Introduction
Do we have a good one for you today – the Sony Xperia X Performance takes on the OnePlus 3. Both all-metal devices, but designed differently – the OnePlus 3 will take the trophy in the looks department. While Sony changed their design over to all metal, it looks and even feels as though it is plastic. The Xperia X Performance looks like any other Sony device with the rectangle design and the large bezels on the top and bottom. The OnePlus 3 is an all-metal design that reminds you of the iPhone. Let’s take a look to see just what these two devices have in common and then we will take a closer look at each device.
The Xperia X Performance and the OnePlus 3 do have a few things in common – they both use a Full HD (FHD) display resolution, although the size and type of technology differ. They both went with the Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor and an Adreno 530 GPU to handle the toughest graphics. Both have great camera areas but go about it differently. Both use a non-removable battery with a rapid charge to supply their power. The have the usual suspects – WiFi, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS, NFC, and a USB port (microUSB v2.0 in the Sony and the newer Type-C in the OP3) for charging and data transfer. The international version of the Sony does have a fingerprint sensor like the OnePlus 3 – however, the US Sony device does not come with a fingerprint sensor.
Please take a thoughtful look at the detailed Specifications Comparison chart below and here you will see just how these two great devices stack up against one another – click on the “View Full Comparison” link at the end of the chart to expand the details. After that, we will look at each device in greater depth and point out some of its pros and cons. From all of this information, we will try to determine the winner based on specs and execution of design and functions.
Specifications
Sony Xperia X Performance
When Sony came out with the new Xperia X line of smartphones, we were not expecting any surprises – even with its switch to an all-metal construction. Rectangle shape – Check. Large top and bottom bezels – Check. A small, full HD display – Check. Overpriced – Check. Sony needs some new advisors/designers – even the metal they selected looks and feels like plastic…taking away that premium feel. The international version comes with a fingerprint sensor, yet the US version is lacking one? These type of things drive consumers crazy. With the same processor and GPU, just how well does the Sony Xperia X Performance hold up to the OnePlus 3? Let’s take a look.
The Xperia X Performance sports a small 5.0-inch IPS LCD FHD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, and 441 PPI. Sony did make the right move to the 64-bit Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor with dual cores clocked at 1.6 GHz and dual cores clocked at 2.15 GHz. An excellent Adreno 530 GPU is included to handle the toughest graphics. It is also packing 3GB of DDR4 RAM, comes with 32GB of internal memory, which is expandable to 200GB via a microSD card.
The Performance uses Sony’s infamous 23MP camera sensor for its primary shooter, with an aperture of f/2.0, 24 mm, Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF,) and LED flash. Sony did jump from a 5.1MP to a larger 13MP FFC, gave it an aperture of f/2.0 and 22 mm lens for excellent selfies and video chats. A 2700mAh non-removable battery with Quick Charge 2.0 capabilities supplies the power.
The Sony Xperia X Performance is IP68 certified for water resistance and retains the excellent dual stereo front-facing speakers. Although there is no fingerprint sensor in the US version, the international version should work on limited US networks – check with your carrier. The Xperia X measures 143.7 x 70.4 x 8.7 mm and weighs in at 164.4 grams. The colors are White, Graphite Black, Lime Gold, and Rose Gold and the Xperia X will cost you about $675 – $700.
OnePlus 3
OnePlus has always built a quality product, but they always lacked something – display resolution, processor, RAM, memory, NFC, or fingerprint sensor. The OnePlus 3 is the best device they have ever made. OnePlus went with a new all-metal design that is very similar looking to the rest of the OnePlus lineup. It has a minimalist, well-built and robust design that feels the part of a flagship smartphone. Let’s see just how well it stacks up to the Sony Xperia X Performance
The OnePlus 3 sports a new 5.5-inch FHD Optic AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 401 PPI. Still not a QHD resolution we would like to see, the new AMOLED display should offer much better color contrasts than the old LCD. OnePlus grabbed the best processor on the market with the Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor with a dual-core clocked at 1.6GHz and another at 2.15GHz. This processor is teamed up with an Adreno 530 GPU to provide great graphics. OnePlus then packed in a full 6GB of DDR4 RAM and 64GB of the faster UFS 2.0 internal storage, although there are no means to expand.
OnePlus significantly improved the camera area on the OP3 by using a new 16MP sensor, with fast PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus), a LED Flash, a large f/2.0 aperture, and both OIS and EIS (Electronic Stabilization.) The FFC camera increased from 5MP to 8MP with a f/2.0 aperture for better selfies and video chatting. OnePlus decreased the battery from 3300mAh to 3000mAh in the OnePlus 3, but they included their rapid charging they call Dash Charge that will give you up to a 60-percent charge in only 30 minutes.
OnePlus finally put BOTH a fingerprint sensor and NFC chip on the same device. This combination will make mobile, or Android Pay purchases possible with a swipe of your finger – thanks to Marshmallow. It runs mostly stock Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out-of-the-box with OnePlus’ OS called OxygenOS on top. It measures 152.7 x 74.7 x 7.35mm, weighs in at 158 grams, and will cost you about $400 USD for the 6GB/64GB model. It comes in Graphite, and Soft Gold.
…And The Winner Is…
The Final Word
This is a relatively easy pick – the OnePlus 3 wins this comparison. Not just because of the price difference, but it just gives you the same or better performance – okay, maybe the price does help. You get a larger display, AMOLED technology for deeper contrasts, the same CPU and GPU as the Sony, double the RAM, double the internal UFS 2.0 memory, a larger battery, newer Type-C port, and a fingerprint scanner on all models. You get all of that for $400.
For almost $300 more, you get expandable memory and dual stereo speakers on the Sony Xperia X Performance. You get a small 5.0-inch LCD FHD display, a smaller battery, and IP68 certification for dust and water. That is a lot of extra money to spend for those few attributes when compared with the OnePlus 3 device.
The OnePlus 3 just offers so much more value for your dollar that it is hard not to pick it as the winner…now, if we can just convince OP to include expandable storage.
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