Sony Xperia 1 VII vs Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Verdict
Sony Xperia 1 VII scores higher on the OH Rank (69 vs 68), winning 4 of 10 categories including Performance and Battery. Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max is 3.6mm wider than Sony Xperia 1 VII. Sony Xperia 1 VII is the more recent release, from Jun 2025.
Score Breakdown
Performance /15
Battery /15
Screen /15
IP Protection /15
Main Camera /15
Selfie /5
Video /5
SD Memory /5
Software /5
Desktop Replacement /5
TOTAL
69
68
Sony Xperia 1 VII
74mm (2.91in) · Jun 2025 · Rank #95
9+10+8+12+14+3+3+5+5+0 = 69
FLY* TOP Software* TOP Memory Expansion* TOP Camera
EDITORIAL: Sony seems unsure about the direction of it's mobile business. This year's Xperia announcement didn't introduce Xperia 10 VII- their midrange phone. Xperia 5 V from 2023 was the last compact flagship Sony put out and now they seem to have slimmed their model range from 3 to just 1. The 1 VII is still a great phone. It's hardware is unique and more functional then any other flagship phone. Great grip and a bright screen, forward facing stereo speakers, hi quality headphone jack, SDmemory - this phone offers so much value. The battery life is still a great affair, cameras are as good as ever (tho selfie lacks AF) and software is simple, elegant and bloatware-free.
PROs
excellent build and grip, relatively narrow (easier to use one hand) body, headphone/microphone jack, tool-less SD card slot for quick memory expansion, dedicated two-step camera button, fast SnapDragon 8 Elite chip with UFS4.0 performance, >30hr endurance from a 5000mAh battery, >1500nits bright LTPO OLED screen, IP68 protection, great photos from the 48MP OIS main + 12MP OIS continuous optical zoom + 48MP ultrawide (all 3 have PDAF), a tried and true Sony skin Android with 4 years of OS updates
CONs
expensive, lack of innovation, heavy throttling under load, 90min slow charging 5000mAh Lithium battery, sub400ppi non-HDR10+ screen, no-AF selfie, mediocre videos, no desktop replacement functionality that should be a logical extension of Sony's "creator tool" marketing.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
77.6mm (3.06in) · Sep 16, 2022 · Rank #104
7+9+13+12+12+5+5+0+5+0 = 68
* BEST phone Fall Winter 2022* TOP Software* TOP Video Recording* TOP Selfie
EDITORIAL: The best 2022 Apple phone still holds it's ground - it was a great phone to begin with but with Apple's (very) incremental annual improvements, it's successors didn't get that much better. A great option even in 2025, especially if you're stuck in Apple ecosystem.
PROs
flagship build, fast A16 Bionic with NVMe performance, >30hrs battery life, >1500nits bright 450ppi LTPO screen with Dolby Vision, IP68 (submersible down to 6m), excellent 48MP 24mm OIS main + 12MP 77mm OIS tele + 12MP 13mm ultrawide (all with PDAF) back camera, excellent 12MP 23mm PDAF OIS selfie, the best video recording Apple is known for, Apple's long OS upgrade support for stabile and feature rich iOS
CONs
big and 240gr heavy, 150min super-slow 20W (15W wireless) charging, lack of expandable storage, lack of desktop replacement functionality
Both phones here were scored by me, using the same ten categories, with no ads, sponsorships, or manufacturer relationships — this comparison is as objective and honest as it gets.
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