Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Sony Xperia Z2: Specifications Comparison

Earlier in the week, Samsung announced the much-awaited smartphone Galaxy S5 at the Unpacked 5 event at Barcelona.

On the very same day and the place, Japanese rival Sony at the MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2014 event launched the company's marquee phone Xperia Z2, kick starting the battle of flagship smartphones early on in the year.

With Sony set to release the Xperia Z2 to stores across the globe this month, the Japanese company is expected to get a head start against its competition Galaxy S5, which is scheduled for global (150 countries) release only in the second week of April.

To give a clear perspective on the devices, we compiled a list of standout features of two smartphones.

Here is brief comparison of Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2:

Design and Display:

Sony Xperia Z2 sports an identical design language seen in its predecessor, sans a slimmer body, with a little bump in the display foot-print. It flaunts an aluminum rim on the 8.2 mm thick edge and features standard IP55/58 water and dust-proof certifications, which enables the phone to survive five feet under water for close to 30 minutes.

In terms of display, the Xperia houses a full HD (1920x1080p) IPS screen with 424 ppi (pixels per inch) resolution and also boasts of 'Live Colour LED' technology and also the Sony's proprietary TRILUMINOS and X-Reality for mobile picture engine technology

On the other hand, Galaxy S5, despite featuring a polycarbonate-based body, comes with a discernible change in terms of build quality, compared to its ancestors. It features dust and water-resistant IP67 certifications (can survive only up to three feet under water for half an hour) and perforated back cover, which adds value by giving a good grip to the phone.

Galaxy S5 flaunts an energy efficient 5.1-inch Super AMOLED full HD (1920x1080p) display with rich display contrast, having pixel density of close to 432 ppi.

Processor, RAM & Storage:

Both Sony and Samsung smartphones houses same Snapdragon 801 series based SoC (System on Chip) manufactured, but differ in CPU speed.

Xperia Z2 features Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AB chipset which can top CPU speed up to 2.3GHz, whereas Galaxy S5's processor MSM8974AC has a maximum clock rate of 2.5GHz.

However, Sony compensates the smartphone's CPU speed with the sumptuous 3GB RAM and 16GB GB (expandable up 64GB) storage space enough to run power guzzling 3D motion games with less lag.

Galaxy S5 packs 2GB and comes in 16GB/32GB inbuilt memory with options for expansion up to 128GB.

Samsung is also expected to release an eight-core Galaxy S5 variant with Exynos 5422 chipset (with 2.1 GHz quad-core Cortex-A15 and 1.5 GHz quad-core Cortex-A7) in select market.

Mobile Operating System and Interface:

In this aspect, Samsung and Sony smartphones stand even as both the devices run on same Android OS platform (v4.4 KitKat). But with

Camera:

Like all its high-end predecessors, Xperia Z2 comes with top-notch camera features. It boasts of Sony's proprietary G Lens and the intelligent BIONZ image-processing engine, Exmor RS sensor, LED flash, HDR (picture/video), image stabilizer and is also capable of recording 4K Ultra HD video recording (twice the vertical and horizontal resolution of 1080p full HD format).

Samsung's Galaxy S5 has seen some improvements compared to its predecessor, but if placed beside competitors like Nokia and Sony, there is still scope for improvement.

It features a 16.0-megapixel main camera with auto-focus speed of 0.3 second (world's fastest as claimed by the company), 4K resolution video recording ability and advanced HDR (High Dynamic Range) features.

Both Sony and Samsung phones house pretty decent front camera capable of snapping good quality 'Selfies' and full HD 1080p video recording.

Value added features:

Samsung Galaxy S5:

-      Finger print sensor

-      Inbuilt hear-rate sensor

-      Kids mode, private mode, Download booster, S Health v3.0 apps

-      IP67 water and dust-resistant certifications (can survive only up to three feet under water for half an hour)

-      2800 mAh battery with Ultra Power Saving Mode can run smartphone up to 390 hours under standby mode.

-      LTE Category-4 (150/50Mbps) network support and fifth generation Wi-Fi (MIMO) for faster wireless data transfer

Sony Xperia Z2:

-      Good build quality with Aluminum chassis and shatter proof and scratch resistant shield on the display.

-      IP55/58 certifications (the phone can survive water jets and function five feet under water for close to 30 minutes).

-      Camera comes with Sony's patented G Lens and BIONZ BIONZ image-processing engine which are usually found in expensive DSLR cameras.

-      3000 mAh battery with STAMINA mode can power the device for 740 hours in idle state.

-      xLoud Experience (exclusive Sony audio technology) and also phone is compatible with PlayStation console just like Windows Phone OS powerd devices are compatible with XBox.

Key specifications of Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2: