Sony Xperia 1 III vs Xiaomi Black Shark 2

The Sony Xperia 1 III (2021) runs on the Snapdragon 888, while the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 (2019) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855. By overall MobileRank rating, the Sony Xperia 1 III leads — 60/100 vs 48/100 (a 12-point difference). Key differences: the Sony Xperia 1 III has the bigger battery (4500 mAh vs 4000); the main camera is 12 MP vs 48 MP; the Sony Xperia 1 III is faster in AnTuTu (1,232,200 vs 824,513); the Sony Xperia 1 III has NFC for contactless payments, the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 doesn't; the Sony Xperia 1 III is noticeably lighter (186g vs 205g).

The Sony Xperia 1 III is noticeably better than the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 — the overall rating gap is 12 points.
Profile comparison
Category scores
Sony Xperia 1 III
Performance 65
Display 90
Camera 46
Battery 42
Portability 65
Value for money 28
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Performance 54
Display 83
Camera 37
Battery 24
Portability 47
Value for money
What makes Sony Xperia 1 III better?
  • Higher AnTuTu: 1232200 vs 824513
  • Better Geekbench Single: 1488 vs 968
  • Better Geekbench Multi: 3373 vs 2731
  • Bigger battery: 4500 vs 4000 mAh
  • Faster charging: 30W vs 27W
  • Lighter: 186g vs 205g

  • Higher performance (65/100 vs 54/100)
  • Better camera (46/100 vs 37/100)
  • Longer battery life (42/100 vs 24/100)
  • Better display (90/100 vs 83/100)
  • Better portability (65/100 vs 47/100)
What makes Xiaomi Black Shark 2 better?
  • Better main camera: 48MP vs 12MP

  • Overall rating 48/100
Comparison verdict

Comparing the Sony Xperia 1 III vs the Xiaomi Black Shark 2, the Sony Xperia 1 III scores 12 points higher (60/100 vs 48/100). In the "performance" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III leads (65/100 vs 54/100). In the "battery" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III leads (42/100 vs 24/100). In the "performance" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III is a bit better (65/100 vs 54/100). In the "display" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III is a bit better (90/100 vs 83/100). In the "camera" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III is a bit better (46/100 vs 37/100). In the "battery" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III notably outperforms the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 (42/100 vs 24/100). In the "portability" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III notably outperforms the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 (65/100 vs 47/100).

Sony Xperia 1 III: The Sony Xperia 1 III is a better fit for active users.
Xiaomi Black Shark 2: The Xiaomi Black Shark 2 is a better fit for everyday use.
Specs comparison
Specification Sony Xperia 1 III Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Processor Snapdragon 888 Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
AnTuTu 1232200 824513
Geekbench Single 1488 968
Geekbench Multi 3373 2731
Display 6.5" OLED 6.4" AMOLED
Resolution 1644x3840 1080x2340
Refresh rate 120 Hz
Battery 4500 mAh 4000 mAh
Charging 30W 27W
Wireless charging 11W 0W
DXOMark (camera) 105
Main camera 12 MP 48 MP
Ultrawide 12 MP 0 MP
Telephoto 12 MP 12 MP
Front camera 8 MP 20 MP
RAM 12GB 8GB / 12GB
Storage 256GB / 512GB 128GB / 256GB
OS Android 11 Android 9.0 (Pie)
NFC yes no
Protection IP65/IP68
Dimensions 165.0×71.0×8.2 mm 163.6×75.0×8.8 mm
Weight 186 g 205 g
Launch price $1299
Camera comparison
Sony Xperia 1 III
  • Main: 12MP f/f/1.7
  • Ultrawide: 12MP
  • Telephoto: 12MP
  • Front: 8MP
46
camera
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
  • Main: 48MP f/f/1.8
  • Telephoto: 12MP
  • Front: 20MP
37
camera
Display comparison
Sony Xperia 1 III
  • 6.5" OLED
  • Resolution: 1644x3840
  • Refresh rate: 120 Hz
90
display
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
  • 6.4" AMOLED
  • Resolution: 1080x2340
  • Refresh rate: —
83
display
Battery and charging
Sony Xperia 1 III
  • 4500 mAh
  • Wired: 30W
  • Wireless: 11W
42
battery
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
  • 4000 mAh
  • Wired: 27W
  • No wireless charging
24
battery
Overall performance score

We compared Sony Xperia 1 III and Xiaomi Black Shark 2, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.

Sony Xperia 1 III Snapdragon 888
60/100
1232200 AnTuTu
Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
48/100 -49.4%
824513 AnTuTu

Sony Xperia 1 III leads Xiaomi Black Shark 2 by 49.4% in our overall performance rating.

Benchmarks
Launch prices and where to check today's
Sony Xperia 1 III
$1299
Xiaomi Black Shark 2
Price unknown
Detailed category analysis
performance

In the "performance" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III is a bit better (65/100 vs 54/100).

display

In the "display" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III is a bit better (90/100 vs 83/100).

camera

In the "camera" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III is a bit better (46/100 vs 37/100).

battery

In the "battery" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III notably outperforms the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 (42/100 vs 24/100).

portability

In the "portability" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III notably outperforms the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 (65/100 vs 47/100).

Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Sony Xperia 1 III or the Xiaomi Black Shark 2?

The Sony Xperia 1 III is noticeably better than the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 — the overall rating gap is 12 points.

What is the rating of the Sony Xperia 1 III and the Xiaomi Black Shark 2?

The Sony Xperia 1 III has a MobileRank rating of 60/100, the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 — 48/100.

Which has the better camera: the Sony Xperia 1 III or the Xiaomi Black Shark 2?

The Sony Xperia 1 III leads on camera score (46/100 vs 37/100).

Which is more powerful: the Sony Xperia 1 III or the Xiaomi Black Shark 2?

The Sony Xperia 1 III leads on performance (65/100 vs 54/100).

Should you choose the Sony Xperia 1 III over the Xiaomi Black Shark 2?

The Sony Xperia 1 III is a better fit for active users. The Xiaomi Black Shark 2 is a better fit for everyday use.