Sony and Google both released outstanding smartphones in October last year in the form of the Xperia XZ and the Pixel, respectively. Google's premium handset may have gained more popularity than the other, but both of them garnered good reviews from users and tech experts. But which one can really get users the most bang for their buck?

The Sony Xperia XZ's highlights are its water and dust-resistant design, PlayStation Remote Play, and fingerprint scanner. Other features include a Snapdragon 820 processor, 23-megapixel rear camera and 13-megapixel front camera, 32 GB storage, 3 GB of RAM, and a 5.2-inch 1080p display, to name a few.

The Google Pixel, on the other hand, boasts of its Daydream Virtual Reality-ready feature, as well as the Google Assistant. Other features include a Snapdragon 821 processor, 12-megapixel rear camera and 8-megapixel front camera, up to 128 GB storage, 4 GB of RAM, and a 5-inch 1080p display, to name a few.

Based on these specs, they seem to be on par, which could be the reason why the two handsets are often being compared.

Pixel's best feature is the Google Assistant, which other Android phones did not previously have. However, thanks to the recent update, more Android users are now able to enjoy the voice-activated assistant software as long as their smartphones are running on Marshmallow and Nougat.

When it comes to battery performance, the two handsets are still on par. TechRadar conducted a test that compared the battery performance of the Google Pixel, Sony Xperia XZ, Samsung 7, LG G5, and the iPhone 7. The Google handset, which has a 2,770 mAh lithium-ion battery, lasted four hours and 44 minutes after browsing, streaming, and gaming tests. On the other hand, the Sony handset, which has a 2,900 mAh lithium-ion battery, lasted three minutes shorter, at four hours and 41 minutes.

In other news, Sony has confirmed the upcoming launch of the Xperia XZ Premium this spring, but there has yet to be an exact release date for the new model. According to PC Advisor, it's similar to the previous one, but it has new exciting features such as the Snapdragon 835 processor and 4K HDR display.

Google will also be releasing the Pixel 2 this year as confirmed by Rick Osterloh, Google senior vice president of hardware, when he spoke to Android Pit. "There is an annual rhythm in the industry. So, you can count on us to follow it," he explained. "You can count on a successor this year, even if you don't hear a date from me now," he added.