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Sony recently announced its new flagship smartphone, and it’s time to see how it stacks up next to the best Apple has to offer. In this article, we’ll compare the iPhone 14 Pro Max vs Sony Xperia 1 V. These two phones do look different, and the in-hand feel is also vastly different between them. There are way more differences here than you think, and that will make for an interesting comparison.
We’ll first list their specifications, to get that out of the way, and then we’ll move to their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. There’s plenty to talk about here, so let’s get down to it, shall we?
Specs
| Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max | Sony Xperia 1 V | |
| Screen size | 6.7-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display (flat, 120Hz refresh rate, 200 nits peak brightness) | 6.5-inch 4K OLED display (flat, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate) |
| Screen resolution | 2796 x 1290 | 3840 x 1644 |
| SoC | Apple A16 Bionic | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| RAM | 6GB | 12GB (LPDDR5X) |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, non-expandable | 256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0), expandable (up to 1TB via microSD card) |
| Rear cameras | 48MP (f/1.8 aperture, wide-angle, 1.22um pixel size, sensor-shift OIS, dual pixel PDAF) 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 13mm, 120-degree FoV, 1.4um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF) 12MP (telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, 77mm lens, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom) |
48MP (f/1.9 aperture, 1.12um pixel size, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF) 12 MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 16mm lens, Dual Pixel PDAF) 12 MP (telephoto, f/2.3 85mm, f/2.8 125mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, 3.5x-5.2x continuous optical zoom, OIS) |
| Front cameras | 12MP (wide-angle, f/1.9 aperture, 23mm lens, PDAF) SL 3D (depth/biometrics sensor) |
12MP (f/2.0 aperture, 24mm lens, 1.25um pixel size) |
| Battery | 4,323mAh, non-removable, 23W wired charging, 15W MagSafe wireless charging, 7.5W Qi wireless charging, 5W reverse wireless charging Charger not included |
5,000mAh, non-removable, 30W wired charging, wireless charging, reverse wireless charging Charger not included |
| Dimensions | 160.7 x 77.6 x 7.9mm | 165 x 71 x 8.3mm |
| Weight | 240 grams | 187 grams |
| Connectivity | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, Lightning port | 5G, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C |
| Security | Advanced facial scanning | Side-facing fingerprint scanner (optical) |
| OS | iOS 16 | Android 13 |
| Price | $1,099 | $1,399 |
| Buy | Apple | Amazon |
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs Sony Xperia 1 V: Design
Both of these phones are flat all around, but they do have an entirely different in-hand feel. The Xperia 1 V has chamfered edges on the sides, and its sides also have vertical lines on them. Those lines are imprinted into the frame, which adds a bit of grip. The sides of the iPhone 14 Pro Max are entirely flat and smooth. They’re very slippery. Both phones have glass on the back, but the Xperia 1 V has a dotted pattern on that glass, which adds more grip to the picture.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max has a pill-shaped cutout on its display, while its bezels are uniform. The Xperia 1 V does not have a display camera hole, notch, or anything of the sort, but its top and bottom bezels are a bit thicker because of that. On the back, both phones have three cameras, but their camera setups look entirely different. The iPhone 14 Pro Max has its recognizable stovetop design, while the Xperia 1 V’s cameras are vertically aligned inside a single camera island.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max is a lot wider than the Xperia 1 V, and also slightly thinner and shorter. It does weigh 53 grams more at 240 grams, compared to 187 grams of the Xperia 1 V. Sony’s flagship does have a smaller display, though, and it’s easier to use with one hand. Not only because of its narrow form factor, but because of the weight and grip as well. Both smartphones are water and dust resistant, and both feel like premium pieces of hardware in the hand.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs Sony Xperia 1 V: Display
There is a 6.7-inch 2796 x 1290 LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display included on the iPhone 14 Pro Max. That display is flat, and it supports HDR10 content. It also has Dolby Vision support, and a 120Hz refresh rate. This display has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, and it goes all the way up to 2,000 nits of brightness at its peak. Apple opted for a Ceramic Shield glass protection on the front.
The Sony Xperia 1 V, on the other hand, features a 6.5-inch 4K (3840 x 1644) OLED display. This panel can project up to 1 billion colors, and it supports HDR content. It has a 120Hz refresh rate, and the panel is flat. This display has a 21:9 aspect ratio, and a considerably higher PPI than the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s display. The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 is included on the front to protect this panel.
First and foremost, do note that the 4K resolution on the Xperia 1 V will be used only for 4K content. Both of these displays are more than sharp enough, and they are also quite vivid. They do get bright enough, even for outdoor use, and they’re also well-protected. On top of that, the viewing angles are really good, and so is the touch response. You can’t go wrong with either panel, to be quite honest.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs Sony Xperia 1 V: Performance
The iPhone 14 Pro Max is fueled by the Apple A16 Bionic processor. The phone also includes 6GB of RAM and NVMe storage. The Xperia 1 V, on the other hand, is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. Sony also included 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage here. Both of these phones are extremely well-equipped hardware-wise, though the RAM and storage modules are newer and faster on the Xperia 1 V.
Apple being Apple doesn’t have a tendency to always use the latest hardware, it focuses more on software. Both smartphones have outstanding processors, and they both perform admirably. They’re very snappy during regular, everyday performance, but they also shine in the gaming department too. Both of these phones will keep you going for quite some time. Even if you’re a gamer, and tend to play rather demanding games, both of these smartphones can handle them without a problem. Performance is not something you should worry about here, which was to be expected.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs Sony Xperia 1 V: Battery
A 4,323mAh battery sits inside the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The Xperia 1 V, on the flip side, includes a 5,000mAh battery on the inside. Apple’s iPhones usually need smaller batteries due to the way iOS works, and the components included in the mix. Having said that, both smartphones do offer excellent battery life. The iPhone 14 Pro Max battery did improve since its launch, which is good to see.
Getting over 7.5-8 hours of screen-on-time is not a problem, as long as you’re not pushing them with games and similar, demanding content. In fact, some of you may be able to go way above this, if you’re not power users, and you have good cell signal in the process. The battery life can vary quite a bit depending on a number of factors, but your usage, the installed apps, and the cell surface do play a huge role. Both phones do offer excellent battery life, though.
When it comes to charging, neither one is particularly fast. The iPhone 14 Pro Max can charge at around 20W, with 15W MagSafe and 7.5W Qi wireless charging support. The Xperia 1 V supports 30W wired charging, and also 15W wireless charging. Reverse wireless charging is also on offer here. Neither phone comes with a charger in the box, though, so keep that in mind.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max vs Sony Xperia 1 V: Cameras
The iPhone 14 Pro Max includes a 48-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (120-degree FoV), and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera (3x optical zoom). The Sony Xperia 1 V comes with a 48-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit, and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera (3.5x-5.2x continuous optical zoom). Spec-wise, both are well-equipped, but the results they provide are a bit different.
Both smartphones do their best to keep images close to real life. The Xperia 1 V does have a larger sensor, and it relies less on image processing than Apple. Both smartphones provide great-looking shots during the day, though the Xperia 1 V does seem to offer a bit better performance in HDR situations, at least in most situations. During the night, the iPhone 14 Pro Max has a tendency to brighten up the scene a bit more than the Xperia 1 V, though Sony’s flagship usually manages to retain a bit more detail in low-light situations. Both do a great job, though.
Their ultrawide cameras are very capable, though the one on the iPhone 14 Pro Max does a better job of keeping the same color science as the main shooter. The telephoto camera on the Xperia 1 V is a bit more capable, at least based on what we’ve seen. 3.5x shots from it look outstanding, for example, though the iPhone does a good job with telephoto images as well. The video recording is still better on the iPhone, though. Both smartphones do a great job, though provide different results. The Xperia 1 V even packs in different software, as it has three different camera apps. They also look fairly different than what you’re used to, as there are a ton of controls on the screen, and the shutter is a physical one on the side. Sony’s flagship even comes with focus peeking, which some of you will find quite useful.
Audio
Both smartphones pack in a set of stereo speakers. Both sets of speakers are really good. They’re loud enough, and detailed enough, but Sony’s handset does have a bit more bass in its output.
If you need an audio jack on your phone, the Xperia 1 V is the way to go, as the iPhone 14 Pro Max doesn’t pack one. You’ll have to use its Lightning port in order to connect your headphones via a wire. Both smartphones do support Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless audio connections.