Sony Xperia 1 VIII vs ZTE Axon 40

The Sony Xperia 1 VIII (2026) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, while the ZTE Axon 40 (2022) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870. By overall MobileRank rating, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII leads — 77/100 vs 58/100 (a 19-point difference). Key differences: the main camera is 48 MP vs 64 MP; the Sony Xperia 1 VIII is faster in AnTuTu (3,842,882 vs 1,010,069).

The Sony Xperia 1 VIII is noticeably better than the ZTE Axon 40 — the overall rating gap is 19 points.
Profile comparison
Category scores
Sony Xperia 1 VIII
Performance 97
Display 80
Camera 69
Battery 53
Portability 56
Value for money
ZTE Axon 40
Performance 61
Display 73
Camera 51
Battery 52
Portability 53
Value for money
What makes Sony Xperia 1 VIII better?
  • Higher AnTuTu: 3842882 vs 1010069
  • Better Geekbench Single: 3640 vs 1298
  • Better Geekbench Multi: 11033 vs 3520

  • Higher performance (97/100 vs 61/100)
  • Better camera (69/100 vs 51/100)
  • Longer battery life (53/100 vs 52/100)
  • Better display (80/100 vs 73/100)
  • Better portability (56/100 vs 53/100)
What makes ZTE Axon 40 better?
  • Better main camera: 64MP vs 48MP

  • Overall rating 58/100
Comparison verdict

Comparing the Sony Xperia 1 VIII vs the ZTE Axon 40, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII scores 19 points higher (77/100 vs 58/100). In the "performance" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII leads (97/100 vs 61/100). In the "camera" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII leads (69/100 vs 51/100). In the "performance" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII significantly outperforms the ZTE Axon 40 (97/100 vs 61/100). In the "display" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII is a bit better (80/100 vs 73/100). In the "camera" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII notably outperforms the ZTE Axon 40 (69/100 vs 51/100). In the "battery" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII and the ZTE Axon 40 are nearly equal (53/100 vs 52/100). In the "portability" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII and the ZTE Axon 40 are nearly equal (56/100 vs 53/100).

Sony Xperia 1 VIII: The Sony Xperia 1 VIII is a better fit for gamers and power users.
ZTE Axon 40: The ZTE Axon 40 is a better fit for active users.
Specs comparison
Specification Sony Xperia 1 VIII ZTE Axon 40
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 870
AnTuTu 3842882 1010069
Geekbench Single 3640 1298
Geekbench Multi 11033 3520
Display 6.5" LTPO OLED 6.7"
Resolution 1080x2340 1080x2400
Refresh rate 120 Hz 120 Hz
Battery 5000 mAh 5000 mAh
Charging 30W
Wireless charging 15W 0W
Main camera 48 MP 64 MP
Ultrawide 48 MP 8 MP
Telephoto 48 MP 0 MP
Front camera 12 MP 44 MP
RAM 12GB / 16GB
Storage 256GB / 512GB / 1TB 128GB
OS Android 16, up to 5 major Android upgrades Android 12 Snow Cone
NFC yes yes
Protection IP65
Dimensions 162.0×74.0×8.3 mm 163.4×75.9×8.6 mm
Weight 200 g 200 g
Price
Camera comparison
Sony Xperia 1 VIII
  • Main: 48MP f/f/1.9
  • Ultrawide: 48MP
  • Telephoto: 48MP
  • Front: 12MP
69
camera
ZTE Axon 40
  • Main: 64MP
  • Ultrawide: 8MP
  • Front: 44MP
51
camera
Display comparison
Sony Xperia 1 VIII
  • 6.5" LTPO OLED
  • Resolution: 1080x2340
  • Refresh rate: 120 Hz
80
display
ZTE Axon 40
  • 6.7"
  • Resolution: 1080x2400
  • Refresh rate: 120 Hz
73
display
Battery and charging
Sony Xperia 1 VIII
  • 5000 mAh
  • Wired: 30W
  • Wireless: 15W
53
battery
ZTE Axon 40
  • 5000 mAh
  • No wireless charging
52
battery
Overall performance score

We compared Sony Xperia 1 VIII and ZTE Axon 40, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.

Sony Xperia 1 VIII Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
77/100
3842882 AnTuTu
ZTE Axon 40 Qualcomm Snapdragon 870
58/100 -280.5%
1010069 AnTuTu

Sony Xperia 1 VIII leads ZTE Axon 40 by 280.5% in our overall performance rating.

Benchmarks
Detailed category analysis
performance

In the "performance" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII significantly outperforms the ZTE Axon 40 (97/100 vs 61/100).

display

In the "display" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII is a bit better (80/100 vs 73/100).

camera

In the "camera" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII notably outperforms the ZTE Axon 40 (69/100 vs 51/100).

battery

In the "battery" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII and the ZTE Axon 40 are nearly equal (53/100 vs 52/100).

portability

In the "portability" category, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII and the ZTE Axon 40 are nearly equal (56/100 vs 53/100).

Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Sony Xperia 1 VIII or the ZTE Axon 40?

The Sony Xperia 1 VIII is noticeably better than the ZTE Axon 40 — the overall rating gap is 19 points.

What is the rating of the Sony Xperia 1 VIII and the ZTE Axon 40?

The Sony Xperia 1 VIII has a MobileRank rating of 77/100, the ZTE Axon 40 — 58/100.

Which has the better camera: the Sony Xperia 1 VIII or the ZTE Axon 40?

The Sony Xperia 1 VIII leads on camera score (69/100 vs 51/100).

Which is more powerful: the Sony Xperia 1 VIII or the ZTE Axon 40?

The Sony Xperia 1 VIII leads on performance (97/100 vs 61/100).

Should you choose the Sony Xperia 1 VIII over the ZTE Axon 40?

The Sony Xperia 1 VIII is a better fit for gamers and power users. The ZTE Axon 40 is a better fit for active users.