Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra vs Sony Xperia 1 VIII

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (2020) runs on the Samsung Exynos 990, while the Sony Xperia 1 VIII (2026) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5; launch prices were $1399 and $1499. By overall MobileRank rating, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII leads — 77/100 vs 64/100 (a 13-point difference). Key differences: the main camera is 108 MP vs 48 MP; the Sony Xperia 1 VIII is faster in AnTuTu (3,842,882 vs 901,346); the Sony Xperia 1 VIII is noticeably lighter (200g vs 222g).

The Sony Xperia 1 VIII is noticeably better than the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra — the overall rating gap is 13 points.
Profile comparison
Category scores
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
Performance 58
Display 88
Camera 73
Battery 56
Portability 37
Value for money 34
Sony Xperia 1 VIII
Performance 97
Display 80
Camera 69
Battery 53
Portability 56
Value for money 60
What makes Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra better?
  • Faster charging: 45W vs 30W
  • Better main camera: 108MP vs 48MP
  • Cheaper at launch: $1399 vs $1499

  • Better camera (73/100 vs 69/100)
  • Longer battery life (56/100 vs 53/100)
  • Better display (88/100 vs 80/100)
What makes Sony Xperia 1 VIII better?
  • Higher AnTuTu: 3842882 vs 901346
  • Better Geekbench Single: 3640 vs 1222
  • Better Geekbench Multi: 11033 vs 3060
  • Lighter: 200g vs 222g

  • Higher performance (97/100 vs 58/100)
  • Better portability (56/100 vs 37/100)
Comparison verdict

Comparing the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra vs the Sony Xperia 1 VIII, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII scores 13 points higher (77/100 vs 64/100). In the "performance" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII leads (97/100 vs 58/100). Value score: Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra — 34/100, Sony Xperia 1 VIII — 60/100; it is biased by price level, so it should not be compared directly between devices at different prices. In the "performance" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII significantly outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (97/100 vs 58/100). In the "display" category, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is a bit better (88/100 vs 80/100). In the "camera" category, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and the Sony Xperia 1 VIII are nearly equal (73/100 vs 69/100). In the "battery" category, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and the Sony Xperia 1 VIII are nearly equal (56/100 vs 53/100). In the "portability" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII notably outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (56/100 vs 37/100).

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra: The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is a better fit for everyday use.
Sony Xperia 1 VIII: The Sony Xperia 1 VIII is a better fit for gamers and power users.
Specs comparison
Specification Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Sony Xperia 1 VIII
Processor Samsung Exynos 990 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
AnTuTu 901346 3842882
Geekbench Single 1222 3640
Geekbench Multi 3060 11033
Display 6.9" Dynamic AMOLED 2X 6.5" LTPO OLED
Resolution 3200x1440 1080x2340
Refresh rate 120 Hz 120 Hz
Battery 5000 mAh 5000 mAh
Charging 45W 30W
Wireless charging 15W 15W
Main camera 108 MP 48 MP
Ultrawide 12 MP 48 MP
Telephoto 48 MP 48 MP
Front camera 40 MP 12 MP
RAM 12GB / 16GB 12GB / 16GB
Storage 128GB / 256GB / 512GB 256GB / 512GB / 1TB
OS Android 10 Android 16, up to 5 major Android upgrades
NFC yes
Protection IP65
Dimensions 162.0×74.0×8.3 mm
Weight 222 g 200 g
Launch price $1399 $1499
Camera comparison
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
  • Main: 108MP f/f/1.8
  • Ultrawide: 12MP
  • Telephoto: 48MP
  • Front: 40MP
73
camera
Sony Xperia 1 VIII
  • Main: 48MP f/f/1.9
  • Ultrawide: 48MP
  • Telephoto: 48MP
  • Front: 12MP
69
camera
Display comparison
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
  • 6.9" Dynamic AMOLED 2X
  • Resolution: 3200x1440
  • Refresh rate: 120 Hz
88
display
Sony Xperia 1 VIII
  • 6.5" LTPO OLED
  • Resolution: 1080x2340
  • Refresh rate: 120 Hz
80
display
Battery and charging
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
  • 5000 mAh
  • Wired: 45W
  • Wireless: 15W
56
battery
Sony Xperia 1 VIII
  • 5000 mAh
  • Wired: 30W
  • Wireless: 15W
53
battery
Overall performance score

We compared Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and Sony Xperia 1 VIII, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Samsung Exynos 990
64/100
901346 AnTuTu
Sony Xperia 1 VIII Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
77/100 +76.5%
3842882 AnTuTu

Sony Xperia 1 VIII leads Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra by 76.5% in our overall performance rating.

Benchmarks
Launch prices and where to check today's
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
$1399
Sony Xperia 1 VIII
$1499

Launch price difference: $100. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra was $100 cheaper at launch.

Detailed category analysis
performance

In the "performance" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII significantly outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (97/100 vs 58/100).

display

In the "display" category, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is a bit better (88/100 vs 80/100).

camera

In the "camera" category, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and the Sony Xperia 1 VIII are nearly equal (73/100 vs 69/100).

battery

In the "battery" category, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and the Sony Xperia 1 VIII are nearly equal (56/100 vs 53/100).

portability

In the "portability" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII notably outperforms the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra (56/100 vs 37/100).

Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra or the Sony Xperia 1 VIII?

The Sony Xperia 1 VIII is noticeably better than the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra — the overall rating gap is 13 points.

What is the rating of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and the Sony Xperia 1 VIII?

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra has a MobileRank rating of 64/100, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII — 77/100.

Which is more powerful: the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra or the Sony Xperia 1 VIII?

The Sony Xperia 1 VIII leads on performance (97/100 vs 58/100).

Should you choose the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra over the Sony Xperia 1 VIII?

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is a better fit for everyday use. The Sony Xperia 1 VIII is a better fit for gamers and power users.