One of these two handsets may have been announced over six months ago and may be considered old (the Xperia Z2) but despite half a year between the announcement of these two devices, they feature very similar specifications so side-by-side, how do the Apple iPhone 6 and the Xperia Z2 compare?
The iPhone 6 was only announced back in September whilst Sony uncovered the Xperia Z2 back in February at MWC 2014. Despite coming out after the Sony, the iPhone 6 still has lower resolution with Apple using a “Retina HD” panel offering 750 x 1334 pixels resolution in comparison to the Full HD 1080p LCD on the Xperia Z2. However, it might have lower resolution but the iPhone 6 display is overall markedly better than the Xperia Z2 with the former offering vibrant colours and deep blacks whilst the latter appeared somewhat washed out.
The build on both of these handsets is also different and there’s a very good reason as whilst Apple have aimed to produce a thin handset with sleek rounded edges, Sony adopted the chamfered edge design. In turn, Sony produced a handset that’s 1.3mm thicker than the iPhone 6 but does come with a shatter-proof display and IP58 certification meaning it’s dust proof and can be used up to 1 metre underwater for up to 30 minutes. It’s worth noting that the chamfered edges on the Xperia Z2 were replaced by rounded edges in its successor, the Xperia Z3, which improved the overall usability of the handset.
Another area where the two companies often clash is the camera; it’s a well-known fact that Sony supply the camera sensor for the Apple iPhone and yet the 20MP G Lens sensor on the Xperia Z2 does not perform as well as the 8MP iSight sensor on the iPhone 6. Look back through past Sony devices and this has always been an issue and whilst Sony’s smartphone cameras have improved with flagship devices, the Apple iPhone continue to captures better pictures.
Overall these two handsets share many similarities including similar build size but whilst the Xperia Z2 is arguably the better handset on paper, we’ve found that the iPhone 6 is actually better in real life usage. Although Sony have made some significant changes in the Xperia Z3 which bring it much closer to the iPhone, the Xperia Z2 has several key areas that require improvement.
However, the iPhone 6 currently retails for over £540 and the Xperia Z2 can be had for under £250 which makes the comparison more interesting. Considering the two price points, we’d argue that the Xperia Z2 is actually better value for money and will satisfy most of the demands you will make of it.
Hey, I'm Nirave - based out of London, I'm the European Editor for FoneArena. I love travelling and can usually be found reading, playing with the latest tech or writing about travel and tech.