Redmi Note 15 Special vs Sony Xperia 1 III
The Redmi Note 15 Special (2026) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3, while the Sony Xperia 1 III (2021) runs on the Snapdragon 888. By overall MobileRank rating, the Sony Xperia 1 III leads — 60/100 vs 54/100 (a 6-point difference). Key differences: the Redmi Note 15 Special has the bigger battery (5800 mAh vs 4500); the main camera is 50 MP vs 12 MP; the Sony Xperia 1 III is faster in AnTuTu (1,232,200 vs 840,353); the Sony Xperia 1 III has NFC for contactless payments, the Redmi Note 15 Special doesn't.
Profile comparison
Category scores
Redmi Note 15 Special
Sony Xperia 1 III
What makes Redmi Note 15 Special better?
- Bigger battery: 5800 vs 4500 mAh
- Faster charging: 45W vs 30W
- Better main camera: 50MP vs 12MP
- Lighter: 178g vs 186g
- Longer battery life (55/100 vs 42/100)
- Better portability (79/100 vs 65/100)
What makes Sony Xperia 1 III better?
- Higher AnTuTu: 1232200 vs 840353
- Better Geekbench Single: 1500 vs 1013
- Better Geekbench Multi: 3537 vs 3000
- Higher performance (65/100 vs 55/100)
- Better camera (46/100 vs 34/100)
- Better display (90/100 vs 79/100)
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Redmi Note 15 Special vs the Sony Xperia 1 III, the Sony Xperia 1 III scores 6 points higher (60/100 vs 54/100). In the "performance" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III leads (65/100 vs 55/100). In the "camera" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III leads (46/100 vs 34/100). In the "battery" category, the Redmi Note 15 Special leads (55/100 vs 42/100). In the "performance" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III is a bit better (65/100 vs 55/100). In the "display" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III is a bit better (90/100 vs 79/100). In the "camera" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III is a bit better (46/100 vs 34/100). In the "battery" category, the Redmi Note 15 Special is a bit better (55/100 vs 42/100). In the "portability" category, the Redmi Note 15 Special is a bit better (79/100 vs 65/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Redmi Note 15 Special | Sony Xperia 1 III | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 | Snapdragon 888 | |
| AnTuTu | 840353 | 1232200 | |
| Geekbench Single | 1013 | 1500 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 3000 | 3537 | |
| Display | 6.8" AMOLED | 6.5" OLED | |
| Resolution | 1080x2392 | 1644x3840 | |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz | |
| Battery | 5800 mAh | 4500 mAh | |
| Charging | 45W | 30W | |
| Wireless charging | 0W | 11W | |
| DXOMark (camera) | — | 105 | |
| Main camera | 50 MP | 12 MP | |
| Ultrawide | 0 MP | 12 MP | |
| Telephoto | 0 MP | 12 MP | |
| Front camera | 20 MP | 8 MP | |
| RAM | 6GB / 8GB | 12GB | |
| Storage | 128GB / 256GB | 256GB / 512GB | |
| OS | Android 15, up to 4 major Android upgrades, HyperOS 3 | Android 11 | |
| Brightness (peak) | 3200 nits | — | |
| NFC | no | yes | |
| Protection | IP66 | IP65/IP68 | |
| Dimensions | 164.0×75.4×7.4 mm | 165.0×71.0×8.2 mm | |
| Weight | 178 g | 186 g | |
| Launch price | — | $1299 |
Camera comparison
Redmi Note 15 Special
- Main: 50MP f/1.8
- Front: 20MP
Sony Xperia 1 III
- Main: 12MP f/1.7
- Ultrawide: 12MP
- Telephoto: 12MP
- Front: 8MP
Display comparison
Redmi Note 15 Special
- 6.8" AMOLED
- Resolution: 1080x2392
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Sony Xperia 1 III
- 6.5" OLED
- Resolution: 1644x3840
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Battery and charging
Redmi Note 15 Special
- 5800 mAh
- Wired: 45W
- No wireless charging
Sony Xperia 1 III
- 4500 mAh
- Wired: 30W
- Wireless: 11W
Overall performance score
We compared Redmi Note 15 Special and Sony Xperia 1 III, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Sony Xperia 1 III leads Redmi Note 15 Special by 31.8% in our overall performance rating.
Benchmarks
Launch prices and where to check today's
Redmi Note 15 Special
Price unknownDetailed category analysis
performance
In the "performance" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III is a bit better (65/100 vs 55/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III is a bit better (90/100 vs 79/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III is a bit better (46/100 vs 34/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Redmi Note 15 Special is a bit better (55/100 vs 42/100).
portability
In the "portability" category, the Redmi Note 15 Special is a bit better (79/100 vs 65/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Redmi Note 15 Special or the Sony Xperia 1 III?
The Sony Xperia 1 III edges out the Redmi Note 15 Special by just 6 points — the two devices are very close in overall level.
What is the rating of the Redmi Note 15 Special and the Sony Xperia 1 III?
The Redmi Note 15 Special has a MobileRank rating of 54/100, the Sony Xperia 1 III — 60/100.
Which has the better camera: the Redmi Note 15 Special or the Sony Xperia 1 III?
The Sony Xperia 1 III leads on camera score (46/100 vs 34/100).
Which is more powerful: the Redmi Note 15 Special or the Sony Xperia 1 III?
The Sony Xperia 1 III leads on performance (65/100 vs 55/100).
Should you choose the Redmi Note 15 Special over the Sony Xperia 1 III?
The Sony Xperia 1 III is a better fit for active users.