Sony Xperia 1 VII vs Vivo X100 Ultra

Verdict

Sony Xperia 1 VII and Vivo X100 Ultra tie on the OH Rank at a score of 72. Sony Xperia 1 VII wins on Battery and SD Memory; Vivo X100 Ultra wins on Screen and Selfie. Vivo X100 Ultra is 1.6mm wider than Sony Xperia 1 VII. Sony Xperia 1 VII is the more recent release, from Jun 2025.

Score Breakdown

Category

Sony Xperia 1 VII

74mm (2.91in) · Jun 2025 · Rank #75

Vivo X100 Ultra

75.6mm (2.98in) · May 28, 2024 · Rank #72
Performance /15
9
9
Battery /15
10
9
Screen /15
8
15
IP Protection /15
12
12
Main Camera /15
14
14
Selfie /5
3
5
Video /5
3
5
SD Memory /5
5
0
Software /5
5
3
Desktop Replacement /5
3
0
TOTAL
72
72
Sony Xperia 1 VII
74mm (2.91in) · Jun 2025 · Rank #75
9+10+8+12+14+3+3+5+5+3 = 72
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, limited Android 17 desktop replacement functionality
CONs
expensive, lack of innovation, heavy throttling under load, 90min slow charging 5000mAh Lithium battery, sub400ppi non-HDR10+ screen, no-AF selfie, mediocre videos
Vivo X100 Ultra
75.6mm (2.98in) · May 28, 2024 · Rank #72
9+9+15+12+14+5+5+0+3+0 = 72
* TOP Screen* TOP Selfie* TOP Video Recording

EDITORIAL: Released in May of 2024 and topped by Vivo X200 Pro phone, Vivo X100 Ultra set a new camera phone standard with its 200MP telephoto camera and a top all-around hardware and software imaging setup. This is one of the best 2024 phones for photography. It has an outstanding screen too but Vivo left room to improve by excluding a memory card slot and missing the 4 or more years of OS software updates that Apple, Samsung, Google and others offer.

PROs
very good SD 8 Gen 3 with UFS 4.0 performance, sub-30min fast 80W (30W wireless) charging, 1800nits bright >500ppi LTPO AMOLED screen with Dolby Vision, IP69 protection, top imaging from a OIS PDAF 50MP main + 200MP tele + a 50MP AF ultrawide, 50MP AF Selfie, light and fast Funtouch OS with 3 years of updates
CONs
<24-hour battery endurance, lack of expandable storage, only 3 year OS update policy, no desktop replacement software

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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