Between the ROG Phone 9 and Xperia 1 VII, the ROG Phone 9 comes out ahead in front camera / wired charging, while the Xperia 1 VII wins on pixel density / weight. Overall, the ROG Phone 9 scores 75.1 and the Xperia 1 VII scores 67.7 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The ROG Phone 9 edges ahead on the Mars Score (75.1 vs 67.7), but the 7.4-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the ROG Phone 9 if you photograph or shoot video regularly and want the better imaging pipeline of the two. The biggest gaps in its favor are front camera, wired charging, refresh rate, among others.
Pick the Xperia 1 VII if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. Its strongest claims are pixel density, weight, promised os updates.
Both ship with comparable 5g support, water resistance, optical image stabilization, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the ROG Phone 9 is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why ASUS - ROG Phone 9 wins
- ▲Front camera — 166.67% more. 32 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲Wired charging — 116.67% more. 65 W vs 30 W.
- ▲Refresh rate — 54.17% more. 185 Hz vs 120 Hz.
- ▲RAM — 33.33% more. 16 GB vs 12 GB.
- ▲AnTuTu — 24.04% more. 2580000 vs 2080000.
- ▲Battery capacity — 16.00% more. 5800 mAh vs 5000 mAh.
- ▲Screen size — 4.31% more. 6.78 " vs 6.5 ".
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
Why Sony - Xperia 1 VII wins
- ▲Pixel density — 65.72% more. 643 ppi vs 388 ppi.
- ▲Weight — 35.00 g less. 192 vs 227.
- ▲Promised OS updates: 4 (vs 3).
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 | Sony - Xperia 1 VII |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 227 g | 192 glead |
| Thickness | 8.9 mm | 8.2 mmlead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 | Sony - Xperia 1 VII |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.78 "lead | 6.5 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 388 ppi | 643 ppilead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 185 Hzlead | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2500 nitslead | 1800 nits |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 | Sony - Xperia 1 VII |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 50 MPlead | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 32 MPlead | 12 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 | Sony - Xperia 1 VII |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 5800 mAhlead | 5000 mAh |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 65 Wlead | 30 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 W | 15 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 | Sony - Xperia 1 VII |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | true | true |
| microSD slot | false | truelead |
Operating System
| Spec | ASUS - ROG Phone 9 | Sony - Xperia 1 VII |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Android | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 3 years | 4 yearslead |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, ROG Phone 9 or Xperia 1 VII?+
ROG Phone 9 has 16.0% more battery — 5800 mAh vs 5000 mAh.
Which is lighter, ROG Phone 9 or Xperia 1 VII?+
Xperia 1 VII is 35g lighter — 227g vs 192g.
Is ROG Phone 9 waterproof?+
ROG Phone 9 has an IP68 rating.
Does Xperia 1 VII support 5G?+
Yes, Xperia 1 VII supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, ROG Phone 9 or Xperia 1 VII?+
ROG Phone 9 offers 16GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, ROG Phone 9 or Xperia 1 VII?+
ROG Phone 9 has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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