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Both Sony and Apple released immensely compelling flagship smartphones this year. Sony’s launched in May and became available in July. Apple’s both launched and went on sale in September. Having said that, we’re here to compare the Sony Xperia 1 V vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. If you’re in the market for a large flagship smartphone, with all the bells and whistles, these two phones are definitely worth checking out.
We’ll first list their specifications, as we usually do in comparisons. Following that, we’ll compare the two phones across several other categories. We’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life and charging, cameras, and audio output as well. With that in mind, let’s get this going.
Specs
Sony Xperia 1 V vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, respectively
– Screen size:
6.5-inch OLED display (flat, 120Hz LTPO, HDR)
6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion (flat, 120Hz, HDR10, 2,000 nits)
– Display resolution:
3840 x 1644
2796 x 1290
– SoC:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Apple A17 Pro
– RAM:
12GB (LPDDR5X)
8GB
– Storage:
256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0)
256GB/512GB/1TB (NVMe)
– Rear cameras:
48MP (f/1.9 aperture, 1.12um pixel size, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF), 12MP (f/2.3 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF, 2.5x-5.2x continuous zoom)
48MP (f/1.78 aperture, second-gen sensor-shift OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree FoV, macro photography), 12MP (telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, 5x optical zoom)
– Front cameras:
12MP (f/2.0 aperture, 1.25um pixel size)
12MP (f/1.9 aperture) + TrueDepth
– Battery:
5,000mAh
4,422mAh
– Charging:
30W wired, 15W wireless, reverse wireless (charger not included)
20W wired, 15W wireless, reverse wired charging (charger not included)
– Dimensions:
165 x 71 x 8.3mm
159.9 x 76.7 x 8.25mm
– Weight:
187 grams
221 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
– Security:
Side-facing fingerprint scanner
Advanced facial scanning
– OS:
Android 13 (upgradable to Android 14)
iOS 17
– Price:
$1,399.99 (often discounted to around $1,000)
$1,199
– Buy:
Amazon
Apple
Sony Xperia 1 V vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Design
The Sony Xperia 1 V and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max are visibly different devices. They both do have a flat frame all around, but that’s basically where the similarities end. The Xperia 1 V has a flat display without a display camera hole or notch. It has slightly thicker bezels at the top and bottom, though. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, includes a flat display too, with thin, uniform bezels. However, it does also have a pill-shaped cutout in that display for the front-facing camera and facial scanning tech.
Both smartphones have three cameras on the back. The Xperia 1 V has three vertically aligned units, which are placed in the top-left corner. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a recognizable camera setup on the back; the one Apple has been using for several generations. Those cameras also sit in the top-left corner. In addition to the power/lock and volume rocker keys, both smartphones do have an additional button. The Xperia 1 V has a shutter button on the right, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max has an Action Button on the left.
Despite the fact the Xperia 1 V has a smaller display, it is taller due to its aspect ratio. It is also considerably narrower than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, while being the same thickness as Apple’s device. The Xperia 1 V is also considerably lighter at 187 grams. The iPhone 15 Pro Max weighs 221 grams. Both smartphones offer an IP68 certification for water and dust resistance, which is always nice to see. They do feel different in the hand, though, but the premium aspect is easily noticeable on both.
Sony Xperia 1 V vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Display
There is a 6.5-inch 4K (3840 x 1644) OLED display included on the Sony Xperia 1 V. That display is flat, and it supports a 120Hz refresh rate. In addition to that, HDR content is also supported here. That panel has a 21:9 aspect ratio, and around 84.2-percent screen-to-body ratio. The display is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 from Corning.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the flip side, has a 6.7-inch 2796 x 1290 panel. That is a flat LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display. That panel also has a 120Hz refresh rate, while it supports HDR10 content. Dolby Vision support is also a part of the package. This panel has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, and an almost 90 percent screen-to-body ratio. This display gets up to 2,000 nits when it comes to brightness. It is protected by the Ceramic Shield Glass.
In all honesty, there’s not much to complain about when it comes to either of these two displays. They both offer vivid colors, deep blacks, and great viewing angles. The touch response is also quite good. The iPhone 15 Pro Max’s display does have the advantage of being a bit brighter, but the difference is not that big. The Xperia 1 V has a sharper panel, though you’ll be able to utilize 4K resolution only with 4K content. Not many people will notice the difference on a display of this size.
Sony Xperia 1 V vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Performance
Sony’s flagship is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. That is Qualcomm’s second most powerful chip at the moment, it was the most powerful one until recently. The phone is also equipped with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and UFS 4.0 flash storage. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the flip side, is fueled by the Apple A17 Pro chip. It includes 8GB of RAM, and NVMe flash storage.
Both of these chips are truly powerful, even though the Apple A17 Bionic does have the edge in terms of sheer performance power. The Xperia 1 V does have the edge in the RAM and storage departments, when it comes to sheer performance, that is. How does that reflect on a day-to-day performance, however? Well, both smartphones do a great job in that regard, to say the least.
They’re both perfectly smooth. They can handle anything you throw at them with ease. That goes for regular tasks, and even more complicated ones, such as gaming. No matter what game you dig up or how demanding it is, these two handsets can handle it. That’s not surprising, but it’s worth noting. They both do get quite warm during gaming sessions, but never too warm to handle.
Sony Xperia 1 V vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Battery
A 5,000mAh battery sits inside the Sony Xperia 1 V, while a 4,441mAh unit can be found inside the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple’s iPhones usually have smaller battery packs than their Android counterparts. That’s because they do work differently, and usually require less battery power to provide similar battery life. That being said, is the battery life any good on these two phones? Well, yes, it is, definitely.
From what we’ve seen, the iPhone 15 Pro Max does offer a bit more in that regard, but the difference is not that big. Getting over 8 hours of screen-on-time with the iPhone 15 Pro Max was perfectly doable for us. The phone lasted quite a bit once the initial struggles were over. The Xperia 1 V, on the other hand, can provide up to 7-7.5 hours of screen-on-time, presuming you’re not pushing it hard with gaming and so on. Your mileage could and will vary, of course. Each of us uses our phones differently, so we do get different results. What we can say, however, is that both of these phones offer great battery life, and not many people will have complaints.
When it comes to charging, Sony’s flagship supports 30W wired, 15W wireless, and 5W reverse wireless charging. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, supports 20W wired, 15W wireless (MagSafe and Qi2), and 7.5W Qi charging. 4.5W reverse wired charging is also supported here. Do note that neither phone comes with a charger in the box, though.
Sony Xperia 1 V vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Cameras
There are three cameras on the back of each of these two phones. The Sony Xperia 1 V includes a 48-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit, and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera (3.5x-5.2x continuous optical zoom). The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 48-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (120-degree FoV), and a 12-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (5x optical zoom).
Quite a few flagship smartphones this year were really compelling in the camera department, and these two are definitely close to the top. They both offer great camera performance in both still images and video. The iPhone 15 Pro Max does have the edge in the video department, while the situation with stills is a close battle and more a thing of preference than anything else. We’d say that the iPhone 15 Pro Max is still more consistent, even when it comes to stills, though.
Images from the iPhone 15 Pro Max are almost always spot on, and it’s one of the best point-and-shoot cameras out there (when it comes to phones). The Xperia 1 V is also a very good point-and-shoot camera, but its magic lies in its very capable camera apps. You can really dial in your shot to make it look perfect, if you’re so inclined. The two phones capture plenty of details during the day, while they also do an outstanding job in nighttime conditions too. Their secondary and tertiary cameras do a good job of following the main camera’s color science too.
Audio
Both phones are equipped with a set of stereo speakers, and both of them do a great job. The sound is plenty loud, and also very well-balanced. The iPhone 15 Pro Max technically provides a slightly louder output, but the difference is so minuscule that many of you wouldn’t even notice the difference.
The Xperia 1 V does have one advantage when it comes to wired audio, it includes a 3.5mm headphone jack. You’ll need to utilize the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s USB-C port in order to connect your headphones via a wired. Both smartphones are equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, however.