Sony Xperia XZ Review

Updated by Boey Wong / April 16, 2021 09:15

Sony finally has its flagship X series and really lives up to its promise of two flagship smart phones each year. After released the X Performance, Sony launched a extremely gorgeous smart phone called Xperia XZ on its launch event on September 1st, 2016. The Xperia Z line is now dead. Every Sony phone will be part of the Xperia X line, whether it's a budget, mid-range or high-end device, and will sit under the top-dog Xperia XZ – at least until we see the Xperia XZ 2. If X Performance is the transition from the Z series to X series, then the Xperia XZ is the real representation of the new flagship series for its appearance, function, and software have more or less changes.

Guide List

• Part 1: Appearance of Sony Xperia XZ
• Part 2: Hands on with Sony Xperia XZ
• Part 3: Price for Xperia XZ

1. Appearance of Sony Xperia XZ

Sony has visibly altered its design with Xperia XZ. The top and bottom sides are both flat, while the edges on the right and left are completely rounded making it looks more fashionable and more comfortable when holding it. The individual components blend together almost seamlessly. But the defect is this 5.2-inch display phone has too large empty bezel areas above and below the display and does not have a unibody construction which can affect the nearly perfect appearance design to some extend. The Sony logo is also located on the top as usual accompanied with the stereo speakers. The headset jack is placed at the top, while the bottom side has a standard USB Type-C connector port.

The Xperia letters are engraved on the metallic back and the main camera is on the upper-left and does not project beyond the surface so that you can lie the XZ phone flat on a table without wobbling. It's worth mentioning that the back metal part is made of special ALKALEIDO high-brightness aluminum alloy which makes its color has some changes. For example for the blue color you will see blue, dark blue or even black when you look at it in different angles or light source, very attractive. It looks indeed much better than the glass on the early Xperia Z-line handsets. But be noted that the Xperia XZ will still pick up your greasy fingerprints.

To be honest, the boxy design only gives the Xperia XZ a look you will never find on other flagships and enables you to stand up your phone. Apart from that it doesn't really offer much. Overall, the Xperia XZ is the best-looking phone Sony has created, and the most comfortable to hold.

2. Hands on with Sony Xperia XZ

The volume rocker is in a inconvenient position, two-thirds of the way down the right-hand spine. It's not a natural placement for your fingers to reach it quickly if music is blaring out of the phone and you need to turn it down. Below it is a camera button, which allows you to snap shots without touching the screen. It's something you don't get on many other flagship phones.

The phone comes with a 5.2-inch touch screen display with a resolution of 1080 pixels by 1920 pixels. It is powered by quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and comes with 3GB of RAM. You may see some phones with 4GB or 6GB of RAM on board, but 3GB does the job nicely here. The Xperia XZ packs 64GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 200GB via a micro SD card.

Battery life on the Xperia XZ isn't the best but isn't the worst either. The phone runs Android 6.0 and is powered by a 2900mAh non removable battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support. Sony wants to help you optimize battery performance over the lifetime of the phone by learning when and for how long you charge your phone to ensure your phone won't be pummeled with lots of charge when it's not needed. This will help if you are planning on hanging on to your XZ for a few years. Besides, Sony's water resistant design takes the worry out of a litter wet. Xperia XZ is built to withstand the splashes that are a part of everyday life. So you can relax about sudden spills or unexpected showers.

As far as the cameras are concerned, the Sony Xperia XZ packs a 23-megapixel primary camera on the rear and a 13-megapixel front shooter for selfies. It seams nothing new for the camera, but on the contrary, it is the headline feature that Sony is pushing because of the laser autofocus, which works in tandem with the predictive hybrid autofocus of previous Sony phones. Whether you are taking photos in a well-lit environment, from the outside, or backlit scenes, the camera can quickly re-focus, making it more practical use. What's more, the camera enables you to take action shots and other snaps of moving subjects with minimum blur. You will never use a phone with autofocus this fast and accurate until you meet XZ.

The most impressive thing is the five-axis electronic image stabilization feature, which gives the handheld shooting enough stability as if your camera is supported by a shelf even you are moving fast when shooting . In fact, Sony's SteadyShot is doing a good job on electronic anti-shake function, but this time with a five-axis image stabilization feature ensuring a less shaky video, video recording of up to 4K resolution is possible.

3. Price for Xperia XZ

The Xperia XZ can be purchased unlocked and off-contract for $699 from Amazon, Best Buy and other participating retailers. The Sony Xperia XZ appears to be consistent with the previous Sony Xperias: good processing, fast processors and a good display without much Quad HD fanfare. The new design of the XZ is a matter of taste. The battery life at high usage is only average; otherwise, the Xperia XZ is a good master of the standard tasks for smart phones.