Sony Xperia Z2 vs Samsung Galaxy S5 comparison review: Android flagship are closely matched

Mobile World Congress is over and two of the biggest smartphones are the Sony Xperia Z2 and Samsung Galaxy S5. Here's our Sony Xperia Z2 vs Discount-rumours-leaked-images/">Samsung Galaxy S5 comparison review so you can see how these two Android flagship smartphones stack up against each other.

Sony Xperia Z2 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Price

If you're looking to get one of these smartphones on a contract then you're going to have to pay through the nose. Carphone Warehouse is offering the Xperia Z2 for free on contracts starting at £47 per month. The Galaxy S5 is likely to be in the same ballpark. See also: Sony Xperia Z2: Release date, price and specs.

It's easier to compare the SIM-free prices which are much more static. Sony's official price for the Z2 is £599 but retailers such as Clove have the device listed at £550. Samsung hasn't announced the price for the Galaxy S5 but retailers have it pegged at around the same £550 mark. Read: Galaxy S5 price and where to buy in the UK.

With pricing looking pretty well matched, read on to find out how the Galaxy S5 and Xperia Z2 differ.

Read: 18 best smartphones: The best phone you can buy in 2014.

Sony Xperia Z2 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Design

Sony has been producing dust- and waterproof phones (and tablets) for a while now, almost exclusively and the Xperia Z2 is no exception. However, Samsung has gone down that route with the Galaxy S5 to rival Sony. They have ratings of IP58 and IP67 respectively and although it might seem like the Galaxy is better since it has a higher number, this isn't how it works.

The first number relates to dust protection and the second to water. So the Galaxy S5 is better at keeping out dust (completely dust tight), but the Z2 can be submerged deeper in water (over a meter). So there is no clear winner here.

One thing we do worry about is the fact that the Galaxy S5's rear cover is still removable so if it's not clipped into place properly a seal won't be made and water will easily get in. The Z2 only has port covers which are easy to see when not clipped in.

Check out: Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Galaxy S5 comparison review: New flagship only adds a few features.

Size-wise, the two devices are very similar with both just over 8mm thick but the Z2 is taller and heavier than the Galaxy S5. The latter is the main drawback because the Xperia Z2 weighs in at 163g, nearly 20g more than its rival which is a lot in smartphone terms.

You'll instinctively know which you prefer the look of but we'll point out that the Xperia Z2 uses a combination of aluminium and glass while the Galaxy S5 has a more plastic design with its 'perforated' cover.

We've had hands-on with both these smartphones and the Xperia Z2 retains Sony's top-end luxurious feel but the Galaxy S5 doesn't feel particularly premium.

Sony Xperia Z2 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Screen

Things are pretty similar when it comes to the screen on these two smartphones. Both have Full HD resolution, which we've come to expect from top-end handsets and they are only 0.1in different in size. The Galaxy S5 has a 5.1in screen while the Xperia Z2 has an LG G2 matching 5.2in display.

This means the Z2 has a marginally lower pixel density but the difference is essentially negligible. Samsung uses its favoured Super AMOLED technology while Sony employs its own Triluminos and X-Reality.

We haven't seen the two side by side so it's hard to call a winner but you're best off choosing between these two in different areas since the screens can both be considered top-notch.

Sony Xperia Z2 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Processor and GPU

You needn't look too far into this area either as the Xperia Z2 and Galaxy S5 are two of the first devices with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor and the Adreno 330 GPU. A small difference is that the Galaxy S5's is clocked higher, at 2.5GHz compared to 2.3GHz on the Z2.

The Xperia Z2 does have 50 percent more RAM than the Galaxy S5, though at 3GB - something which could well come in handy.

We will test out performance thoroughly when we get review samples of each but going by the specs, both devices will be outputting top-end performance.

Sony Xperia Z2 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Storage

Strangely, the Xperia Z2 only comes in a single storage capacity - a pretty standard 16GB. Meanwhile the Galaxy S5 will also be available in a 32GB size although we haven't seen this advertised anywhere yet.

Both smartphones offer expandable storage by way of a microSD card slot but the Galaxy S5 has another one up here since it can accept up to 128GB cards - double that of the Xperia Z2.

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