Sony Xperia 1 III vs ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G

The Sony Xperia 1 III (2021) runs on the Snapdragon 888, while the ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G (2021) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. By overall MobileRank rating, the ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G leads — 62/100 vs 60/100 (a 2-point difference). Key differences: the Sony Xperia 1 III has the bigger battery (4500 mAh vs 4200); the main camera is 12 MP vs 64 MP; the Sony Xperia 1 III is faster in AnTuTu (1,232,200 vs 1,135,878).

The ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G edges out the Sony Xperia 1 III by just 2 points — the two devices are very close in overall level.

Profile comparison

Category scores

Sony Xperia 1 III

Performance 65
Display 90
Camera 46
Battery 42
Portability 65
Value for money 30

ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G

Performance 64
Display 89
Camera 63
Battery 30
Portability 70
Value for money —

What makes Sony Xperia 1 III better?

  • Higher AnTuTu: 1232200 vs 1135878
  • Bigger battery: 4500 vs 4200 mAh

  • Higher performance (65/100 vs 64/100)
  • Longer battery life (42/100 vs 30/100)
  • Better display (90/100 vs 89/100)

What makes ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G better?

  • Better main camera: 64MP vs 12MP
  • Higher refresh rate: 144Hz vs 120Hz
  • Lighter: 183g vs 186g

  • Better camera (63/100 vs 46/100)
  • Better portability (70/100 vs 65/100)

Comparison verdict

Comparing the Sony Xperia 1 III vs the ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G, the ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G scores 2 points higher (62/100 vs 60/100). In the "camera" category, the ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G leads (63/100 vs 46/100). In the "battery" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III leads (42/100 vs 30/100). In the "performance" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III and the ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G are nearly equal (65/100 vs 64/100). In the "display" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III and the ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G are nearly equal (90/100 vs 89/100). In the "camera" category, the ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G notably outperforms the Sony Xperia 1 III (63/100 vs 46/100). In the "battery" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III is a bit better (42/100 vs 30/100). In the "portability" category, the ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G is a bit better (70/100 vs 65/100).

Sony Xperia 1 III: The Sony Xperia 1 III is a better fit for active users.
ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G: The ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G is a better fit for active users.

Specs comparison

Specification Sony Xperia 1 III ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G
Processor Snapdragon 888 Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
AnTuTu 1232200 1135878
Geekbench Single 1500 1500
Geekbench Multi 3537 3537
Display 6.5" OLED 6.7" Amoled
Resolution 1644x3840 1080x2400
Refresh rate 120 Hz 144 Hz
Battery 4500 mAh 4200 mAh
Charging 30W —
Wireless charging 11W 0W
DXOMark (camera) 105 —
Main camera 12 MP 64 MP
Ultrawide 12 MP 64 MP
Telephoto 12 MP 0 MP
Front camera 8 MP —
RAM 12GB —
Storage 256GB / 512GB 128GB
OS Android 11 Android 11 Red Velvet Cake
NFC yes yes
Protection IP65/IP68 —
Dimensions 165.0×71.0×8.2 mm 163.6×75.3×7.9 mm
Weight 186 g 183 g
Launch price $1299 —

Camera comparison

Sony Xperia 1 III

  • Main: 12MP f/1.7
  • Ultrawide: 12MP
  • Telephoto: 12MP
  • Front: 8MP
46
camera

ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G

  • Main: 64MP
  • Ultrawide: 64MP
  • Front: —
63
camera

Display comparison

Sony Xperia 1 III

  • 6.5" OLED
  • Resolution: 1644x3840
  • Refresh rate: 120 Hz
90
display

ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G

  • 6.7" Amoled
  • Resolution: 1080x2400
  • Refresh rate: 144 Hz
89
display

Battery and charging

Sony Xperia 1 III

  • 4500 mAh
  • Wired: 30W
  • Wireless: 11W
42
battery

ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G

  • 4200 mAh
  • No wireless charging
30
battery

Overall performance score

We compared Sony Xperia 1 III and ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.

Sony Xperia 1 III Snapdragon 888
60/100
1232200 AnTuTu
ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
62/100 -8.5%
1135878 AnTuTu

Sony Xperia 1 III leads ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G by 8.5% in our overall performance rating.

Benchmarks

Launch prices and where to check today's

Sony Xperia 1 III

$1299

ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G

Price unknown

Detailed category analysis

performance

In the "performance" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III and the ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G are nearly equal (65/100 vs 64/100).

display

In the "display" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III and the ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G are nearly equal (90/100 vs 89/100).

camera

In the "camera" category, the ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G notably outperforms the Sony Xperia 1 III (63/100 vs 46/100).

battery

In the "battery" category, the Sony Xperia 1 III is a bit better (42/100 vs 30/100).

portability

In the "portability" category, the ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G is a bit better (70/100 vs 65/100).

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: the Sony Xperia 1 III or the ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G?

The ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G edges out the Sony Xperia 1 III by just 2 points — the two devices are very close in overall level.

What is the rating of the Sony Xperia 1 III and the ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G?

The Sony Xperia 1 III has a MobileRank rating of 60/100, the ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G — 62/100.

Which has the better camera: the Sony Xperia 1 III or the ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G?

The ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G leads on camera score (63/100 vs 46/100).

Should you choose the Sony Xperia 1 III over the ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G?

The Sony Xperia 1 III is a better fit for active users. The ZTE Axon 31 Pro 5G is a better fit for active users.