Verdict
- The 4K display is stunning;
- Great camera;
- Long battery life;
- Not the most premium design;
- Inconvenient SIM card tray;
- The lack of 4K content reduces the effectiveness of the screen;
Sony Xperia XZ Premium is a genuine flagship smartphone. It boasts a market-leading 4K display, high-powered specs under the hood and Sony's professional photography heritage, including Slow-Motion, among other things.
On paper, the XZ Premium's offering is stunning - but the feature-rich spec sheet doesn't always reflect the top-notch experience we've come to expect from flagship smartphones.
Sony is still a little behind in the design rut, the company is trying its best to impose competition on Apple and Samsung, while LG, Huawei and Motorola continue to impose serious competition.
Xperia XZ Premium is a chance for Sony to regain its reliable position in the smartphone market, was it successful or not? Sony Xperia XZ Premium review more...
Sony Xperia XZ Premium: Price and release date
- PriceXperiaXZPremium $800 (from 46,000 rubles);
- On sale in Russia from June 2, as well as throughout Europe;
It's probably no surprise that this isn't a cheap phone. Pricing Sony Xperia XZ Premium cannot be called anything other than “premium”; the smartphone will come to Russia from 46,000 rubles, which will allow it to rub shoulders with the iPhone 7 Plus in terms of cost.
Pre-orders for the phone are already open, but as for the start of sales of the Sony Xperia XZ Premium in Russia, June 2.
We are still awaiting information about the start of sales in other markets around the world.
Design
- Glass, metal and plastic are not the most premium designs;
- The side-mounted fingerprint scanner is useful;
- Inconvenient slotSIM;
Sony's latest smartphone may carry the Premium tag, but in nature the situation is different. When it comes to the design of the Sony Xperia XZ Premium, the phone leaves much to be desired compared to its flagship competitors.
Gorilla Glass on the front and back at least provides some tough protection, but the sides of the phone are plastic, and that's the kind of material you feel when you hold the phone in your hands.
And that's a shame, because the thin plastic frame makes the phone feel cheaper than it actually is. You don't want to notice anything like this on a phone you're paying that kind of money for. The flat front and back mean it doesn't fit as neatly into your hand as some curved smartphones on the market.
The glass panels in our review remained a magnet for fingerprints - just like on the Galaxy S8 and the black iPhone 7 - so the flagship will constantly get dirty.
You'll also find a significant bezel around the display, which pushes the XZ Premium's dimensions to 156 x 77 x 7.9mm, making it taller and wider than the Samsung Galaxy S8 - phones that boast larger screens than the Premium.
This frame allows you to position the front speakers, as well as provide space for you to comfortably grip your smartphone in landscape orientation while playing games or watching videos without your fingers blocking the screen.
The power button on the right side of the smartphone fits very comfortably under your thumb when you hold the device in your right hand. The effect is enhanced by the fingerprint scanner built into the key, which allows you to unlock your smartphone without entering a PIN code, pattern or password.
During our review, we found that it unlocked very quickly most of the time, but sometimes we had to repeat the process to get the scanner to read the fingerprint.
The top and bottom sides of the XZ Premium are metal, and we would have liked to see the metal frame continue on the sides of the phone as it would help the overall design of the smartphone. There's a USB-C port at the base of the phone, and on the top you'll find a headphone jack - which will delight those who watched in horror as Motorola and Apple got rid of it on their phones.
Other positive features of the Xpreia XZ Premium include IP68 certification, that is, protection from water and dust, which allows you to bathe the smartphone in the bathtub or in the rain, but the phone will not be able to accompany a diver. IP68 promises protection when immersed in fresh water to a depth of 1 meter.
The SIM slot and MicroSD tray are somewhat disappointing. The plastic flap feels flimsy, plus it only offers space for a MicroSD card. The separate SIM tray (which is located under the same flap) requires the use of a special tool.
For most users, this is an operation that will only need to be done a couple of times, but the plastic flap feels like it could be a weak link in the waterproofing department if you regularly change the MicroSD.
Shown alongside its peers, the Sony Xperia XZ Premium doesn't offer the same refinement as other flagships - or even more affordable phones like the OnePlus 3T and Honor 8.
Display
- 5.46-inch 4K displayHDR;
- Bye designXZPremium doesn't stand out, the screen plays in a different league;
Derived from the Xperia Z5 Premium, the new XZ Premium is the second Sony smartphone to boast a 4K display with Bravia TV technology - and in most markets it is the only smartphone to offer this resolution.
4K equates to a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, which on a 5.46-inch screen offers an eye-popping pixel density of 807 pixels per inch. To put things into perspective, the Infinity Display on the Galaxy S8 offers 570 pixels per inch, while the LG G6 can only offer 564 PPI.
You won't find a sharper screen on any other smartphone and, unlike its 4K predecessor, you actually get full resolution all the time. The Z5 Premium only offered full 4K resolution when you were watching a video at the same resolution, while the Xperia XZ Premium offers 3840 x 2160 pixels all the time - from the home screen and browser to the app store and social network profile.
There's no option in Settings to lower the screen resolution to save power and improve battery life like QHD on the Galaxy S8.
With the Xperia XZ Premium, however, we didn't find the need to reduce the resolution at any point in time as battery life is top notch, but we'll discuss that later in the review.
The screen panel uses LCD technology, providing crisp, clear images; It's not quite the same as the vibrant AMOLED displays you'll find on the Galaxy S8, Moto Z, and OnePlus 3T, but Triluminos technology dramatically improves colors over LCD panels. This is a screen you'll want to gawk at.
It also feels small, especially now that the 5.7-inch LG G6 and 5.8-inch Samsung Galaxy S8 have hit the market, ushering in new screen sizes for 2017.
However, if you haven't had the chance to use these smartphones before, you'll still find the Xperia XZ Premium to offer plenty of space - especially if you're upgrading from a 2-year-old smartphone.
While it's certainly nice to have 4K resolution on a phone, the reality is that you won't notice much of a difference compared to the QHD panels you get with the Galaxy S8, LG G6 and .
Play 4K content on the Xperia XZ Premium and you'll be treated to the best visual experience you can get on a smartphone - but you'll find 4K content not nearly as easy to access.
Sony says the XZ Premium is a smartphone equipped for the future, as the amount of 4K content will only increase over time - but for now, QHD panels are sufficient.
Interface and reliability
- OverlayAndroid is easy to use;
- Lots of unnecessary pre-installed applications;
Sony has already cleaned up its user interface over the last year or so, which means you get a cleaner and more streamlined experience on the Sony Xperia XZ Premium screen.
Beneath the Sony interface is Android 7.0 Nougat, Google's latest mobile operating system, which for the most part is pretty good for those coming from another Android smartphone.
Even if you're planning on switching from an iPhone, Android and iOS have become much more similar in recent years, so getting to grips with the interface becomes easier if you choose the Xperia XZ Premium.
Sony's habit of loading smartphones with pre-installed applications has not gone away. The Xperia XZ Premium includes the standard Google apps, but the Japanese firm also adds about ten more apps.
Some are useful, including fitness app Livelog and video editing app Movie Creator, while Email, Music, Album and Video merely duplicate the core features of Gmail, Play Music, Photos and Play Movies.
There are also Sony What's New and Xperia Lounge apps, which promote content, downloads, apps and games, as well as a smattering of sports news.
The upside is that you can disable most of these apps if you decide you won't use them - all it takes is a long press and an X will pop up next to the icon, which will hide the apps.
We found the XZ Premium to be reliable and rarely had orientation issues - fixed by closing all apps in the multitasking tray and reopening - otherwise we found no issues.
Music, cinema and games
- 4K content is hard to find, but it looks amazing;
- The games are impressive;
- Great sound;
With tons of performance under the hood, dual front-facing speakers, high-resolution audio and 4K HDR support, the Sony Xperia XZ Premium is a serious multimedia machine.
If you have access to 4K HDR video content, the Xperia XZ Premium is impressive. We watched several videos and were shocked by the screen image.
The people on the screen look as if they are sitting on the other side of the glass, as if you were looking through a window rather than at a smartphone screen. It is a wonderful visual experience that must be seen to be believed.
The problem is that it is not so easy to see. That's because the Xperia XZ Premium doesn't make it easy to find 4K HDR videos.
We hoped that by the time the phone was released, the manufacturer would offer an application or video content store that could unlock the potential of the phone's screen.
However, there weren't any obvious solutions, so we used Sony's pre-installed Xperia Lounge app, namely the new video section, to see if it could offer us any help.
However, the "What's New?" section essentially a simple app, store and download center for apps, themes and wallpapers, while Xperia Lounge doesn't offer movies or TV series, focusing on entertainment and sports news instead.
The Videos app is extremely confusing, however, it lets you select the cable TV service we used at home and also offers a full program guide, but there are no links to amazing 4K content.
Google Play Movies & TV won't help as it doesn't offer 4K HDR video on mobile phones, so we were forced to head to the Amazon Prime Video app. Sony offers its own section on the website that offers 4K HDR for the XZ Premium - but it wasn't working at the time of review.
We tried downloading episodes of The Grand Tour and Read Oaks via streaming and locally (at the highest quality available), but we only got 1080p resolution at the maximum.
We were forced to switch to YouTube, which offers a large selection of 4K HDR content and, as we said, 4K looks fantastic on a phone - but it's not movies or TV shows.
Sony needs to make 4K HDR content easily accessible to users, otherwise no one will be able to take advantage of the great display that makes up a significant portion of the Xperia XZ Premium's price.
Games, fortunately, are much more accessible. The chipset and 4GB of RAM help ensure that the Xperia XZ Premium is capable of handling whatever you throw at the phone - with settings set to maximum.
Additional bezels above and below the display offer a pad to comfortably hold the smartphone in landscape mode - ideal for using the device in your hands without forcing you to cover the screen with your fingers.
The front-facing stereo speakers are another strong point; they direct video towards you rather than into the palm of your hand.
These speakers are also useful when you want to listen to music on the Sony Xperia XZ Premium as they can fill the room with sound, although the quality is not the highest.
Plug in a pair of headphones and the XZ Premium shines with audio enhancement technology and automatic headphone audio optimization that adjusts the audio output to match the type of headphones you connect.
There's good news for fans of wireless headphones and speakers; Sony is improving audio output via Bluetooth.
It's not the same quality you get over a wired connection using a 3.5mm jack, but it's a significant improvement over the general standard.
The Sony Xperia XZ Premium offers great sound through headphones, both wired and wireless, so if you're a big music fan, you should check out the phone.
Performance
- Fast and smooth operating performance;
- Programs open quickly;
- Multitasking is great;
As we have already hinted, the performance of the Sony Xperia XZ Premium is excellent. The Snapdragon 835 chip and 4GB of RAM stack up and easily match the performance of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and LG G6.
What's a little odd, however, is the fact that the XZ Premium in our review doesn't allow you to download apps for testing - meaning we couldn't offer any comparison scores to other flagships on the market.
We contacted Sony about this issue, and the company sent us another XZ Premium, which allowed us to download Geekbench 4 - so we will be able to offer results very soon.
Not that you need to worry about that, apps load quickly, Android runs smoothly and the Xperia XZ Premium will easily run multiple apps at once, allowing you to switch between them with ease.
Battery life
- You can easily work all day with one charge;
- Supports fast charging and energy saving modes;
The Sony Xperia XZ Premium comes with a 3230mAh non-removable battery inside its 7.9-inch body.
It's not the most generous offer - the LG G6, for example, offers 3,600 mAh - but it's larger than the 3,000 mAh battery in the Samsung Galaxy S8, so it's not all bad.
Battery capacity isn't everything, and that's good news when it comes to the things that really matter. The XZ Premium easily lasts all day on a single charge, with between 15% and 20% battery remaining by nightfall, even after a moderate amount of use.
What does moderate use throughout the day mean? That's several hours of Spotify video streaming, about 40 minutes of TV series, a few phone calls, texts and some social media, a barrage of emails and web browsing, and an hour or two of gaming.
Typically, we removed the review Xperia XZ Premium from charging at 6:30, and put it on charge between 23:00 and 00:00.
If you cut back on the amount of gaming and video you play during the day, you can expect to have 20% charge at the end of the day - which is pretty good for a modern flagship phone's battery.
Of course, there's no escape from charging the XZ Premium every night, but we never felt the panicky need to rush to the charger in the middle of the day.
The weak point of the Sony Xperia XZ Premium battery was a 90-minute test with Full HD video, in which we turned the brightness to maximum and left synchronization in the background and Wi-Fi available.
After an hour and a half of video playback, the XZ Premium's battery lost about 32% of its charge - a significant hit no doubt, but this is caused by the power-hungry 4K display.
If you plan to watch a 4K HDR movie on your phone, you'll have to make sure you have a power source handy.
Sooner or later, a situation occurs when the smartphone is close to being completely drained and luckily, XZ Premium has a few tricks up its sleeve to help you out in such a situation.
Firstly, it supports Quick Charge 3.0, which charges the battery four times faster than a standard charger - so if you're going to be leaving the house at night, fast charging can give you a significant charge in a short period of time.
You need Quick Charge 3.0 with a supported charging brick to take advantage of the fastest speeds, it comes in a box, just be sure to take it with you if you need to charge outside the home.
This is useful if you're close to a power outlet, but the Xperia XZ Premium also comes with two power-saving modes to help you get the most out of the remaining charge.
Stamina Mode extends battery life by reducing background traffic and screen brightness, and disabling some features. The mode turns on when the battery charge drops below 15% by default, but you can manually change this setting if you want to turn it on earlier.
And if you're really struggling to extend your battery life, you can switch Stamina Mode to Ultra mode, which essentially turns your smartphone into a regular phone, limiting it to nine core apps with a simplified interface that makes the most of those last few percent of charge. .
This is a last resort option that we used in a situation where there was an acute shortage of a charger, but it is a good option, just in case.
Camera
- The Slow Motion capabilities are impressive;
- The main camera captures a sea of detail;
Sony Xperia XZ Premium has an excellent camera. It comes with a 19-megapixel Sony sensor that features HDR, face detection, Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS), predictive phase detection with laser autofocus.
In short, this is a well-equipped camera that, before we get into the detailed review, can offer super-slow video capture, with a staggering 960fps. For comparison, Slow Motion on the iPhone 7 (and Plus) and Samsung Galaxy S8 is recorded at 240 frames per second.
This means the XZ Premium promises incredible slow motion, and if you can capture that moment in Slow Motion mode, the results are seriously impressive.
There are three different Slow Motion modes to choose from. Entry-level slow motion records 120 frames per second, but has the added benefit of applying a slow motion effect after recording the video.
This means you can pinpoint exactly when you want to slow motion after the actual shooting, very useful when you don't have the option to switch to Slow Motion mode while live.
The other two modes, super slow motion (one frame) and slow motion, require you to switch to 960fps while recording—you can't slow down part of the video while playing the video back afterwards.
Super Slow Motion is very simple, as all you have to do is press the shutter button and the XZ Premium will capture five seconds at 960fps. This means you don't get the normal video recording speed on either side of the "slow" clip, but you can probably get the slowest result.
Slow motion mode offers a much more complete package. Highlight it and click on record, the video will be recorded in 720p format, but you will see an additional button on the screen - press it at any time during recording and the XZ Premium will return the recording to normal speed.
It can be difficult to trigger Slow Motion at the right moment, so we recommend sticking to the super-slow single-clip mode.
Slow Motion writes at 720p, so image detail may suffer – especially in low-light conditions and indoors, where results tend to be grainy. Step outside, however, and in good light the Sony Xperia XZ Premium delivers some of the best slow-mo footage available on the market.
Moving past the slow recording and back to the camera itself, you get a solid mobile sensor that works well in most situations, even when the camera is switched to Sony's Intelligent Auto mode.
In this mode, the camera adapts to the light of the environment you're in, delivering well-exposed photos, while laser auto focus delivers high-quality detail while minimizing blur.
Moving subjects won't hurt your photography either, thanks to Sony's predictive phase detection, meaning the camera can follow the target to make sure it maintains focus. We tried taking photos of our cats, and the XZ Premium was able to keep track of them.
And while Sony is also one of the few manufacturers that still includes a dedicated physical camera button on flagship smartphones, the XZ Premium's two-stage shutter release allows you to focus the camera by pressing the shutter button halfway, then pressing it all the way to take a photo.
It's a convenient solution that makes shooting easier, as the Xpreia XZ Premium's large size makes the on-screen shutter difficult to reach when holding the smartphone with one hand. You can also hold down the shutter button at any time to launch the camera app.
If you're looking for even more granular control over your photography, the Sony Xperia XZ Premium offers a manual mode that lets you fine-tune focus, exposure, white balance and shutter speed.
The focus control is particularly useful and easy to use, offering the exact focus of your attention - be it the foreground or background - with a simple on-screen slider.
For those looking for something more exciting, you can head over to the camera section where you'll find balanced 4K video recording and Panorama, along with Sony's Zanier AR Effect app. It's a bit silly but a lot of fun.
The Sony Xperia XZ Premium takes amazing photos, and Sony has greatly improved the post-processing that slowed down photography on previous devices.
Photos are full of detail and color, although we didn't find them as vibrant as the cameras on the Samsung Galaxy S8 - which easily edges out the XZ Premium when it comes to point-and-shoot photography.
Spend some time with the Sony camera, as well as hone your Super Slow Motion skills, and you'll really love what the Xperia XZ Premium has to offer in the photography department.
The Sony Xpreia XZ Premium camera captures a sea of detail. Look at the cat's whiskers and fur.
You can photograph very close to get great detail.
Switch to manual mode where you can control the focus point. For example, the foreground...
Or the background, which you can switch to using the slider on the screen.
Verdict
The Sony Xperia XZ Premium is a smartphone packed with features, along with an impressive 4K display and massive performance under the hood, as well as an excellent camera and a powerful battery, all important ingredients for a flagship smartphone.
The price is high, which means the Premium faces some really tough competition from the Samsung Galaxy S8, LG G6, HTC U11 and iPhone 7 Plus, and if you're looking for a smartphone that looks stylish without sacrificing performance, you'll find the Xperia XZ Premium not nearly as impressive against the background of competitors.
It's not ugly by any means, but when you put it up against all-metal glass rivals, the chunky bezel and plastic frame panels lose hands down.
A 4K HDR screen is incredible when you find 4K content playing on a phone, but currently at least there are only a handful of movies offering that resolution.
Unless you're a 4K freak, you'll be much happier with the QHD (2K) content on the screens you get with flagship Android smartphones.
Who is Xperia XZ Premium for?
If you are in the market for a high-end smartphone, the Sony Xperia XZ Premium should suit your tastes. It has everything you want when you pay top dollar for tech, including a 4K display and a camera with Slow Motion modes and a 2-step shutter release that's enough to impress your friends.
Design and style are a matter of perspective, and while Sony's more industrial design language won't dazzle you in the same way that Samsung's Infinity Display showcased the seamless design of the Galaxy S8, it does have a significant number of fans who like Sony's boxy approach.
If your current flagship smartphone is more than two years old, there are plenty of features in the Xperia XZ Premium that will make the smartphone a satisfying upgrade.
However, those currently sporting 2016 flagships are much less incentivized to buy due to the mediocre updates to Sony's new smartphone.
Should you buy the Sony Xperia XZ Premium?
If you're a die-hard Sony fan, the new Xperia XZ Premium is the smartphone you've been waiting for. If you fall into this camp, buy the XZ Premium. You will not regret it.
It offers a display, camera, performance and battery life that make it one of the best flagships on the market - it's the best Sony smartphone you can buy.
However, if you're not committed to a specific manufacturer, you may want to consider other options in this price range before taking the plunge.
If you go for the Xperia XZ Premium you won't be disappointed as you get great value for money and we really recommend the Super Slow Motion feature - it's a lot of fun.
The Xperia XZ Premium isn't the only feature-rich flagship on the market, here are a trio of high-end competitors that will ensure Sony has a tough time in the market.
Samsung Galaxy S8
The Samsung Galaxy S8 is our editors' current pick, and any smartphone will beat it to its 5.8-inch Infinity Display, futuristic design, and supremely capable camera.
In direct comparison, there isn't much difference in the performance, battery life and cameras of these phones, but Samsung easily edges out Sony when it comes to screen and design.
That is, of course, unless you're a fan of 4K HDR - if you are one of them, then the Sony Xperia XZ Premium is the phone for you.
The Galaxy S8 beats the Sony by offering a more complete overall package, but the Xperia XZ Premium isn't far behind.
More details: .
LGG6
The LG G6 offers a larger display than the XZ Premium (5.7-inch versus 5.46-inch), but also a lower resolution, 2K instead of 4K on the Sony panel.
Its slim bezel means the G6 is similar in size to the Sony, and it also offers a more premium metal and glass finish - there aren't any plastic bits in sight.
While it's not as powerful, you'll find two cameras on the back. One is a standard 13-megapixel sensor, and the other is a 13-megapixel wide-angle lens that allows you to capture more in a single frame.
HTCU11
The HTC U11 offers its own trick with "squeezable" sides that let you launch apps and perform actions - like taking photos - without touching the screen.
This is a new way to use a smartphone, however, squeezing seems to be a limited function and more like a gimmick, a feature that will not help the smartphone stand out.
The premium glass and metal design looks great even if it doubles as a fingerprint magnet, and as HTC's flagship, the U11 offers plenty of performance and an impressive camera on the back.
The Sony Xperia XZ Premium offers everything you could expect when you pay money for a phone with a 4K panel and a big camera, the two standouts at this party. It will delight Sony fans around the world.
Wonderful!
The Sony Xperia XZ Premium offers everything you could expect when you pay money for a phone with a 4K panel and a big camera, the two standouts at this party. It will delight Sony fans around the world.
And everything that we want to see.
Update | 01/28/2018
The Sony smartphone has passed FCC certification with a 5.7-inch screen but a surprisingly small physical size compared to most Sony phones. However, it may get rid of the 3.5mm headphone jack.
So we really want to see a new design for the Sony Xperia XZ Premium 2 and luckily, it looks like we're in for it as not only has Sony's exec claimed that some of the upcoming smartphones will get a new design, but the specs also list dimensions that confirm the design changes.
Big screen
The Sony Xperia XZ Premium's 5.46-inch screen isn't the smallest, but to really make full use of its 4K resolution it really needs to get bigger, and with competitors like , a larger diagonal would help the Xperia XZ Premium 2 compete .
It doesn't have to get huge, but the move to 5.8 inches could make a big difference, especially if Sony can shrink the screen panels to keep the physical size roughly the same.
Less software bloat
The Sony Xperia XZ Premium is weighed down by a plethora of pre-installed apps, many of which duplicate functionality from Google apps (which are also present on the phone) or are simply not very useful.
With the new Sony Xperia XZ Premium 2, we'd like fewer bells and whistles, with a pure version of Android. Considering that the whole application store makes it quite easy and quick to fill out any problems, so the main applications are enough for us, without duplicates.
Dual camera
The XZ Premium offered a good camera, but an additional lens could make it even better.
Sony's flagship phones tend to have decent cameras, and the Xperia XZ Premium is no exception. In our review, we noted the camera's impressive Slo-Mo and ability to capture a lot of detail, but it's just one lens against dual-camera competitors we wish Sony would follow suit.
The dual lens isn't just a marketing gimmick, as it could unlock new features including lossless optical zoom, which could benefit the Xperia XZ Premium 2.
More power!
The Xpreia XZ Premium offered plenty of performance, but early rumors suggest the new model won't get an updated chipset or increased RAM, which could be disappointing not only because it's reasonable to expect a performance boost from the new model, but also because at the time of the phone's release, The specifications will seem frankly outdated for a high-quality phone.
So, hopefully this rumor is wrong and the Xperia XZ Premium 2 does see a performance boost. We would like to see a smartphone with the new Snapdragon 845 chipset. RAM may remain at 4 GB, but we will not refuse to increase this figure.
SlotSIM cards
It's a small point, but in our Xperia XZ Premium review we noted that the SIM card slot is extremely fiddly, so we'd like to see it redesigned on the Sony Xperia XZ Premium 2.
It's not something most people will need to interact with often, but that doesn't mean the SIM card slot shouldn't be of decent quality.
Don't need a 4K display? , probably also on the way.
Review of Sony Xperia XZ Premium - the first among the best flagship smartphones of 2017. The device turned out to be not just a technological product, no, everything is much deeper here. Sonistyl here.
Review based on Xperia XZ Premium (G8142), Luminous Chrome color.
Technical specifications Sony Xperia XZ Premium
- Display: IPS, 5.5-inch with 4K Ultra HD resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels), 806 ppi pixel density, HDR support
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, 8 cores (Kryo 280 Performance 2450 MHz + Kryo 280 Efficiency 1900 MHz), 10 nm, Adreno 540 video accelerator
- RAM: 4 GB LPDDR4
- Built-in memory: 64 GB UFS 2.1
- Main camera: 19 MP, 1/2.3″ Exmor RS, 25mm G Lens, F2.0 aperture, physical pixel size 1.22 microns, Motion Eye technology, three-layer image sensor with built-in DRAM memory
- Front camera: 13 MP, 22mm lens, 1/3.06″ Exmor RS
- Connectivity: 4G LTE, 3G, 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 5.0
- Connectors: USB Type-C 3.1, 3.5 mm mini-jack
- Battery: 3230 mAh
- Case material: glass, metal, plastic
- Colours: Luminous Chrome, Deepsea Black, Bronze Pink
- Operating system: Android 7.1.1 Nougat with Xperia UI shell
- Dimensions: 156 x 77 x 7.9 mm, weight - 195 grams
- Features: IP65/68 waterproof, fast fingerprint sensor in power button, support
Design, ergonomics
Xperia XZ Premium is an incredibly beautiful and at the same time strange smartphone. The Japanese here went against market trends and the aspirations of ordinary people who dream of curved screens covering the entire front panel, and at a lower price.
The Xperia XZ Premium is based on the Glass Loop Surface design concept, which continues the ideas of past flagships. Closed surfaces and shapes reign here, everything is symbolized by a rectangle without edges, this can be seen everywhere - in the design of the ends, USB Type-C, and even the sensor block near the camera.
Sony designers were able to do the incredible - show that an “old-fashioned” smartphone is capable of attracting the eye more than new-fangled curved screens. I haven’t held such a unique and harmonious smartphone in my hands for a long time. It's good to see that not all companies blindly follow trends.
Essentially, we have a candy bar consisting of two Gorilla Glass 5 glasses and a plastic frame with metal lower and upper ends. Sony could not or did not want to make the entire frame aluminum (apparently for good cellular signal reception), but they did not spare metal on the bottom and top edges. There really is a lot of it there.
A color version came to me for review Luminous Chrome, which, in my opinion, is the most successful and striking. Perfect for both boys and girls.
Now let's quickly go over the buttons. Sony Mobile engineers are conservative on this issue, but there are significant changes here too.
On the right side there are all control elements, including the power button with a fingerprint scanner, as well as the camera shutter buttons. Special thanks for it; in many scenarios, pressing this button is faster and more convenient than tapping on the screen.
I'm also pleased with the new location of the volume rocker. It was moved above the power button, which immediately increased ease of use. Most users of the Xperia XZ and older Sony Xperia flagships were unhappy with the volume being shoved between the power button and the camera button. The Xperia XZ Premium has finally listened to user demands.
Xperia XZ Premium protective glass has a 2.5D effect, which is especially pronounced on the side edges. For some reason, many people believe that Gorilla Glass 5 does not scratch or that this version of glass scratches much less than previous versions, but this is not the case. During everyday use without a case, scratches are simply inevitable. Please take this into account.
Ease of use
No matter how much I admire the original design of the Xperia XZ Premium, it is stupid to deny that this smartphone has problems with ergonomics.
Not even that, this smartphone lacks ergonomics. It simply doesn’t exist, it’s an angular, glossy block with a 5.5-inch screen, which is larger in size than my Huawei Mate 9 ().
You must hold the Xperia XZ Premium in your hands carefully; it does not forgive mistakes with an incorrect grip. Slippery guy. 😉
But the fingerprint sensor in the Xperia XZ Premium has become faster and, most importantly, more accurate than in the Xperia XZ. But it still has a long way to go to match the lightning-fast sensor of the Huawei P10 Plus () or Mate 9. Pressing the button itself has become more dense and clear.
The smartphone has full moisture protection according to the IP68 standard. The smartphone can't be used for swimming, but it can easily withstand taking pictures in the water, going to the shower, and situations like those shown in the photo.
Vibration response indirectly affects ease of use. The Xperia XZ Premium has a high-quality vibration motor, quiet and pleasant. This is very rare in Android smartphones; they usually add a loud and annoyingly rattling vibration. Everything is super here, I saw something similar on the Galaxy S8.
Screen
The Xperia XZ Premium's screen is something Sony Mobile is proud of. Indeed, the display on the flagship Xperia is excellent without any reservations.
We've seen true 4K resolution on five and a half inches before in the Xperia Z5 Premium. But the Xperia XZ Premium's screen produces a cooler picture thanks to HDR support and higher overall quality.
This is the best TFT screen I have seen in a smartphone. Excellent contrast and brightness, insanely clear. And Sony developers have finally added support for professional mode (sRGB) in the screen settings. If you activate it, the picture will become not so juicy, but much more realistic.
The glass in front of the screen is covered with an effective oleophobic coating (this also applies to the back panel). It’s easy to wipe off fingerprints and other dirt; just swipe the T-shirt a couple of times (tell us in the comments how you remove marks from the screen).
Among the features, I note that 4K resolution is enabled only when viewing photos and videos, as well as when operating the camera. On the desktop and in regular applications, the screen switches to FHD resolution. Reasonable saving of resources, because you can only notice the difference between 4K and FHD when viewing and processing photos in the gallery.
Overall, the Xperia XZ Premium's screen quality is impressive. It makes no sense to look for any flaws here, such as glare or viewing angles. Highest level.
Camera
Especially before the main review, I wrote a detailed review of the Xperia XZ Premium camera, so as not to inflate the volume of this material obscenely.
For those for whom the camera in a smartphone is more important than anything else, I strongly recommend following the link:
There you will find a complete analysis of the Xperia XZ Premium camera with a bunch of photo and video examples.
I would like to note a couple of nuances that prevented me from giving the Xperia XZ Premium camera the maximum score. It's an outdated, clunky camera app and wide-angle optics.
It seems to me that if a smartphone has a single main camera, then a focal length of 26-28 mm is much more suitable for it than 24 mm, like the Xperia XZ Premium.
Software
Xperia XZ Premium runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat with the proprietary Xperia UI shell.
Sony has already taken the path of a naked Android based on AOSP for quite some time and with each new flagship they are getting closer to Google Pixel. For example, on the rightmost desktop of Xperia smartphones is not some clumsy aggregator or voice “assistant” (hello, Bixby), but the faithful Google Now.
The only thing that Sony has not yet overcome is the old-fashioned icons, which, although for the most part they have led to a common denominator, they still lack freshness.
But now, using the Xperia XZ Premium, you can get a user experience at the level of Google devices, because Sony releases firmware and security updates faster than most third-party manufacturers. And this trend will continue in the future.
Other features of the Xperia UI shell can be seen in this review:
Performance and runtime
The Xperia XZ Premium became the first smartphone on the market to receive the Snapdragon 835 chipset. And even though the Xiaomi Mi6 with a similar chipset began selling much earlier, Sony’s merit is still there.
The Japanese company was able to knock out Snapdragon 835 for its flagship back in the winter, at the height of demand, when analysts seemed to be saying that Samsung would take all the processors for its Galaxy S8 (Exynos for Europe and the CIS, and Snapdragon 835 for the USA). For example, LG with their LG G6 had to be content with last year’s Snapdragon 821.
But the most important thing is that Sony was able to not only snatch the Snapdragon 835 for the Xperia XZ Premium, but also intelligently optimize it for their needs.
The Xperia XZ Premium is lightning fast and handles all day-to-day tasks with ease. During use, I had the feeling that the smartphone was working at almost half capacity, as if it had nowhere to put such computing power.
There are no problems in games either. Tanks have a stable 60 frames, and less demanding games launch almost instantly.
Injustice 2 runs smoothly on the Xperia XZ Premium. Benchmark results:
The Xperia XZ Premium also comes with a UFS 2.1 level drive. In AndroBench, the phone produces 710-720 MB/sec for reading and 200-210 MB/sec for writing. Surely this is the key to loading speed of applications and games.
Sony Mobile engineers have overcome a long-standing problem with their smartphones - excessive heating. I was able to heat it to a more or less high temperature only after three consecutive runs in AnTuTu. By the way, the number of points decreased slightly, which also indicates effective cooling and the absence of throttling.
In StabilityTest, after a 20-minute run, the smartphone heated up to 40 degrees (battery), and the processor - up to 53 degrees.
Working hours
The Xperia XZ Premium is equipped with a relatively small 3200 mAh battery. But the Snapdragon 835 and the efforts of Sony Mobile and Stamina engineers work wonders.
The smartphone easily lasts 1.5 days and with 5.5 hours of screen operation in my usual usage scenario (lots of visual content, videos, constant synchronization, all social networks and instant messengers, few calls). The Xperia XZ Premium is definitely one of the longest-lasting smartphones with its battery capacity and screen size.
This good picture is only marred by the lack of fast charging included, although there is support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0. Savings on such little things seem ridiculous, because this is the ultimate flagship, and not some average one.
But thanks to Qnovo technology, which optimizes smartphone charging, the battery in the Xperia XZ Premium will last much longer and retain its capacity better.
Communication and sound
There are no complaints about the quality of speech transmission of auditory speakers and microphones. The Xperia XZ Premium was equipped with high-quality components, which becomes clear after the first conversation. Cellular signal reception is stable, which is not surprising for a glass phone.
The eternal problem of all Sony Xperia flagships - stereo speakers, which play quieter than their competitors and are often not as high-quality, has bypassed the Xperia XZ Premium. The speakers are moderately loud and very high quality. I haven’t heard such sound from a phone for a long time; only the Huawei P10 Plus can compare in the sound quality of the speakers. There, too, the sound was not too loud, but super clear, without wheezing or distortion at maximum volume.
The sound in the headphones is good, but not the best in class. If we are talking about listening to music with wired headphones, then any smartphone with a high-quality DAC will easily outperform the Xperia XZ Premium. The same LG G6 will beat the flagship Sony Xperia. However, when it comes to listening to music through wireless headphones, the Xperia XZ Premium (like other Xperia flagships) is king.
And all because of the proprietary LDAC codec, which significantly improves sound quality when using the appropriate Sony wireless headphones. For example, Sony.
Competitors
Flagships are bought with their hearts rather than their minds. After all, it’s stupid to compare top-end smartphones the same way as devices for 20k, maniacally comparing all sorts of characteristics and a bunch of other factors.
Xperia XZ Premium is the most advanced smartphone in terms of technology. There is an innovative camera, the very best screen and top-end hardware. But competitors' flagships can also play a number of trump cards. For example, the LG G6, while not having top-end specifications, has a super-wide-angle camera and the highest quality headphone sound among its competitors. And HTC U11 has the coolest camera when it comes to image quality. And this can be said about any premium A-brand smartphone.
Any of the list below can be an alternative to the Xperia XZ Preium. Or maybe it won't.
- Galaxy S8
- LG G6
- Oneplus 5
- iPhone 7 Plus
- HTC U11
- Huawei P10 Plus
Conclusion
I don’t want to take the Xperia XZ Premium apart and savor all its advantages or disadvantages. You want to use this device, turn it in your hands, look at it, catch the glare and simply admire its design.
It’s a special feeling when an ordinary thing in the modern world, like a smartphone, gives such emotions. This is real sonistyl and thanks to Sony that they continue to boldly go their own way, not paying attention to iPhone clones and vulgar Samsung.
I could find fault with its bulky body and camera, which I have questions about, but I won’t. It doesn't make sense when you see such a distinctive and unique smartphone. The Xperia XZ Premium is the king of smartphones in 2017, and kings are not judged.
In the first part of the Xperia XZ Premium review: battery and autonomy rating, display tests, processor characteristics, headphone sound quality and interfaces.
GSMArena's Xperia XZ Premium review should answer two main questions. How good is a display with HDR10 support and 4K resolution, and is the innovative Motion Eye camera with its own RAM module capable of creating a small revolution in the world of mobile photography and video shooting? Of interest is the battery life of the smartphone, because a 3230 mAh battery will have to power the screen with Ultra HD resolution.
There are no questions or doubts regarding speed. The Xperia XZ Premium on the Snapdragon 835 will be among the leaders in all benchmarks, and whether the phone takes the top lines of the ratings is, by and large, not so important. Its performance is definitely enough for even the most demanding and picky user.
In the first part of the Xperia XZ Premium review:
- Battery rating and operating time on a single charge.
- Display testing.
- A short analysis of smartphone hardware with benchmarks.
- Checking the sound quality of headphones is a section of the Xperia XZ Premium review for real audiophiles.
- Wireless technologies, interface.
- Subtotals.
Xperia XZ Premium: battery specifications and autonomy rating
The 2017 flagships have no luck with batteries. None received a battery with a capacity of at least 4000 mAh, and the record holder according to the passport is Huawei P10 Plus with 3750 mAh. An analysis of the power systems of top models can be found in the material.
In this light, the Xperia XZ Premium no longer looks like a smartphone with a weak battery. Certainly, 3230 mAh It’s not a dream come true, but the figure doesn’t stand out from its competitors. With the Snapdragon 835 chipset, created using 10 nm technology, the phone has a normal battery life rating, the only question is how will watching video with 4K resolution affect the battery life?
| Xperia XZ Premium | Xperia XZs | |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 3230 mAh | 2900 mAh |
| Fast charging | Quick Charge 3.0 | Quick Charge 3.0 |
| Autonomy rating | 72 hours | 73 hours |
| Calls | 18:54 | 23:07 |
| Internet | 10:04 | 08:17 |
| Video | 08:04 | 09:08 |
Tests conducted by GSMArena experts showed that things are going well with the overall autonomy rating. 72 hours- a normal result, exactly repeating the indicator of such competitors as LG G6 or Huawei P10. In talk mode on 3G networks, the Xperia XZ Premium can work for more than 18 hours.
With an active modem and screen (web surfing), the smartphone lasts about 10 hours, which is also good. An important note must be made here: when working online, as in any other operating mode of the Xperia XZ Premium, the screen switches to Full HD resolution, which significantly reduces the load on the hardware. Accordingly, battery consumption is reduced.
The display goes to 2160 x 3840 resolution only when viewing 4K content. Watching video in UHD resolution is the most critical mode for the autonomy of a smartphone. Tests confirm this - when watching 4K video, the XZ Premium holds a charge for about 8 hours, and this is the worst indicator for 2017 flagships. When compared with the top models of 2016, we see that in video viewing mode, the XZ Premium was ahead of only two phones: Google Pixel and LG V20.
Sony's new flagship supports fast charging Quick Charge 3.0, which resuscitates the battery from 0 to 42% in half an hour. Adaptive charging mode supported Qnovo and proprietary technology Battery Care, designed to extend the life of the battery by 200-300 recharge cycles.
For critical situations, a mode is provided Ultra Stamina, in which most applications are disabled, leaving one desktop with access to the phone book, messages, clock and several other important functions. To enable Ultra Stamina, you will have to restart your phone. To rationally save energy, a less radical measure is provided - the Stamina, which disables vibration, GPS and other not very useful options.
XZ Premium: Specifications and Display Test Results
The XZ Premium's display specs are impressive: resolution 2160 x 3840 when diagonal 5.5 inches gives stunning pixel density 806 ppi. Proprietary Triluminos and X-Reality technologies improve picture quality (brightness, saturation, contrast) on the screen IPS LCD when viewing photos and videos. HDR10 support provides fantastic richness of vivid colors with smooth gradients and an indescribable play of light and shadow when viewing appropriate (HDR) content. All that remains is to make sure that all technologies work as they should.
What do the tests say? In short, the display is good, but not without its shortcomings. In the Xperia XZ Premium review, GSMArena experts note that the image quality when viewing standard content (SDR) is not much different from HDR video, but overall the picture is excellent. Measuring instruments can detect differences, but the human eye can hardly.
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | Contrast | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xperia XZ Premium | 0.463 | 573 | 1228 |
| Xperia Z5 Premium | 0.59 | 566 | 1349 |
| Xperia XZs | 0.461 | 564 | 1223 |
| Xperia XZ | 0.370 | 502 | 1349 |
| Xperia Z5 | 0.59 | 583 | 986 |
| Huawei P10 Plus | 0.335 | 547 | 1633 |
| Huawei P10 | 0.416 | 592 | 1423 |
| LG G6 | 0.228 | 468 | 2053 |
| LG G6 (max auto) | 0.277 | 564 | 2036 |
| HTC U Ultra | 0.539 | 428 | 794 |
| HTC U Ultra (max auto) | 0.564 | 507 | 899 |
| iPhone 7 Plus | 0.41 | 537 | 1398 |
| iPhone 7 Plus (max) | 0.50 | 681 | 1362 |
The correct color rendering is also not impressive. The average color accuracy in sRGB mode, which, in theory, should be as close as possible to the standard, was 4.9 . When switching to standard mode, color accuracy improves slightly and DeltaE drops to 4.6 (the lower the DeltaE, the better). However, both indicators are far from ideal; you can compare them with DeltaE of the 2016/2017 flagships using the previous link to the display review.
Readability in the sun could have been better if not for the mirror surface of the smartphone. The Xperia XZ Premium body, including the front panel, does not actively reflect light, which is why the readability of the display noticeably deteriorates. The readability factor is much lower than the Xperia XZs without mirror polishing.
Readability in the sun
Xperia XZ Premium: hardware specifications
XZ Premium allocated 4 GB operational and 64 GB internal memory, and so much has already been said about the Snapdragon 835 processor that there is nothing to add. In short, the chipset is manufactured according to the 10 nm process technology. The 8-core processor is built on the Kryo 280 CPU architecture. The cores are divided into 2 clusters: the powerful ones are overclocked to 2.45 GHz, energy efficient operate at clock speed 1.9 GHz. Graphics accelerator - Adreno 540.
| Xperia XZ Premium | Xperia XZs | |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon 835 | Snapdragon 820 |
| Technical process | 10 nm FinFET | 14 nm FinFET |
| Number of Cores | 8 | 4 |
| Core type | 8x Kryo 280 CPU | 4x Kryo CPU |
| Frequency | 4x 2.45 GHz + 4x 1.9 GHz | 2x 2.15 GHz + 2x 1.6 GHz |
| Graphics adapter | Adreno 540 | Adreno 530 |
| Modem | LTE Cat.16. Speed up to 1000/150 Mbit/s | LTE Cat.9. Speed up to 450/50 Mbit/s |
| RAM | 4 GB LPDDR4 | 4 GB LPDDR4 |
| Inner memory | 64 GB | 32 / 64 GB |
| Expansion slot | hybrid, microSD up to 256 GB | hybrid, microSD up to 256 GB |
Sony Xperia XZ Premium: sound quality
It's strange that the company that once invented the legendary Walkman can't get crystal clear headphone sound from its smartphones. Problems with uniform signal amplification and non-linear distortion can be seen in all representatives of the Xperia line, from flagships to mid-range and budget products.
The Xperia XZ Premium smartphone is no exception to the rule. When connected to an external amplifier via a 3.5 mm audio jack, noticeable (in relation to this listening mode) harmonic and intermodulation distortions appear. When you connect headphones, intermodulation distortion increases, which has an extremely negative effect on the subjective perception of sound. Another problem appears - uneven signal amplification at high and low frequencies.
In their review of the Xperia XZ Premium, GSMArena journalists described the sound as excellent, but noting the insufficient volume and the disadvantages listed above, they added that the sound quality cannot be called “reference or worthy of a flagship.” Especially the flagship with the Premium index.
| Smartphone | CHO | Signal/Noise | DD | KGI | KII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xperia XZ Premium | +0.01, -0.03 | -90.6 | 90.4 | 0.018 | 0.027 |
| Xperia XZ Premium (with headphones) | +0.30, -0.20 | -90.5 | 90.0 | 0.0018 | 0.145 |
| Xperia XZs | +0.01, -0.02 | -93.5 | 93.3 | 0.0042 | 0.0092 |
| Xperia XZs (with headphones) | +0.12, -0.32 | -92.6 | 93.2 | 0.072 | 0.219 |
| Galaxy S8 | +0.04, -0.00 | -92.5 | 92.5 | 0.0016 | 0.0072 |
| Galaxy S8 (with headphones) | +0.03, -0.03 | -92.3 | 92.3 | 0.0056 | 0.060 |
| Huawei P10 | +0.01, -0.04 | -93.0 | 94.8 | 0.0019 | 0.0080 |
| Huawei P10 (with headphones) | +0.25, -0.02 | -92.7 | 93.0 | 0.192 | 0.175 |
| LG G6 | +0.01, -0.02 | -93.3 | 93.3 | 0.0059 | 0.0095 |
| LG G6 (with headphones) | +0.01, -0.02 | -93.4 | 93.4 | 0.0067 | 0.020 |
| Google Pixel | +0.02, -0.03 | -93.0 | 93.0 | 0.0045 | 0.0086 |
| Google Pixel (with headphones) | +0.22, -0.03 | -92.7 | 92.7 | 0.0054 | 0.129 |
Xperia XZ Premium: wireless technologies, interfaces
The latest modem is responsible for wireless Internet in the Xperia XZ Premium LTE Cat.16, which can receive data at hurricane speeds 1 Gbit/s. True, there are no mobile networks supporting such speeds anywhere yet, but the fact remains.
From a practical point of view, it is of greater interest Bluetooth 5. Fifth generation Bluetooth operates over a wider range of frequencies, transmits data at twice the speed and, in theory, can communicate over a distance of up to 100 meters. Thanks to the high speed, it is possible to listen to lossless formats wirelessly without losing quality. The advantages of Bluetooth 5 include a more stable and high-quality signal, an economical low energy mode, new encryption protocols, and the ability to connect two devices to the phone at once.
For fans of analog audio, a 3.5 mm audio jack was left, although, as we have already said, the Xperia XZ Premium audio system as a whole is not distinguished by outstanding linearity. Wired communication is provided USB Type-C v.3.1. There is no FM radio in the phone, but there is NFC and it supports working in Wi-Fi networks 5 GHz.
Interim results of the Xperia XZ Premium review
So, we can already answer some of the questions raised in the introduction. The Xperia XZ Premium's display is very good when it comes to 4K video playback. In everyday life, you won't get any benefit from UHD resolution because the phone defaults to Full HD resolution. The quality of the picture is a little poor, as is readability in the sun.
The autonomy rating of the Xperia XZ Premium can be called normal. The smartphone will withstand an eventful day, and you can’t ask for more from modern flagships. Performance? There are no surprises here, the speed is high, as you would expect. The sound quality in the headphones is above average by the standards of the mid-price segment, but far from ideal by the standards of flagships.
In the second part of the Xperia XZ Premium review, we talk about the design, body materials, camera and software. Stay with us, follow the publications, we are always glad to see you on the pages of Five-Inches!
awarded at MWC 2017- the personification of Sonya's policies. It is recognizable and unique. And at the same time, it is a device with amazing technical characteristics. The smartphone looks high-status and expensive, is equipped with a proprietary camera and boasts many advantages.The table below lists the main technical specifications of the Sony Xperia xz Premium.
| CPU | Snapdragon835, 4x1900 MHz, 4x2400 MHz |
| Graphics subsystem | Adreno540 |
| SIM | Depending on the version 1 or 2, separate slots for placing |
| RAM/ROM | 4/64 gb |
| Expansion cards | Up to 256 GB |
| Networks | WDCMA, GSM |
| Data | 4G LTE Cat.16 up to 1 Gbit/s and legacy protocols |
| Wireless protocols | Bluetooth version 5 for two devices, NFC, multiple Wi-Fi frequencies |
| Cameras | 19MP rear, color correction, Motion Eye, autofocus 13MP front camera |
| Sensors | Proximity, pressure, gyroscope, fingerprint in the power button, compass. Illumination, step counter, acceleration |
| Battery | 3230 mAh |
The device has IP65/68 protection, weighs 191 g, and has dimensions (HxWxD) 156x77x7.9 mm. The case is made of glass in a steel frame.
Important! As can be seen from the table, the Sony Xperia xz Premium smartphone is available in two versions. The first one ensures work with one SIM card. The tray for its installation is located on the left side, in the upper part. The Sony Xperia xz Premium dual version works with a pair of SIMs; the second has a separate slot and an additional cover. At the same time, the manufacturer has retained a separate port for an SD memory card to expand the phone's storage capacity.
Design and ergonomics
Sony Xperia xz Premium is undoubtedly style and status. The smartphone is thin, made in Sony's signature style. Among the typical features of the image:
- right angles;
- complete absence of bevels on the panels front and back;
- steel frame made of metal in the Loop Surface style with entry around the entire perimeter.
Despite its certainly expensive and stylish appearance, the Sony Xperia xz Premium receives a lot of mixed reviews from owners. In particular, the telephone is called leader of slippery devices of all those on the market. And it's not just the fifth-generation Gorilla Glass on the front and back of the case. The Sony Xz Premium is even harder to hold due to its mirror-polished metal edges. This design of the frame makes you think that you need to sell a special spatula for the smartphone, which will be convenient for lifting it from the table surface. It's really difficult to do this. Slippery edges and the thin thickness of the case will force many users to take the phone, let’s say, not right away.
Will complement the review of Sony Xperia xz Premium regarding inconveniences poor quality oleophobic coatings on the areas of the front and rear glass panels. They very quickly collect fingerprints from touches. Therefore, as evidenced by reviews from owners, the Sony Xperia xz Premium smartphone is worthy of the title of leader in slipperiness and soiling in the mobile device market. You definitely need to buy a case for it.
There are no other complaints about the quality of the smartphone. The assembly is extremely neat, the gaps are minimal, not a single part moves or plays. The positioning of interfaces and controls looks familiar to fans of Sony products. On the edges of the device The following elements are located.
Conservative people will like it. There are quite large side display frames and huge horizontal stripes. They look quite stylish, but their space is used somewhat inefficiently. The speaker grille is located on the top. Near it on both sides there is a front camera peephole and a large notification LED. The bottom strip under the screen is almost never used. It only has a protective grille for the main sound emitter. When playing music, it forms a stereo pair with a conversational one, the sound is directed at the owner of the phone.
On the back cover made of tempered glass, in the left corner is the main camera lens. On the same line with it, in the center, there is a block of flash, RGB sensor, and distance meter. Neither the lens nor the sensor area protrudes above the surface of the cover.
Important! The device has an IP65/68 insulation standard. However, the manufacturer clearly states that protection is guaranteed only from exposure to rain, downpours, and short-term gentle washing. It is not recommended to drown your smartphone or pour a continuous stream of liquid on it.
Sony Xperia xz Premium is available in several colors. As stated by Satoshi Aoyagi, whose design department was involved in styling, shades were selected that evoke warm feelings, but at the same time strict and status. The Sony Xperia xz Premium 2018 phone can be purchased in one of the following versions: Pink Bronze, Deep Black, Shining Chrome.
The Sony Xperia xz Premium 2018 phone received a branded IPS display with TriLuminous technology. Its diagonal is 5.5 inches with a geometry of 121x68 mm. The pixel density is 801 ppi with a total display resolution of 3840x2160. The technical characteristics of the display in hard numbers immediately indicate how justified the price of the Sony Xperia xz Premium is. This is a unique product, the only smartphone in the world and on the market with a 4K resolution. Tests confirm the stated support for multi-touch for 10 points.
Even the most critical user will have no complaints about the image quality on the Sony Xperia xz Premium screen. As an example, here are a few key features.
- Excellent anti-glare characteristics of the display coating.
- OneGlassSolution display without an air gap, without ghosting or tripling of objects.
- Excellent viewing angles without color distortion.
- Excellent white uniformity in tone and illumination.
The backlight brightness characteristics directly indicate that the Sony Xperia xz Premium will Comfortable working both in a dark room and in bright sunlight: minimum is 4.7 cd per m2, maximum is 460 cd per m2. The adaptive adjustment system based on light sensor readings works correctly and quickly. In this case, the minimum backlight brightness is 12 cd/m2. In the sun, the adaptive adjustment system reaches its technical maximum parameters.
The measured gamma is slightly shifted from standard indicators. However, the delta along the entire length of the graph is almost the same. The display gamma of the Sony Xperia xz Premium is 2.31 versus the standard 2.2. The measured contrast is 960:1.
The display settings have everything for each user to choose the optimal mode for themselves. Available:
- setting color temperature;
- channel-by-channel color adjustment;
- professional mode for correct display of colors;
- standard image processing using TriLuminous technology with bright and rich colors;
- extreme contrast mode for working in sunlight.
As experts note, Sony engineers managed to achieve good results. The nature of black color saturation, shifting coverage in different modes, improved response to changing settings - all this allowed the Sony Xperia xz Premium screen to show truly impressive image quality.
Hardware platform
The Sony Xperia xz Premium is not the top-end, but has a claim to leadership in the Snapdragon835 series SoC. It has two clusters of 4 processor cores. A fairly powerful Adreno 540 is used for graphics processing. As a result, with 4 GB of RAM on board, the system shows excellent performance, even taking into account a large display with a huge number of pixels.
Important! All modern games on the Sony Xperia xz Premium run without problems with maximum graphics settings. ModernCombat 5, MortalKombat X, not to mention the most popular tanks were tested.
In synthetic performance tests, the Sony Xperia xz Premium 2018 phone outperforms competitors such as LG's G6, Meizu's Pro 6 Plus, and Samsung's S8+. Moreover, the smartphone in question shows its confident superiority not only in AnTuTu, but also in 3DMark Ice StormSlingShot, GFXBenchmarkManhattan ES, T-Rex.
Thermal images in the infrared spectrum show slight increase in body temperature. Due to the nature of the glass, the overheating zone is localized. The temperature rise is about 12 degrees above ambient, which is a very good result.
It is worth noting the features of other parts of the hardware platform. The Sony Xsperia xz Premium digital modem provides a maximum speed of 1 Gbit per second when operating in LTE Cat.16 format. The phone confidently maintains communication and restores the channel after a break in seconds. The Sony Xperia xz Premium Dual smartphone provides simultaneous operation of two SIM cards in 4G format.
Autonomy
For a system with a large display, it may seem that the 3230 mAh non-removable battery in the Sony Xperia xz Premium is extremely small. In practice, thanks to the use proprietary energy saving technologies, the phone shows excellent results, outperforming its competitors in the market. Some measured periods of time that the Sony Xperia xz Premium lasts on a single charge are as follows:
- reading at a comfortable brightness setting - up to 15 hours;
- Playing high quality video from the Internet with an active WiFi transmitter - up to 9 hours.
Gamers are delighted by the fact that even at the maximum load level, the Sony Xperia xz Premium will allow you to have fun for almost 8 hours. Eat fast charging QuickCharge 3.0. From an incomplete adapter rated at 1.5A, the full battery capacity is restored in 3 hours. Wireless charging technology is not supported.
On a note! You don't have to worry about the service life of the built-in non-removable battery. Its operation is constantly monitored by the SmartStamina service. And in charging mode, gentle treatment is guaranteed by adaptive technology QnovoAdaptiveCharging.
Cameras
Excellent photos for moderately demanding owners - this is what the Sony Xperia xz Premium can boast of. The 13MP camera sensor on the front panel allows you to take great pictures. The camera does not have its own flash, no autofocus. However, the images are bright, sharp, and detailed. In some scenes there is a lack of dynamic color range. When shooting video, the front camera shows good results thanks to Five-axis software image stabilization. There is also a smart auto-tuning mode.
The rear main camera of the Sony Xperia xz Premium is a 19 megapixel proprietary sensor. This unique technical solution is used only in Sony products and is not supplied to third parties. The camera is equipped with its own memory unit (Motion Eye technology), thanks to which it can create Slow Motion video with an amazing 960 frames per second.
Supported predictive autofocus, 5-axis software stabilization, continuous shooting with focus tracking and much more. The easiest way to describe the camera's capabilities is with specific examples.
- Good sharpness is achieved across the entire field of the frame in good lighting conditions.
- Panning in medium light shows good detail in the center.
- Excellent macro results.
- Legible text even from long shooting distances.
- Detailed backgrounds even in average lighting conditions.
Important! The technical characteristics of the camera open up a huge field for the creativity of professional photographers. They have a special manual shooting mode, where you can change almost all photographing parameters.
Should I buy or not?
Perfectionists may say that the Sony Xperia xz Premium has features that make it difficult to make a clear and confident decision about its purchase. However, for other users there are features that clearly and immediately touch the subtle streams of the soul.
Some will be delighted with the super-quality screen. Others' hands will tremble at the thought of being able to play for almost 8 hours without being distracted. Still others will be fascinated by the expensive, strict style of the smartphone. One thing can be said for sure. A huge audience will definitely decide to buy the Sony Xperia xz Premium, since it is really capable of attracting interest.