iPhone SE VS Sony Xperia Z5 Compact: Apple does have a rival on the side of Android?

He was tipped for several weeks now, and he is now official. The iPhone SE  will respond to a problem today forgotten by manufacturers,  offer a small phone, but as powerful as a premium. On the side of Android, the only one who tried it is Sony, the Xperia Z5 Compact, but both phones are they really comparable?

 Very different data sheets

 Android and iOS do not work the same way and it shows on the technical characteristics of the devices. Also, it is not surprising that the Xperia Z5 Compact iPhone and SE have completely different architectures.

A (small) premium design

The same principle that led to the design of Xperia Z5 Compact and iPhone SE is to offer the same high quality experience as a flagship, but in a smaller case. If this argument holds for performance, it also applies to the aesthetics of the phone. Sony as Apple remained on solid values ​​at this level, by taking the outline of their headliners. The Japanese side has taken its appearance of its Xperia line Z5, while American nostalgia rather play by taking the frame of the iPhone 5s last brand representative with a 4-inch screen.



In one case as in the other, we find premium finishes, including a back glass, frosted Xperia Z5 compact. Apple still happen in this battle with a strong argument, literally as well as figuratively, since its product is smaller in width and thickness. Especially thick (7.6 mm against 8.9 mm)! Height however, the presence of the main button on the iPhone (Touch ID) under the screen prevents it from being really little more, even if he wins still about 3 mm on its competitor. The fingerprint of Z5 Compact sensor, it lies on its edge.

Compact screens or very compact

With its 4.6-inch screen HD 720p (1280 x 720 pixels), the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact certainly represents what is more compact in the world of high-end smartphones. The unit displays well on its IPS panel, a resolution of 323 pixels per inch, with a brightness measured at 647 cd / m2. On his side, the iPhone OS offers a lower resolution of 1136 x 640 pixels. Instead, it refers to a 4-inch slab, allowing him to obtain a final resolution of 326 dpi, almost identical to the Z5 Compact. Apple also promises a brightness of 500 cd / m2 and a contrast of 800: 1.

The real question is actually not that of the resolution nor the brightness Are you really capable when you just blithely smartphones surpassing the 5-inch diagonal, back to a 4-inch screen?

Camera: two different approaches

Like the Xperia Z5 Z5 Compact Xperia Sony has a latest-generation photo sensor, Exmor RS of 23 megapixels, with a hybrid autofocus in 0.03 seconds and the ability to shoot in 4K. This convinced us, but perhaps not as good as the iPhone 6s (in low brightness at least). The iPhone OS, meanwhile resumed his iSight sensor 12 megapixels, with (big) 1.22 microns pixel, a panoramic mode to produce images of 63 megapixels and a video capture mode in 4K. Neither has however Optical Stabilizer (OIS).

 
Among many pixels and large pixels, the choice remains with the user. Note nonetheless that fans 4K video will have to deal with their smartphone storage space, expandable with the Xperia Z5, and limited to 16 or 64 GB for the iPhone OS, depending on the amount spent on the purchase.

The autonomy in question

This is a critical point of differentiation for the iPhone, especially as the Apple devices are not really known for sure a really convincing autonomy. Apple promises at least of better performance than the iPhone 5S, but down according to use cases compared to iPhone 6s: count to 13 hours of navigation in 4G, up to 1 hour of HD video playback and up to 10 days of standby. In fact, difficult to establish a precise autonomy, but it is doubtful that with its small size of 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm, it loads a battery of a large capacity. It is not known in most of the time.



For its part, the Xperia Z5 Compact is a safe bet in terms of autonomy, with a battery of 2700 mAh combined with Stamina Mode often helpful. This is not the best in its field (rather see this selection sent to mobile users seeking autonomy), but it takes more than one day of use.

Performance and software

It is obviously on this point that will compete smartphones. Between Android experience at the cutting edge Sony (Marshmallow finally arrived) and latest version of iOS (9.3) from Apple, it is above all a matter of taste to the user. However, if one may point out the correct control of the Snapdragon 810 at Sony, one can only question the performance of the A9 chip of the iPhone OS. With such a small screen, and Apple promises that this is the same chip than the iPhone 6s, we can not wait to fly high performance. The question is whether Apple has not clipped on the RAM, that the coming days will tell us.

Conclusion

therefore difficult to compare the two units, even though they both try to answer the same problem. With their sleek design and quality of screen, the iPhone and SE Xperia Z5 Compact will denote not in the dinner parties and the playground where iPhone 6s and other Xperia ZX Compact have the spotlight. Apple has nevertheless pushed miniaturization further than Sony, thus to recreate a very limited market today in terms of diversity of models. Must still appreciate the diagonal 4 inches at a time when media consumption is becoming more frequent ... a detail that will be for some to forget thanks to more modest price of iPhone OS.The rest of the features, performance, autonomy through the camera are still very partial, and it is difficult to say which is the best show in these areas. Only a more detailed examination, after the release of the iPhone OS, can enlighten us on the subject.