Sony Xperia 1 VIII vs ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G
The Sony Xperia 1 VIII (2026) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, while the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G (2021) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. By overall MobileRank rating, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII leads — 77/100 vs 65/100 (a 12-point difference). Key differences: the Sony Xperia 1 VIII has the bigger battery (5000 mAh vs 4600); the main camera is 48 MP vs 64 MP; the Sony Xperia 1 VIII is faster in AnTuTu (3,842,882 vs 1,135,878).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Sony Xperia 1 VIII
ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G
What makes Sony Xperia 1 VIII better?
- Higher AnTuTu: 3842882 vs 1135878
- Better Geekbench Single: 3639 vs 1500
- Better Geekbench Multi: 11047 vs 3537
- Bigger battery: 5000 vs 4600 mAh
- Higher performance (97/100 vs 64/100)
- Longer battery life (53/100 vs 41/100)
What makes ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G better?
- Better main camera: 64MP vs 48MP
- Higher refresh rate: 144Hz vs 120Hz
- Lighter: 188g vs 200g
- Better camera (71/100 vs 69/100)
- Better display (89/100 vs 80/100)
- Better portability (67/100 vs 56/100)
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Sony Xperia 1 VIII vs the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII scores 12 points higher (77/100 vs 65/100). In the "performance" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII leads (97/100 vs 64/100). In the "battery" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII leads (53/100 vs 41/100). In the "performance" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII significantly outperforms the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G (97/100 vs 64/100). In the "display" category, the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G is a bit better (89/100 vs 80/100). In the "camera" category, the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G and the Sony Xperia 1 VIII are nearly equal (71/100 vs 69/100). In the "battery" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII is a bit better (53/100 vs 41/100). In the "portability" category, the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G is a bit better (67/100 vs 56/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Sony Xperia 1 VIII | ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | |
| AnTuTu | 3842882 | 1135878 | |
| Geekbench Single | 3639 | 1500 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 11047 | 3537 | |
| Display | 6.5" LTPO OLED | 6.7" Super Amoled | |
| Resolution | 1080x2340 | 1080x2400 | |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 144 Hz | |
| Battery | 5000 mAh | 4600 mAh | |
| Charging | 30W | — | |
| Wireless charging | 15W | 0W | |
| Main camera | 48 MP | 64 MP | |
| Ultrawide | 48 MP | 64 MP | |
| Telephoto | 48 MP | 8 MP | |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 44 MP | |
| RAM | 12GB / 16GB | — | |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 512GB | |
| OS | Android 16 | Android 11 Red Velvet Cake | |
| NFC | yes | yes | |
| Protection | IP65/IP68 | — | |
| Dimensions | 162.0×74.0×8.3 mm | 161.5×73.0×8.0 mm | |
| Weight | 200 g | 188 g | |
| Launch price | $1500 | — |
Camera comparison
Sony Xperia 1 VIII
- Main: 48MP f/1.9
- Ultrawide: 48MP
- Telephoto: 48MP
- Front: 12MP
ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G
- Main: 64MP
- Ultrawide: 64MP
- Telephoto: 8MP
- Front: 44MP
Display comparison
Sony Xperia 1 VIII
- 6.5" LTPO OLED
- Resolution: 1080x2340
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G
- 6.7" Super Amoled
- Resolution: 1080x2400
- Refresh rate: 144 Hz
Battery and charging
Sony Xperia 1 VIII
- 5000 mAh
- Wired: 30W
- Wireless: 15W
ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G
- 4600 mAh
- No wireless charging
Overall performance score
We compared Sony Xperia 1 VIII and ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Sony Xperia 1 VIII leads ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G by 238.3% in our overall performance rating.
Benchmarks
Launch prices and where to check today's
ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G
Price unknownDetailed category analysis
performance
In the "performance" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII significantly outperforms the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G (97/100 vs 64/100).
display
In the "display" category, the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G is a bit better (89/100 vs 80/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G and the Sony Xperia 1 VIII are nearly equal (71/100 vs 69/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII is a bit better (53/100 vs 41/100).
portability
In the "portability" category, the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G is a bit better (67/100 vs 56/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Sony Xperia 1 VIII or the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G?
The Sony Xperia 1 VIII is noticeably better than the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G — the overall rating gap is 12 points.
What is the rating of the Sony Xperia 1 VIII and the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G?
The Sony Xperia 1 VIII has a MobileRank rating of 77/100, the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G — 65/100.
Which is more powerful: the Sony Xperia 1 VIII or the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G?
The Sony Xperia 1 VIII leads on performance (97/100 vs 64/100).
Should you choose the Sony Xperia 1 VIII over the ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G?
The Sony Xperia 1 VIII is a better fit for gamers and power users. The ZTE Axon 31 Ultra 5G is a better fit for active users.