Introduction
Do we have a good one for you today – the Sony Xperia XZ goes up against the new Honor 6X. Both devices come with an all-metal backing, a solid build quality, and good specifications, which is especially nice considering how cheap the Honor 6X costs. The two smartphones are different in shape with the Sony Xperia XZ keeping in form with their squared off look while the Honor 6X has a nicely smoothed and curved backing with dual cameras. Which one of these devices has what it takes to win this competition? Let’s see just what these two smartphones have in common and just how much they differ.
These two devices do have a few things in common. We can start with the display size being relatively close with the Xperia XZ coming in at 5.2-inches and the Honor 6X at 5.5-inches; however, both devices share the same LCD technology and Full HD resolution. This close screen size makes their physical dimensions relatively close with the Honor 6X being ever so slightly larger and one gram heavier. The Xperia XZ and Honor 6X both offer a 32GB or 64GB model with expandable memory via a microSD card. Both of the devices have a base of 3GB of RAM with 4GB available in the 64GB Honor 6X model coming soon. The camera areas are very different with the Honor 6X employing a dual camera set up – however, the Xperia XZ will give you a better picture. Both offer a non-removable battery with rapid charge capabilities. The usual suspects are here – WiFi, Bluetooth (v4.2 in the Xperia XZ and v4.1 in the Honor 6X,) GPS, and a reversible Type-C port for charging and data transfer in the Xperia XZ and a microUSB v2.0 port on the Honor 6X.
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 XZ
While Sony has a loyal following, Sony smartphones do not sell well in the US market, and they would love to increase sales. However, when your flagship device, the Xperia XZ, only works on AT&T or T-Mobile and the fingerprint sensor does not have the necessary firmware to operate, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what is wrong. The Xperia XZ uses an all-metal backing and has the familiar Sony rectangle shape, curved on the sides to make it easier to hold. It incorporates Sony’s love for large top and bottom bezels. Let’s see how it stands up to the new Honor 6X.
Sony avoids QHD displays like the plague, even in their flagship models. The Xperia XZ sports their usual IPS Full HD display of 5.2-inches with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels with a respectable 424 pixels-per-inch (PPI.) Sony made a wise decision in the processing department and went with the 64-bit Snapdragon 820. It is a quad-core processor with dual cores clocked at 1.6GHz and dual cores clocked at 2.15GHz and with the Adreno 530 GPU, to take care of any intense graphics you take on in gaming or videos. It packs only 3GB of DDR4 RAM, and you can have your choice of 32GB or 64GB of expandable internal memory.
One thing Sony does right is cameras. Sony loves a good camera, and so do we. This tradition continues on the Xperia XZ. The Xperia XZ sports a new 23MP Sony lens for its primary camera with an aperture of f/2.0, 24mm width, phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and laser autofocus, and LED flash. The front-facing camera (FFC) uses a huge 13MP sensor with a f/2.0, 22mm, and HDR capabilities allowing you to take great selfies or do video chatting. The Xperia XZ uses a smaller 2900mAh non-removable battery with Quick Charge 3.0 to give you a rapid charge.
The Xperia XZ excels with its camera and Hi-Res audio and produces great sound through the earphones or the dual front-facing stereo speakers. It is IP68 certified for dust and water resistance – something not found on the Honor 6X. The Xperia XZ only operates on GSM networks, and that includes AT&T or T-Mobile in the US – Verizon and Sprint are left out of the picture. It has no working fingerprint sensor for unlocking the device or for authorizing mobile payments, although mobile payments are still possible because of its NFC capability. It measures 146 x 72 x 8.1MM and weighs in at 161 grams. It comes in Mineral Black, Platinum, Forest Blue, or Deep Pink. It will cost you a sizable $699 for this Sony flagship.
Honor 6X
The Honor 6X is the newest mid-range smartphone, from Huawei’s Honor sub-brand and with a price tag of $250 for the 32GB model and $299 for the 64GB model, you are getting an excellent value. It is a nice looking smartphone with a solid metal build, and it has rounded corners that make it a pleasure to hold. It uses 2.D-curved glass that works well with the curved sides. It is only 8.2mm thick and a lightweight at only 162 grams. The Honor 6X has a dual camera set up and takes decent pictures. Let’s see how it stacks up to the Sony Xperia XZ.
The Honor 6X sports a 5.5-inch IPS LCD Full HD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 403 PPI. Huawei put in their own designed processor, the HiSilicon Kirin 655 octa-core with four cores clocked at 1.7GHz and four cores clocked at 2.1GHz, coupled with a Mali-T830MP2 GPU to handle the graphics. The Honor 6X packs 3GB of RAM and offers 32GB of internal memory that is expandable via a microSD card; however, Huawei claims there will also be a 4GB/64GB model available shortly.
The Honor 6X uses dual cameras – a 12MP primary camera and a 2MP secondary camera that Huawei claims will deliver a “professional-grade bokeh effect.” It comes with Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF) and a LED flash. For its FFC, it uses an 8MP lens for selfies and video chatting. The Honor 6X uses a larger 3340mAh non-removable battery with rapid charging.
We have to remember the Honor 6X is a mid-range smartphone – however, it has excellent built quality, good looks, and offers a great value. It has a fingerprint sensor for unlocking the device, but no mobile banking without an NFC chip. Huawei added a neat feature to the Honor 6X to prevent eye fatigue by filtering out the blue light. It measures 150.9 x 76.2 x 8.2mm, weighs in at 162 grams, and comes in Gray, Gold, and Silver. It will cost you about $250 for the 3GB/32GB model and $300 for the 4GB/64GB model out later this year. It comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow with a planned upgrade to Android 7.0 Nougat, although Huawei does not have a glowing track record when it comes to updates. The Honor 6X is a GSM device, and it will function on AT&T or T-Mobile in the US.
…And The Winner is…
The Final Word
Picking a winner was relatively easy in this case. The Honor 6X with its larger display, a fingerprint sensor that works in the US, an IR Blaster, a larger battery, great build quality, and its incredibly low price of only $250 made the choice a no-brainer.
The Sony does have a loyal following – but what they are following with Xperia XZ is a smaller display and a fingerprint sensor that does not work in the US and a price tag of about $700. It may have NFC and a better camera, and dual speakers, but for the price, it should have a Quad HD display, working fingerprint sensor, and more RAM.
If you need a top-notch camera and want to make mobile payments, then you will have to buy the Sony Xperia XZ or another smartphone for the same price or less money with those features. The Honor 6X holds up well to the Xperia XZ, and as long as you are okay without making mobile payments, it offers a great value. Both devices only work on AT&T or T-Mobile in the US, so that consideration is a wash.
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