Google Pixel 5 (2020) vs Sony Xperia XZ1 (late 2017)

The Google Pixel 5 (2020) is a relatively good Smartphone for people that are willing to spend around $340. The Sony Xperia XZ1 (late 2017), by contrast, is quite unremarkable and doesn't stand out in any meaningful way from other products at this price point.

In both cases, however, we recommend that you take look at some other options at the $340 and $220 budget ranges; in all likelihood you'll find some better alternatives.

If you're still interested in learning more about the Google Pixel 5 (2020) and Sony Xperia XZ1 (late 2017), however, we wrote a summary of what we know about them:

The Google Pixel 5 (2020) was loved by reviewers at Tom's Guide, a highly trusted source that performs reliable in-depth testing. It did great in its "2020 was the year of the $699 phone: Here’s the best one" roundup where it was named its "Ranked 2 out of 6", which, in itself, makes it a product worth considering.

As for the Sony Xperia XZ1 (late 2017), it was really well-received by reviewers at PCmag, a reliable source that's known for conducting its own, high-quality, in-depth testing. It performed great in its "The Best of IFA 2017" roundup and was named its "Ranked 2 out of 12", which, on its own, makes it a product that warrants a closer look.

Out of the sources that tested and rated both of these Smartphones, Expert Reviews, PhoneArena, and TrustedReviews preferred the Google Pixel 5 (2020), whereas reviewers at GSMArena and Android Authority liked the Sony Xperia XZ1 (late 2017) better. PCmag, Photography Blog, Techradar, and Tom's Guide gave them identical review scores.

We also took a look at which sources liked these products best - the highest Google Pixel 5 (2020) rating came from Digital Camera World, whereas the Sony Xperia XZ1 (late 2017) most impressed reviewers at GSMArena; they earned scores of 10 and 8.6, respectively.

Lastly, we averaged out all of the reviews scores that we could find on these two products and compared them to other Smartphones on the market. We learned that both of them performed far better than most of their competitors - the overall review average earned by Smartphones being 7.5 out of 10, whereas the Google Pixel 5 (2020) and Sony Xperia XZ1 (late 2017) managed averages of 8.4 and 7.7 points, respectively.

Due to the difference in their prices, however, it's important to keep in mind that a direct Google Pixel 5 (2020) vs. Sony Xperia XZ1 (late 2017) comparison might not be entirely fair - some sources don't take value for money into account when assigning their scores and therefore have a tendency to rate more premium products better.