lumia 950 XL is a 20MP PureView with Carl Zeiss lens while Xperia Z5 sports a 23MP main Sony G Lens shooter. Images shot from Lumia have top-notch detail preservation and color reproduction. White balance is a little warmer and the details are clearer than the Xperia Z5 shots. But both performed well in the overall shooting including the night or low light scenes.
Both records 4K video resolution at 30fps. Focus speed is smoother on Lumia 950XL while Xperia Z5 proves to have fastest focusing speed in current camera phones. Again color on Lumia 950 XL is a bit warmer but closer to natural colors.
Selfie shooting on Xperia Z5 really good. Images have brighter exposure than the Lumia 950 XL but quality in detail is very close.
Which camera quality do you prefer?
Both phones are powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 810 chip and 3GB RAM. Internal storage of the two is 32GB with microSD card support up to 200GB. Running apps and games are smooth and fluid. We didn’t run benchmark apps due to missing support for Lumia 950 XL. But we assure you that speed is close on the two hardware.
Lumia 950 XL packs 3340 mAh replaceable battery. Xperia Z5 has sealed 2900mAh. We are happy to report that with the latest software update on the Lumia 950 XL, its battery life is now around 2 days the same with the Xperia Z5.
The mono speaker of Lumia 950 XL is located behind. Quality is good but not as solid when put side-by-side with the front-facing stereo speakers on Xperia Z5.
For the pricing, the Lumia 950XL retails for P32,990 which is more affordable to the Xperia Z5 at P38,000 pesos–all in 32GB versions.
Now if you’re windows fan, the Lumia 950 and 950 XL are great choices you can have right now. The 950 XL has an excellent display and camera whereas the Xperia Z5 is one of the most capable Android phones at the moment.
But as always, let’s know which phone do you prefer.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxdaED9Y99A]
| Specs, PH Price | Microsoft Lumia 950 XL | Sony Xperia Z5 |
| Display | 5.7-inch 1440p AMOLED ClearBlack, 518 ppi, Gorilla Glass 4 | 5.2-inch 1080p FHD IPS LCD, Triluminos, 428 ppi, Scratch-resistant |
| Size | 8.1m thick, 165g weight | 7.3mm thick, 154g weight |
| Design | Polycarbonate, removable back | Metal frame + frosted glass, Waterproof, dust-resistance |
| Colors | Black, white | Gold, Black, Green, White |
| Chipset & CPU | Snapdragon 810 octa-core | Snapdragon 810 octa-core |
| Graphics | Adreno 430 graphics | Adreno 430 graphics |
| Memory | 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, microSD up to 200GB | 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, microSD up to 200GB |
| Camera | 20MP PureView, Carl Zeiss lens, 4K UHD video recording, Triple tone LED flash | 23MP main, Sony G Lens, 4K UDH video, LED flash |
| Selfie | 5MP selfie front-facing | 5MP selfie front-facing |
| Connectivity | 4G dual LTE nano SIM, WiFi ac, Bt 4.1, GPS | 4G LTE nano SIM, WiFi ac, 4G LTE, Bt 4.1, GPS |
| Software | Windows 10 Mobile | Android 5.1 Lollipop |
| Battery | 3340mAh | 2900mAh |
| Ports, quick charge | USB Type C | microUSB |
| Release date | December 2015 in the Philippines | September 2015, available online from Sony Philippines |
| Price | Php 32,990 PH Price | Php 38,000 PH Price 32GB variant |
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Cpaun says:
Nice phones. Both of them.