Phone Comparisons: OnePlus 8 Pro vs Sony Xperia 5 II

The time has come to compare the Sony Xperia 5 II vs OnePlus 8 Pro. The Sony Xperia 5 II is one of the two flagship handsets from Sony, and the same can be said for the OnePlus 8 Pro and OnePlus. These two phones are actually considerably different in comparison. Not only are they different from the design aspect, but the same goes for their size, and internals. The two companies took different approaches here, at least to a degree.

That’s what makes this comparison so interesting. What also makes it interesting are the price tags of the two phones. They do come with similar price tags, so if you’ve been thinking of getting one of them, chances are you can afford the other one as well, just in case you opt for that one instead. That being said, we’ll try to help you make a decision in this article, as we’ll compare the Sony Xperia 5 II vs OnePlus 8 Pro across a number of different sections. We’ll kick off by listing their specs, and more to the design, display, performance, and several other categories.

Specs

OnePlus 8 Pro vs Sony Xperia 5 II: Design

Both of these phones are made out of metal and glass, and that’s basically the only similarity between them. The in-hand feel is considerably different due to different curves, and the sheer size difference. The Xperia 5 II is considerably shorter, narrower, and even a bit thinner than the OnePlus 8 Pro. That’s not surprising considering that it has a considerably smaller display as well. The Xperia 5 II is also lighter, by over 30 grams lighter.

The Xperia 5 II has somewhat thicker bezels at the top and bottom, though it does not have a display camera hole because of it. That is something some of you may find as a good thing. The OnePlus 8 Pro, on the other hand, includes a display camera hole in the top-left corner. The Sony Xperia 5 II does feel thicker in the hand, due to its shape, but it’s actually a bit thinner than the OnePlus 8 Pro.

Both phones include vertically-aligned cameras, and both camera modules protrude on the back. On the back, you’ll find company brandings, while a Type-C port is placed at the bottom, as well as a loudspeaker. The Sony Xperia 5 II also includes a 3.5mm headphone jack, though we’ll talk more about that in the audio section. Both phones are fairly slippery in the hand, the OnePlus 8 Pro more so, due to its design.

It is worth noting that the Xperia 5 II has quite a few buttons on the right-hand side. There are four different sets of buttons included on the right, including the camera shutter button. That may seem quite confusing to some of you, though it’s not hard to get used to.

OnePlus 8 Pro vs Sony Xperia 5 II: Display

One thing is for sure, both of these devices deliver stunning displays. The Sony Xperia 5 II features a 6.1-inch fullHD+ (2520 x 1080) OLED display. The OnePlus 8 Pro, on the other hand, comes with a 6.78-inch QHD+ (3168 x 1440) Fluid AMOLED display. The OnePlus 8 Pro’s display is technically sharper, but truth be said, this is not something you’ll notice in regular usage, not at all.

Both displays look excellent. They deliver great, saturated colors, and deep OLED blacks. Viewing angles are also excellent, and there’s nothing to complain about there. The Xperia 5 II’s display is protected by the Gorilla Glass 6, while the Gorilla Glass 5 protects the OnePlus 8 Pro’s display. Both of these displays deliver a 120Hz refresh rate, which means everything on them is very fluid, and that’s especially noticeable when you’re scrolling.

HDR content is supported by both displays as well, in case you were wondering. The Xperia 5 II sports a flat display, while the OnePlus 8 Pro comes with a curved panel. So, as you can see, both displays are top-notch, though they’re quite different. One is flat and smaller, while the other one is huge and curved. They’re both excellent in terms of quality, and very bright, so just decide what size fits you best.

OnePlus 8 Pro vs Sony Xperia 5 II: Performance

The performance is yet another aspect that these two phones excel at. That’s not exactly surprising, both of these phones have top-of-the-line specifications, on top of having really well-optimized software builds. Both phones ship with Android 10, though the OnePlus 8 Pro already received its Android 11 update. Android 11 is also coming to the Xperia 5 II, though it didn’t land yet, at the time of writing this article.

In any case, both devices are fueled by the Snapdragon 865 SoC. That is the most powerful chip Qualcomm has to offer at the moment, and many would say it’s an overkill for a smartphone, especially if you’re not gaming. Well, extra power is not a bad thing, that’s for sure. Both phones fly through everything your throw at them. That goes for everything from web browsing, and multitasking, to consuming multimedia, and gaming. You can easily process images and video on these phones as well.

Both phones also include plenty of RAM. The Xperia 5 II comes with 8GB, while the OnePlus 8 Pro is available in both 8GB and 12GB RAM builds. Sony is keeping software on the Xperia 5 II close to stock, with some of its additions. While OnePlus is doing its own thing with OxygenOS, though it doesn’t stray that far away from what Google is offering either. All in all, if you’re worried about performance, don’t be, both of these are excellent in that regard.

OnePlus 8 Pro vs Sony Xperia 5 II: Battery

This is yet another category in which both of these phones excel. Both devices can easily cross that 6-hour screen-on-time mark, and then some. It will all depend on your usage, of course, but most users will get more than enough battery life with both of these phones. Both of them include rather beefy batteries on the inside. The Xperia 5 II’s is smaller, but that’s not surprising considering it has a considerably smaller display.

Software optimization, of course, helps with battery life when it comes to both smartphones. Even heavy users will probably be content with both of these phones when it comes to the battery life. Do note that, if you’re a heavy gamer, or do lots of processor-intensive tasks on your device, battery life will deplete faster. That’s exactly why we always mention that your mileage may vary. There are so many different factors that can make the battery last less or more, from things that you do on the device, to your cell reception, and so on.

Now, fast charging is included on both devices. The Sony Xperia 5 II supports 21W fast wired charging, while an 18W charger is included. The OnePlus 8 Pro supports 30W fast wired charging, with an included charger. The Xperia 5 II does not offer wireless charging, but the OnePlus 8 Pro does. It offers 30W fast wireless charging, so it’s the same speed as its wired charging. Do note you’ll need a proprietary charger, though (sold separately).

OnePlus 8 Pro vs Sony Xperia 5 II: Cameras

Both of these phones offer compelling cameras, there’s no doubt about that. They may not offer the very best camera experience out there, but they’re not far from the top. The two phones do use considerably different setups, though both have main, telephoto, and ultra-wide cameras included, while the OnePlus 8 Pro also includes a fourth, color filter camera. The results that you can get from the two phones are great.

They do a great job in all lighting conditions. Each of them have their minuses, as the autofocus on the Xperia 5 II can be iffy sometimes, though Sony did fix that issue almost entirely. If you like to mess with advanced camera settings, the Xperia 5 II can truly excel. That phone is really good as a simple, point-and-shoot camera, but if you delve deeper into the settings, you’ll be able to unleash its true potential.

The OnePlus 8 Pro also offers advanced settings, but you can do a bit more with the Xperia 5 II when it comes to that. Both phones do a great job with dynamic range, and both can capture a ton of detail in every shot, pretty much. They also do allow for enough light into the images you shoot at night. Both phones are capable of recording 4K videos at 60 FPS, and they do a really good job at that.

Audio

The OnePlus 8 Pro and Sony Xperia 5 II are both quite compelling audio phones. The Sony Xperia 5 II does have an edge in that regard, though. The phone comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is not included on the OnePlus 8 Pro. On top of that, the device also includes a Dolby Atmos EQ menu in the settings, which allows you to tune your phone’s audio settings manually.

The OnePlus 8 Pro includes a set of stereo speakers, just like the Xperia 5 II, and both sets sound great. They’re more than loud enough, and they do offer sharp sound. With a set of good headphones plugged in, you can get more from the Xperia 5 II, though. Why? Well, mainly due to its detailed audio settings. The difference in sound quality is not huge, but it’s something audiophiles will notice. Both phones are rather great in this regard, and to regular consumers, both will sound great.