Compact flagships are rare in the actual smartphone market. That is why when one of them gets released there is always an important hype. The latest compact flagship released is the new iPhone SE 2020 by Apple. It promises the same performance as the iPhone 11 series in a compact body and at an affordable price compared to other Apple phones. But is it really the best compact smartphone out there? In order to establish it, we decided to compare it with other recent compact flagships in the Android world: the vanilla Google Pixel 4 and the Sony Xperia 5 which replaced the Xperia Compact series.
Apple iPhone SE 2020 vs Google Pixel 4 vs Sony Xperia 5
| Google Pixel 4 | Apple iPhone SE 2020 | Sony Xperia 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 147.1 x 68.8 x 8.2 mm, 162 g | 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm, 148 grams | 158 x 68 x 8.2 mm, 164 g |
| DISPLAY | 5.7 inches, 1080 x 2280p (Full HD+), P-OLED | 4.7 inches, 750 x 1334p (Retina HD), Retina IPS LCD | 6.1 inches, 1080 x 2520p (Full HD+), OLED |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.84 GHz | Apple A13 Bionic, hexa-core 2.65 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.84 GHz |
| MEMORY | 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB | 3 GB RAM, 128 GB – 3 GB RAM, 64 GB – 3 GB RAM 256 GB | 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD slot |
| SOFTWARE | Android 10 | iOS 13 | Android 9 Pie |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS |
| CAMERA | Dual 12.2 + 16 MP, f/1.7 and f/2.4 8 MP f/2.0 front camera |
Single 12 MP f/1.8 7 MP f/2.2 front camera |
Triple 12 + 12 + 12 MP, f/1.6, f/2.4 and f/2.4 8 MP f/2.0 front camera |
| BATTERY | 2800 mAh, fast charging 18W and Qi wireless charging | 1821 mAh, fast charging 18W, wireless charging Qi | 3140 mAh, fast charging 18W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Dual SIM slot, IP68 waterproof, eSIM | IP67 water resistant, eSIM | Hybrid Dual SIM slot |
Design
iPhone SE 2020, Google Pixel 4, and Sony Xperia 5 all come with a premium design including a glass back and an aluminum frame. But I define the Sony Xperia 5 as a much more attractive device due to its narrower bezels around the display and its CinemaWide 21:9 aspect ratio. On the other hand, it is the device with the biggest dimensions in this trio. The most compact, lightweight, and thinnest one is the Apple iPhone SE which measures 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm and weighs just 148 grams. However, it has an outdated design: the same as the iPhone 8 released back in 2017.
Display
Each of these devices offers a pretty nice display panel. But my favorite one belongs to Google Pixel 4. It is the only to offer a 90 Hz refresh rate and, besides providing the OLED technology and a Full HD+ resolution, it is HDR-compliant. Sony Xperia 5 lacks a high refresh rate just like the iPhone SE, but it still offers an amazing OLED display with HDR and advanced technologies borrowed from Sony Bravia TVs. Unfortunately, iPhone SE has an IPS panel with a lower resolution, but it comes with a wider color gamut and the True Tone technology. Further, the handset is the most compact with a diagonal of just 4.7 inches. iPhone SE and Sony Xperia 5 rely on a fingerprint scanner for authentication, while Google Pixel 4 supports 3D facial recognition.
Hardware/Software
The most performing handset here is the iPhone SE: it is equipped with the same Apple A13 Bionic SoC found on the iPhone 11 lineup and the iOS operating system offers a more advanced level of optimization. You should not notice big differences between Google Pixel 4 and Sony Xperia 5 since they pack the same Snapdragon 855 chipset paired with 6 GB of RAM and UFS 2.1 internal storage. Sony Xperia 5 is the only with a micro SD slot to expand the internal storage, but unlike the Google Pixel 4 running Android 10, it runs Android 9 Pie out of the box.
Camera
It is very hard to pick a winner in this trio: all of these devices are amazing camera phones, each with its pros and cons. In my opinion, Google Pixel 4 provides the most amazing image quality in a lot of scenarios, but Sony Xperia 5 is more or less at the same level and, unlike the Google Pixel 4 and the iPhone SE, it packs an ultrawide sensor. iPhone SE shines when it comes to video recording with an awesome stabilization and sharpness. Google Pixel 4 shoots amazing selfies and it is the only with a dual front camera including a TOF 3D sensor.
Battery
The longest battery life is provided by the Sony Xperia 5 which also packs a bigger 3140 mAh battery. But the Sony Xperia 5 does not support wireless charging, unlike Google Pixel 4 and iPhone SE. The silver medal goes to the Google Pixel 4 with its 2800 mAh battery.
Price
iPhone SE starts from €499/$399, Google Pixel 4 begins at $799/€749, and Sony Xperia 5 has an €800/$800 starting price. Thanks to actual street prices, you can get Google Pixel 4 and Sony Xperia 5 at way lower prices. There is not a definitive winner of this comparison. Sony Xperia 5 wins when it comes to battery life, Google Pixel 4 offers a 90 Hz display, iPhone SE has the highest performance. When it comes to cameras, they are all pretty nice. Call me unpopular, but my choice would be Sony Xperia 5 due to its battery. Which one would you pick?
Apple iPhone SE 2020 vs Google Pixel 4 vs Sony Xperia 5: PRO and CONS
Apple iPhone SE 2020
PROS
- More compact
- Best performance
- Good price
- Wireless charging
- eSIM
CONS
- Smaller battery
Google Pixel 4
PROS
- 3D facial recognition
- Wireless charging
- Great 90 Hz display
- eSIM
CONS
- Older chipset
- Smaller display
Sony Xperia 5
PROS
- Great triple camera
- More impressive design
- Micro SD slot
- Bigger battery
CONS
- Price
