We compare Sony’s Xperia X, the HTC 10, Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and the LG G5, four of the biggest and best Android phones of 2016, to see which is best for you. Here’s our full comparison review, where we take a look at performance, battery life, design, features and more.
Sony’s Xperia X is the first X-Series phone to launch, kicking off a funky new strategy from Sony: strip the unnecessary bits from your premium phone to make it a wee bit cheaper than the competition. So gone is Sony’s usual water resistant design, while the Xperia X also cuts back on processing power.
Question is, how does the Xperia X compare to the biggest and best flagship Androids of 2016 so far: the HTC 10, LG G5 and Samsung’s Galaxy S7? Here’s our full comparison review.
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Sony Xperia X vs HTC 10 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 vs LG G5: At a glance
| Phone | HTC 10 | LG G5 | Samsung Galaxy S7 | Sony Xperia X |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 5.2-inch | 5.3-inch | 5.1-inch | 5-inch |
| Screen res | 2560×1440 | 2560×1440 | 2560×1440 | 1920×1080 |
| Fingerprint sensor? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Waterproof? | No | No | Yes | No |
| Processor | Snapdragon 820 | Snapdragon 820 | Snapdragon 820/Exynos 8890 | Snapdragon 650 |
| Memory | 4GB | 4GB | 4GB | 3GB |
| Storage | 32/64GB | 32GB | 32/64GB | 32GB |
| microSD? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rear camera | 12MP | 16MP + 8MP | 12MP | 23MP |
| Front camera | 5MP | 8MP | 5MP | 13MP |
| Price | £549 | £510 | £450 | £450 |
Sony Xperia X vs HTC 10 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 vs LG G5: Design
Three of these four awesome Androids sport a shiny metallic coat, namely the HTC 10, LG G5 and Xperia X. You can grab them in a selection of colours and they’re all pleasingly rugged, resisting scuffs and scratches with the best of them.
The G5 is the chunkiest mobile here and quite difficult to use one-handed, but LG has at least addressed this by adding in some helpful features, such as the notifications shortcut in the bottom toolbar. Meanwhile the other phones here sport more compact frames and pleasingly curvy edges, for a comfortable one-handed experience. Sony’s Xperia X is especially dinky at just 5-inches, although it doesn’t fit the hand quite as wonderfully as the Galaxy S7.
Samsung’s phone is the only one here to rock a glass-and-metal design, and the Galaxy S7 is arguably the best-looking mobile as a result. It’s all a case of taste of course, but those sleek curves and sexy colours really are visually appealing. If you’re after a handset to play with in the bath, the S7 is also your only choice; it’s the only phone here to offer full water resistance.
Sony Xperia X vs HTC 10 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 vs LG G5: Features
The LG G5 is a stand-out phone when it comes to features, offering a very unique modular design. Basically, you can pull off the bottom edge and clip on LG’s selection of modular ‘Friends’, to expand the handset’s functionality. In theory, this should mean that the G5 has the potential to grow and expand over time. However, right now LG has only launched a couple of Friends and we’re waiting with baited breath to A) test them out and B) see if any interesting new ones emerge.
Samsung’s Galaxy S7 is more geared towards fitness fans, with its built-in heart rate sensor and S Health app, while the Xperia X boasts Sony’s Remote Play feature, for gamers to stream their PS4 sessions direct to their phone (handy if you’re planning an extended toilet session). The HTC 10 by contrast uses a mostly vanilla version of Android, with few added features, although it does boast the very funky Freestyle Desktops mode to give your phone a fresh new look and feel.
If you’re serious about security then the good news is that all four phones here boast responsive, super-accurate fingerprint sensors. That gives you quick and convenient access to your private data, while keeping out thieving miscreants.
Sony Xperia X vs HTC 10 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 vs LG G5: Screen and media
If you enjoy catching up with the latest telly or kicking back with movies on your mobile, then all four phones here should please. Video and photos look crisp and clear on each handset and there’s no big clarity difference between the Full HD Xperia X panel and the Quad HD displays on its rivals.
Samsung’s Super AMOLED screen is the most vibrant of the bunch, boasting colours so rich that they bleed off the screen. You can drop the vibrancy if desired in the Galaxy S7’s settings of course, while the Xperia X and HTC 10 also offer the option of boosting colour hues.
HTC’s mobile is one of the best here for audio, thanks to its powerful BoomSound speakers which surround the screen. Sound quality is fantastic, although the Galaxy S7 manages to pump out louder, more bass-heavy audio. Check out our speaker test video to see them in action against the Xperia X.
The HTC 10 and Xperia X also support Hi-res audio tracks, as does the LG G5 with the special speaker Friend plugged in.
Sony Xperia X vs HTC 10 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 vs LG G5: Performance
The Galaxy S7, HTC 10 and LG G5 all boast Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 820 processor, which provides silky smooth everyday performance and handles the latest games with ease. Note that the Galaxy S7 can also be picked up with Samsung’s super-powered Exynos 8890 processor on-board instead.
To cut costs, Sony went with the more modest Snapdragon 650 processor instead. And while it doesn’t benchmark as strongly as the Snapdragon 820, and will show signs of ageing earlier, for now at least the Xperia X is a slick performer.
Sony Xperia X vs HTC 10 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 vs LG G5: Battery life
It’s a close call in the battery life test, with the Xperia X, HTC 10, Galaxy S7 and LG G5 all managing just over a day of full-on use. That’s constant messaging, occasional web browsing and a bit of camera and app use, plus some media streaming for good measure.
If you want to stream video non-stop, however, then the Galaxy S7 is the winner of this group with eight hours of playback. The HTC 10, LG G5 and Xperia X all come close, but can’t quite reach that target.
However, the HTC 10 and LG G5 charge up to full the fastest thanks to their Quick Charge 3.0 support and the LG G5 goes one step further with its removable battery, which can be quickly and cleanly replaced when needed.
Sony Xperia X vs HTC 10 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 vs LG G5: Cameras
These four phones all boast excellent camera tech, but of course each has its own specialty features.
The LG G5 packs a stand-out snapper, with two lenses stacked on the back. You get a very impressive 16-megapixel camera which captures intricate details in almost any conditions, as well as a handy 8-megapixel wide-angle lens that’s ideal for group shots and vistas. You can shoot up to 4K video on the standard lens and Full HD on the wide-angle lens.
Sony’s Xperia X boasts the ‘best’ camera in terms of pure specs, with a mighty 23-megapixel snapper housed on the rear. Photos are crisp and packed with detail, with Sony’s auto mode dealing well with all kinds of tricky conditions. You can shoot up to Full HD video at 60 Frames-Per-Second, but there’s no support for 4K video.
The HTC 10’s 12-megapixel camera is another dependable snapper that can shoot up to 4K UHD video. However, it’s not quite as impressive as the Samsung Galaxy S7’s 12-megapixel rival, which is superb in low light and captures more attractive, vibrant images.
Check out our Xperia X vs Galaxy S7 camera review, LG G5 vs Galaxy S7 camera review and HTC 10 vs Galaxy S7 camera review to see how these three awesome snappers compare with Samsung’s best-in-class camera. You can also see full video samples on the Recombu YouTube channel.
Three of the handsets in this comparison are also all available from O2. You’ll find tariffs for the Sony Xperia X here, the Samsung Galaxy S7 here and LG G5 here.
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