Apple iPhone XS vs. Sony Xperia XZ3: Which is the best phone for you?

Sony and Apple have a long history of turning out great consumer electronics, but Japanese manufacturer Sony has struggled to gain a foothold in the smartphone market, while its American competitor has dominated. With both companies just releasing new flagship phones, we decided to compare the best each has to offer.

Apple’s newly unveiled flagship is the iPhone XS, which comes hot of the heels of Sony’s latest contender, the Xperia XZ3. They’re both attractive, powerful, and expensive, but which is best? Let’s take a closer look.

Specs

Apple iPhone XS
Sony Xperia XZ3

Size
143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm (5.65 x 2.79 x 0.30 inches)
158 x 73 x 9.9 mm (6.22 x 2.87 x 0.39 inches)

Weight
177 grams (6.24 ounces)
193 grams (6.81 ounces)

Screen size
5.8-inch Super Retina AMOLED display
6-inch OLED display

Screen resolution
2,436 × 1,125 pixels (458 ppi)
2,880 x 1,440 pixels (537 pixels per inch)

Operating system
iOS 12
Sony UI (over Android 9.0 Pie)

Storage space
64GB, 256GB, 512GB
64GB

MicroSD card slot
No
Yes, up to 512GB

Tap-to-pay services
Apple Pay
Google Pay

Processor
A12 Bionic
Qualcomm Snapdragon 845

RAM
4GB
4GB

Camera
Dual 12MP rear, 7MP FaceTime HD front
19MP rear, 13MP front

Video
2,160p at 60 fps, 1,080p at 240 fps
2,160p at 30 frames per second, 1,080p at 960 fps

Bluetooth version
Bluetooth 5
Bluetooth 5

Ports
Lightning
USB-C

Fingerprint sensor
No
Yes

Water resistance
IP68
IP68/IP65

Battery
2,658mAh
3,330mAh

App marketplace
Apple App Store
Google Play Store

Network support
AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint
AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint

Colors
Gold, Silver, Space Gray
Black, Silver White, Forest Green, Bordeaux Red

Price
$1,000
$900

Where to buy it
Apple
Amazon

Review score
Hands-on review
Hands-on review

Performance, battery life, and charging

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Apple has hit a new high thanks to the performance of its A12 Bionic processor. This chip is incredibly fast, offering tangible improvements in terms of speed when compared with its predecessor in the iPhone X. Apple has also equipped the XS with 4GB of RAM. Based on our early impressions and the benchmarks that are emerging, the iPhone XS could be the most powerful phone on the market right now. You can pick up the iPhone XS with 64GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage.

Sony has put the capable Snapdragon 845 processor in the Xperia XZ3, backed by 4GB of RAM. It’s speedy, slick, and plenty powerful for most people, but it can’t keep up with the iPhone XS. The Xperia XZ3 comes with 64GB of storage, but there is a MicroSD card slot for expansion up to 512GB.

On paper, the Xperia XZ3 wins the battery contest with a 3,300mAh capacity. The iPhone XS has a 2,658mAh battery inside. We strongly suspect both will require daily charging. You can fast charge the Xperia XZ3, with the charger supplied, but if you want to fast charge the iPhone XS, you’ll have to buy a fast charger and cable separately. Both these phones support Qi wireless charging.

Winner: Apple iPhone XS

Design and durability

Rich Shibley/Digital Trends

Sony overhauled its dated design with the XZ2, introducing “Ambient Flow,” a design language that continues with the XZ3. It’s all about curves. with rounded corners and a curved glass back that sits very comfortably in the hand. The display even curves into the metal frame at the edges, helping to make the device feel thinner than it is. There are still sizable bezels top and bottom of the screen — and we really dislike the fingerprint sensor placement on the back because it’s simply too low.

Apple also overhauled its dated design last year with the iPhone X, introducing an edge-to-edge display with a notch at the top that houses the new camera module and supports secure face unlock. This was a necessity as Apple ditched the old home button and decided to drop the fingerprint sensor altogether. The iPhone XS is identical to its predecessor. The back is glass and there’s a steel frame, but there are no curves like you’ll find on the Xperia XZ3. Apple’s phone is smaller in every direction and a good bit lighter.

Both phones will be prone to cracks and scratches because of all that glass, but they are water-resistant. The IP68 rating allows them to be submerged for up to half an hour in up to 2 meters of water. The Xperia XZ3 has an additional IP65 rating, which covers jets of water from any direction.

Winner: Apple iPhone XS

Display

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

We’re excited to see Sony adopting OLED in its smartphones for the first time with the Xperia XZ3, something Apple did with the iPhone X last year. The XZ3 has a 6-inch OLED that looks absolutely gorgeous. It boasts a 2,880 x 1,440-pixel resolution, which makes it very sharp indeed at 537 pixels-per-inch (ppi). It’s easily the best display we’ve seen in a Sony phone and the company has drafted its TV division to add picture processing smarts.

Apple’s iPhone XS has a 5.8-inch OLED with a resolution of 2,436 x 1,125 pixels, which translates to 458 ppi. It’s an excellent screen that’s a joy to read on, play games on, or watch movies on. Both the displays support HDR 10 and Dolby Vision. We need to spend a bit more time with these devices to determine which display is better, so this is a tie for now. Suffice it to say both are extremely good.

Winner: Tie

Camera

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

As many manufacturers look to add more lenses to their cameras, we were surprised by Sony’s decision to go with a single 19-megapixel sensor in the main camera of the XZ3. It’s not that dual-lens cameras are always better — our favorite phone camera over the last year has been the single-lens Pixel 2 — but Sony did employ a dual-lens camera in the XZ2 Premium. In any case, Sony has nailed camera hardware, but often falls down in the software department, and we found the XZ2 Premium struggled to compete with phones like the iPhone X and Galaxy Note 9.

With the same dual 12-megapixel lens setup as the iPhone X, but with a newer sensor and enhanced software, the iPhone XS looks to be a great performer. Apple has also added the ability to adjust the background blur after taking a portrait shot. There’s also support for Smart HDR, which combines frames to edit out exposure problems and create the best image every time.

Sony’s front-facing camera is rated at 13-megapixels while Apple’s is the 7-megapixel TrueDepth camera, which can also securely unlock your phone by scanning your face and map Animojis so they’re animated along with you. Both phones can record slow-motion video, though only the Xperia XZ3 can do super slow motion.

Winner: Apple iPhone XS

Software and updates

Android or iOS is down to personal preference nowadays as, both are accessible, slick operating systems with all the features you need. We’re pleased to see that the Xperia XZ3 ships with Android 9.0 Pie on board, though there is a Sony user interface and some bloatware on top. This category is an easy win for Apple because it always updates its iPhones in a timely manner and they continue to get new versions of iOS for many years after release.

Winner: Apple iPhone XS

Special features

Rich Shibley/Digital Trends

If you’re a gamer with a PlayStation 4, then the PS Remote Play support in the Xperia XZ3 might interest you, as it allows you to stream games on your phone. Sony also includes the 3D Creator app, which allows you to scan yourself and create a 3D avatar. There’s also Side Sense, so you can tap the side of your Xperia XZ3 to open a shortcuts menu, and Smart Launch for the camera, which will launch the camera when you hold your XZ3 up in landscape view as though you want to take a photo.

Apple’s iPhone XS has the aforementioned TrueDepth camera for secure face unlocking that even works in low light, and Memojis have joined Animojis for messaging fun.

Winner: Sony Xperia XZ3

Price

Neither Apple or Sony are known for reasonable pricing, so it won’t shock you to learn that these smartphones are expensive. The 64GB model of the iPhone XS will cost you $1,000, while the Xperia XZ3 is a touch cheaper at $900. You can pick up the iPhone from all the major carriers, but you’ll have to buy the XZ3 unlocked, and it won’t work with Verizon or Sprint.

Overall Winner: Apple iPhone XS

With unrivaled performance, a modern design, and a great camera, the iPhone XS is an attractive prospect whatever way you look at it. The Sony Xperia XZ3 has its own high points and is probably the better pick for Android fans, but even the $100 price difference isn’t enough to paper over the areas where the XZ3 falls short. If we could only go home with one of these phones, it would have to be the iPhone XS.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Apple iPhone XS vs. iPhone X: What difference does a year make?
• Xperia XZ3 vs. XZ2 Premium vs. XZ2 vs. XZ2 Compact: Smartphone battle royale
• iPhone XS Max vs. iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone 7 Plus: The big guys clash
• Here’s our comparison of the most bezel-less designs among smartphones
• Apple iPhone XS vs. Samsung Galaxy S9: 2018’s biggest flagships clash

Bing is dead, long live the new, cross-platform Microsoft Search

Microsoft is augmenting, upgrading, and ultimately evolving its search tools in Office, Windows, and on Bing, to something a little more unified. Like Windows itself, which has seen unification across multiple platforms, Microsoft is now maneuvering its search tools into a similar digital form factor. Microsoft Search, as it will be known, will be the main search tool for Microsoft Office, Windows itself, and the online Bing search platform.

In converting its search tool into something more widely applicable to different software and web platforms, Microsoft will also be making it smarter contextually. Searching in Bing or within Windows after the update will see a combination of web and local results display, each of which takes into consideration the user, the device they’re on, and any applications they’re running. Results may contain Windows commands, or quick links to certain application features, as well as personalized web search results.

“We think we have great technology that is under utilized,” said Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Office, Jeff Teper, in a chat with The Verge. “We want to hear from people that they’ll be more productive.”

For organizations working on a plural number of Office documents, users will be able to find elements of all of them within Office’s various platforms, helping them to navigate to the right document. For those wondering how to perform certain tasks, searching should give users quicker access to those commands without having to dig through menus to find them.

According to Verge, the most accurate representation of the new search function operating today is Microsoft Teams. The organizational Slack competitor has been around since 2016 and has its own command/search bar at the top which provides the same sort of functionality Microsoft is talking about rolling out to so many of its other platforms and services.

Microsoft has pledged to begin rolling out the new search tool to Bing and Office users immediately, with Windows itself receiving the updated search functions at some point in 2019. Microsoft applications will also receive built-in navigation and search functions in the new year, with all platforms seeing a rollout of third-party application commands support within the search tool around the same time.

In the meantime, want to know how to make the most of Windows search? Check out our guide.

Updated on September 9, 2018: Updated text and title to clarify that Bing will not be replaced.

Editors’ Recommendations

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• Google may reverse course and launch a restricted Google Search in China
• Google’s updated events search feature will keep your boredom at bay

MetroPCS is now Metro by T-Mobile and includes Amazon Prime

Looking for a great prepaid phone plan? MetroPCS is now Metro by T-Mobile, and the veteran carrier is promising to provide users with a wide variety of prepaid phone plans that offer great value for money, starting from October. Best of all, customers will also get the choice of two new unlimited data plans that include Amazon Prime and Google One.

Making sure that customers know they can get great value out of a prepaid plan is of particular importance to T-Mobile, as prepaid plans have suffered under the assumption that they offer terrible phones, awful coverage, and bad service. But with Metro being backed up by T-Mobile, customers will be able to benefit from service that covers 99 percent of the U.S. population, a great selection of devices, and nationwide reach and support.

“It drives me crazy that literally millions of hard-working people are struggling to get by yet feel stuck with AT&T and Verizon because they think prepaid wireless is subpar”, said T-Mobile U.S. CEO John Legere. “That’s outdated thinking! Metro by T-Mobile customers aren’t making a compromise, they’re REFUSING to make a compromise.”

T-Mobile claims that customers could save as much as 45 percent when compared to two-line plans on AT&T or Verizon — totaling up to potential savings of $1,000 a year. It’s worth noting that Metro by T-Mobile customers may get bumped to the back of the queue if the network gets congested, but T-Mobile says they’ll otherwise be given the same speeds. Taxes and regulatory fees are included with all plans, so the price you see is the price you get, and there are no service or phone contracts.

Amazon Prime & Google One

Top tier customers will also get access to services from Amazon Prime and Google One. Customers paying for unlimited data at $50 a month (for a single line) will benefit from Google One’s cloud storage and mobile backup — though there’s no mention which tier of Google One is included in the plan.

Subscribers paying $60 a month (for a single line) will also get access to Amazon Prime’s vast array of benefits and perks. These include free next day delivery (or same day in some parts of the U.S.), unlimited free photo storage on Amazon Photos, and access to unlimited streaming from Amazon’s array of Prime movies and TV episodes.

This is the first time that any wireless provider has been able to offer deals like this with Google and Amazon, and it could mean a great deal for you. As always though, check out your options and shop around to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Switching to the ‘Un-carrier?’ Here’s a breakdown of T-Mobile’s plans
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• Here’s every device available through Amazon Prime Exclusive phones
• How to unlock a phone on each and every carrier
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U.N. security blunder left secret Trello boards, Google Docs exposed

Secretive documents related to the United Nations were left vulnerable to unauthorized access by anyone who stumbled upon the right link, after Trello, Jira, and Google Docs accounts were left improperly configured by staffers. The security gaffe left passwords, organizational documents, and security plans belonging to governments of the United Kingdom and Canada open to the web.

Maybe they should have read our guide on how to use Google Docs.

Although each of the unsecured documents did require a unique URL in order to be accessed, that proved far from an effective protective measure when security researcher Kushagra Pathank discovered links to a U.N.-controlled Trello organizational board. In that tool’s ‘card’ system, he went on to find other links to other documents that lead to Google documents and U.N. pages on Jira, an issue-tracking service. These in turn had more links, all of which contained sensitive information. In total, Pathank discovered some 50 boards and documents that he was able to access because of the lack of security options implemented during their setup.

Some of the information he was eventually able to glean from these documents included access to a remote U.N. FTP server, credentials to log in to a Google and Vimeo account associated with the U.N.’s language and learning program, remote access information for certain U.N.-linked meetings, and detailed information about the U.N. website and its development.

Pathak contacted the U.N. in late August to inform it of the issue. Although, as The Intercept highlights, the organization’s technical department ran into some problems replicating the issue, much of the sensitive content has now been taken down or protected behind security credentials. In a statement to The Intercept, a U.N. spokesperson said that all relevant staff had been warned about trusting third-party tools and services with sensitive information and that they should make necessary precautions to protect such data in the future.

Despite rhetoric to the contrary, Pathak believes that much of these latest security concerns arose simply because leaving boards unsecured is easier than securing them. By not adding users to boards and locking them to authorized accounts only, U.N. staffers were able to share URLs in order to give others access. “Adding people to the board seems to be a huge task for these people, but in fact it is really easy,” Pathak said in a statement.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Watch as the U.K.’s defense secretary gets ‘heckled’ by Siri during a speech
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Back for the boardroom, Microsoft outlines the future of the Surface Hub

The Surface Hub 2 is still slated for an early 2019 release.

Back in the spring, Microsoft shared its vision for taking over executive boardrooms, the Surface Hub 2 — a modular 4k video wall that companies could use to spruce up conferences and usher in a new world of digital office communication. While the Surface Hub 2 is still unavailable to the general public, Microsoft wants to let you know that it has a few more ideas for the workplace, including the new Surface Hub 2S and Surface Hub 2X.

Advertising the next generation of your product offerings generally isn’t a great idea when you current generation has yet to hit the market, just ask the Osborne corporation, but that doesn’t seem to be stopping the folks at Microsoft. At the company’s 2018 Ignite developer conference, it was proud to announce that it would be moving forward with the Surface Hub, an idea initially unveiled in 2015.

The new Surface Hub 2S is a slimmed down version of Microsoft’s standard Surface Hub 2 digital whiteboard, set to target businesses who may already have the first generation of the Surface Hubs within its offices. Based around older software, the Surface Hub 2S will fit perfectly into office spaces in which employees are accustomed to the first generation Hub, but want a bit of a style upgrade.

On the other hand, the Surface Hub 2X is garnered as the next generation of Surface Hub, after the regular Surface Hub 2. Why Microsoft doesn’t opt to name this new generation the Surface Hub 3 we can’t tell you, but we can say that they are ready to add on new features. The Surface Hub 2X will support the ability to tilt and rotate the display, as well as allow multiuser login, and compatibility with Microsoft 365.

While Microsoft plans on launching the Surface Hub 2 and 2S and in the first half of 2019, those interested in the future Surface Hub 2X won’t see a release until at least 2020. The early announcement is curious as while it leads excellent insight into Microsoft’s devotion for the workplace platform, it may put some organizations off, pushing them to skip the current generation for promises of better future experiences.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Refreshed Surface Pro 6 could arrive at Microsoft’s October 2 event
• Microsoft may go back to black with 2018 Surface Pro and Surface Laptop
• Microsoft patent filing hints at wireless charging for future Surface PCs
• Microsoft Surface Pro 6: Everything we know
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