Sony Xperia XZ
The Sony Xperia XZ is the last of 2016’s top Android phones. It’s Sony’s equivalent of the LG G5 or Samsung Galaxy S7: a top-end phone with lots of features and the price to match.
Like all £500-plus phones, it’s good. Of course it is. But the question is whether it’s good enough to compete with the older 2016 Android kings, some of which are already cheaper than they were at launch.
We’re not here to tease. The Sony Xperia XZ isn’t as accomplished as the best Samsungs and doesn’t make enough improvements over the Sony Xperia Z5, particularly with its camera. This is a phone for Sony fans, or those tired of iPhones and their Korean rivals.
So much for the 4K smartphone. After painstakingly squeezing a 4K screen onto its previous flagship – the Xperia Z5 Premium – Sony's latest top-of-the-range handset, the Xperia XZ, has reverted back to a standard Full HD display.
Far from a sign of retreat, though, the Xperia XZ is in many ways a sign of re-consolidation for Sony, and a return to its strengths. It might have a different name, but the Xperia XZ is very much the true successor to the Xperia Z5, and much more so than the underwhelming Xperia X that was launched earlier in the year.
Sony Xperia XZ Design
The Xperia XZ features a design that has been refreshed in a few different ways, but the general rectangular slab-like design language still makes it easily recognizable as a Sony smartphone. A combination of materials has gone into the build of this device, with glass up front, an all metal back plate, and plastic along its sides.
The phone comes with what Sony is calling a “loop” design. Basically, the sides are rounded and taper towards the front and back, which makes the transition between the different build materials feel more seamless, and also allows for a very comfortable feel when holding the phone. Sony has never had issues with build quality as far as their high-end offerings are concerned, and that remains true for the Xperia XZ as well, with the device feeling sturdy and substantial in the hand.
A few color variations of the Xperia XZ are available, with options including blue and silver, and as seen with this review unit, black. The black version comes with a satin-like finish, which isn’t particularly glossy, but does tend to be prone to fingerprints. That said, black also gives this phone a very sleek and stealthy look.
The Xperia XZ comes with a 5.2-inch display, which allows for a relatively easy one-handed handling experience, despite the back plate being made with metal. Speaking of the metal backing, there are no plastic inserts to be found here, resulting in the NFC chip being moved from the back, where it is normally expected to be, to the front, next to the front-facing camera. This isn’t the first time that Sony has gone with this placement, but it does make tapping the phone to other devices or payment terminals just a little bit more awkward.
Taking a look around the device, the headphone jack and USB Type-C port are at the top and bottom respectively, a combined SIM card and microSD card slot is on the left, and finally, on the right side is the power button, volume rocker, and Sony’s signature dedicated camera shutter button.
As we also noted in the full review of the Xperia X Compact, the inclusion of a dedicated camera button provides a quick and easy way to get to the camera and is very convenient, but having all the buttons on the right makes the whole side feel quite cluttered. The placement of the volume rocker makes sense when considering its secondary use as a digital zoom control, but it is very awkward and uncomfortable to reach with your thumb when trying to adjust the volume in the portrait orientation.
The power button of the Xperia XZ does function as a fingerprint sensor, but that’s only true in other markets around the world, and unfortunately not the case in the US. For reasons unknown, Sony has decided to disable the scanner with the US version of the device, as the company did with previous Sony flagships as well. The keyword here is disable, and some developers have figured out a workaround that you can attempt at your own risk, if a fingerprint scanner is a must have.
One of the main features the XZ Premium borrows from the Z5 Premium is the large 5.5in screen with a 4K resolution. That means the device is bigger than the standard XZ, but is a worthy trade in our opinion. The 4K display is gorgeous: it’s bright, vibrant (thanks to Sony’s triluminos technology) and has an eye-melting pixel density of 807ppi, providing incredible detail unmatched by most other high-end smartphones – and that’s not all either.
The Sony Xperia XZ Premium supports 4K HDR like many modern TVs and lends technology from Sony’s own Bravia range. Sony says HDR provides better colour, contrast and detail, something that we can vouch for after spending time with the smartphone. However, there’s a catch: you can only take advantage of HDR with selected titles on Amazon Prime Video like The Grand Tour and The Man in the High Castle.
If anything, we found the Xperia XZ Premium’s display to be a little too over the top at times due to the intense colours displayed, although that’s more of a personal issue and Sony does provide different display options for those that prefer something a little more subtle.
The XZ’s quad-core 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 and 3GB of RAM are a lightning-quick combination – even if the benchmarks don’t always show it. For instance, its Geekbench 4 scores weren't all that impressive, achieving 1,337 in the single-core test and just 3,326 in the multi-core test, which puts it more or less on a par with the Snapdragon 650-powered Xperia X Compact. However, having used both phones side by side, the difference is night and day, with the XZ pulling ahead every time.
Sony Xperia XZ Camera
Sony is known for making really good camera sensors for smartphones, but they have unfortunately never managed to get the camera quite right with their own phones. However, there are a lot of improvements that have been made with the new sensor that the Xperia XZ is sporting. The device is sharing the same 23 MP rear camera as the smaller Xperia X Compact, and also comes with a 5-axis image stabilization, a new laser auto focus sensor, and a RGBC-IR that helps get the most accurate white balance, regardless of the lighting condition.
A point to remember is that the 5-axis stabilization is purely software based, so there are no moving parts that are making this happen. This stabilization also kicks in only when you are recording close ups or macro shots, and in other situations, 3-axis stabilization is what you are getting. It does work extremely well though for video, and stabilizes the footage without any noticeable warping or distortion.
Where the Xperia XZ differs from its smaller sibling is when it comes to the front-facing camera, with the former coming with a 13 MP shooter, instead of the 5 MP front-facing unit of the Xperia X Compact. The front camera of the Xperia XZ allows for plenty of detail and color to be captured, and you also get a lot more flexibility with zooming into and cropping shots.
The rest of the camera experience is typically what has been available from Sony. The camera app is fairly simplistic, and navigating between Superior Auto, Manual, Video Recording, or switching to the front-facing camera can all be done by simply swiping on the screen. You also get the usual modes like AR Effect, Sweep Panorama, and Timeshift Video, that can be a lot of fun to play around with. The only quirk with Sony’s default camera app is that the HDR mode is still buried in the camera settings, and is only accessible when using the Manual mode.
It is very quick and easy to launch the camera and take a shot, especially when using the dedicated camera key, and the pictures it takes are surprisingly very good. Images are extremely sharp and detailed, and it produces colors that are much more natural and true to life, but at the same time are stilll very pleasing to the eye.
The predictive hybrid auto focus feature that Sony has been using a for a while now also works well for tracking moving objects and capturing them without motion blur. As long as the subject is moving at a reasonable speed, you’ll be able to get a crystal clear shot.
A 3,230mAh is included with the Premium. To be honest, in a phone this big, we’d like to see nearer 4,000mAh like the Huawei P10 Plus. Nonetheless, we found the Premium easily lasted a full day even when butchering it with photos, games and navigation. Under light use, it could almost last two days.
Quick Charge 3 is included so it will recharge quickly too. Sony also boasts about using Qnovo Adaptive Charging which promises to manage charging cycles more effectively and improve the life-span of the battery itself.
The Sony Xperia XZ Premium is a stunning smartphone, both in terms of design and performance. The mirror-like look isn’t for everyone due to the appearance of smudges, but it helps provide an elegant, high-end look.
The 4K HDR display is one-of-a-kind, bright and vibrant, and shows off snaps taken by the impressive Motion Eye camera perfectly. The camera itself can handle almost anything you can throw at it, although performance does slip in low-lit conditions and the super slow-mo video mode takes some practice.
If you’re looking for a gorgeous high-end smartphone with a huge focus on display and cameras with above average battery life, the Sony Xperia XZ Premium is a solid option.
Classic Sony Design
The Sony Xperia XZ is the last of 2016’s top Android phones. It’s Sony’s equivalent of the LG G5 or Samsung Galaxy S7: a top-end phone with lots of features and the price to match.
Like all £500-plus phones, it’s good. Of course it is. But the question is whether it’s good enough to compete with the older 2016 Android kings, some of which are already cheaper than they were at launch.
We’re not here to tease. The Sony Xperia XZ isn’t as accomplished as the best Samsungs and doesn’t make enough improvements over the Sony Xperia Z5, particularly with its camera. This is a phone for Sony fans, or those tired of iPhones and their Korean rivals.
So much for the 4K smartphone. After painstakingly squeezing a 4K screen onto its previous flagship – the Xperia Z5 Premium – Sony's latest top-of-the-range handset, the Xperia XZ, has reverted back to a standard Full HD display.
Sony Xperia XZ Design
The Xperia XZ features a design that has been refreshed in a few different ways, but the general rectangular slab-like design language still makes it easily recognizable as a Sony smartphone. A combination of materials has gone into the build of this device, with glass up front, an all metal back plate, and plastic along its sides.
The phone comes with what Sony is calling a “loop” design. Basically, the sides are rounded and taper towards the front and back, which makes the transition between the different build materials feel more seamless, and also allows for a very comfortable feel when holding the phone. Sony has never had issues with build quality as far as their high-end offerings are concerned, and that remains true for the Xperia XZ as well, with the device feeling sturdy and substantial in the hand.
A few color variations of the Xperia XZ are available, with options including blue and silver, and as seen with this review unit, black. The black version comes with a satin-like finish, which isn’t particularly glossy, but does tend to be prone to fingerprints. That said, black also gives this phone a very sleek and stealthy look.
The Xperia XZ comes with a 5.2-inch display, which allows for a relatively easy one-handed handling experience, despite the back plate being made with metal. Speaking of the metal backing, there are no plastic inserts to be found here, resulting in the NFC chip being moved from the back, where it is normally expected to be, to the front, next to the front-facing camera. This isn’t the first time that Sony has gone with this placement, but it does make tapping the phone to other devices or payment terminals just a little bit more awkward.
Taking a look around the device, the headphone jack and USB Type-C port are at the top and bottom respectively, a combined SIM card and microSD card slot is on the left, and finally, on the right side is the power button, volume rocker, and Sony’s signature dedicated camera shutter button.
As we also noted in the full review of the Xperia X Compact, the inclusion of a dedicated camera button provides a quick and easy way to get to the camera and is very convenient, but having all the buttons on the right makes the whole side feel quite cluttered. The placement of the volume rocker makes sense when considering its secondary use as a digital zoom control, but it is very awkward and uncomfortable to reach with your thumb when trying to adjust the volume in the portrait orientation.
The power button of the Xperia XZ does function as a fingerprint sensor, but that’s only true in other markets around the world, and unfortunately not the case in the US. For reasons unknown, Sony has decided to disable the scanner with the US version of the device, as the company did with previous Sony flagships as well. The keyword here is disable, and some developers have figured out a workaround that you can attempt at your own risk, if a fingerprint scanner is a must have.
Sony Xperia XZ Display
One of the main features the XZ Premium borrows from the Z5 Premium is the large 5.5in screen with a 4K resolution. That means the device is bigger than the standard XZ, but is a worthy trade in our opinion. The 4K display is gorgeous: it’s bright, vibrant (thanks to Sony’s triluminos technology) and has an eye-melting pixel density of 807ppi, providing incredible detail unmatched by most other high-end smartphones – and that’s not all either.
The Sony Xperia XZ Premium supports 4K HDR like many modern TVs and lends technology from Sony’s own Bravia range. Sony says HDR provides better colour, contrast and detail, something that we can vouch for after spending time with the smartphone. However, there’s a catch: you can only take advantage of HDR with selected titles on Amazon Prime Video like The Grand Tour and The Man in the High Castle.
If anything, we found the Xperia XZ Premium’s display to be a little too over the top at times due to the intense colours displayed, although that’s more of a personal issue and Sony does provide different display options for those that prefer something a little more subtle.
Sony Xperia XZ Performnce
Indeed, Sony's version of Android 6.0.1 felt silky smooth on the XZ, and web browsing was equally quick, showing few signs of stutter – even on pages laden with dozens of images. Gaming performance was impressive, too: it managed an average of 48fps in GFXBench GL's onscreen Manhattan 3.0 test, and 46fps in the offscreen version. This is faster than Samsung's S7 and S7 Edge as well as the LG G5
Of course, being a Sony phone, the Xperia XZ can also be used in conjunction with the company's PS4 Remote Play app, which lets you use the XZ as a second screen for streaming games around your home. This makes it a particularly promising prospect for PS4 owners, since PS4 Remote Play isn't currently supported by any other phone manufacturer. .
Sony Xperia XZ Software
Sony is in the process of making its own Xperia user interface look and feel a little bit more like Google's stock Android platform. Compared to previous Sony phones, the interface on the Xperia XZ looks a little smoother than the normal Xperia UI, and that's a step most Android fans will appreciate.
That said, there is still a heavy overlay from Sony – for example, all your main apps, such as Messages, Phone and Contacts, are designed with Sony's own look.
Sony has also included a number of its own apps, including PlayStation, Xperia Lounge and Movie Creator. The best Sony-made app, PS4 Remote Play, is missing though, so you'll have to download it from the Google Play Store.
There's a touch of bloatware too, in the form of Amazon, Kobo and AVG apps, but these can be deleted if you particularly dislike them, or need the space.
The Xperia XZ runs Android 6 Marshmallow out of the box. It's a shame Sony didn't see fit to include the latest Android 7 software at launch, but you can now download the latest software to the phone. We've yet to test out Android 7 on the Xperia XZ, but we plan to update this review very soon with details of how the new software works.
The Xperia XZ didn't crash under any usage scenarios during our review period – it seems to be a fully reliable phone, unlike the Xperia Z5 proved to be. Playing games such as Real Racing 3 and Reigns proved that the XZ is well capable of handling high-end gaming – more about that later.
There were a few occasions when apps loaded slowly, but so far we haven't had any significant problems with the XZ.
Of course, being a Sony phone, the Xperia XZ can also be used in conjunction with the company's PS4 Remote Play app, which lets you use the XZ as a second screen for streaming games around your home. This makes it a particularly promising prospect for PS4 owners, since PS4 Remote Play isn't currently supported by any other phone manufacturer. .
Sony Xperia XZ Software
Sony is in the process of making its own Xperia user interface look and feel a little bit more like Google's stock Android platform. Compared to previous Sony phones, the interface on the Xperia XZ looks a little smoother than the normal Xperia UI, and that's a step most Android fans will appreciate.
That said, there is still a heavy overlay from Sony – for example, all your main apps, such as Messages, Phone and Contacts, are designed with Sony's own look.
Sony has also included a number of its own apps, including PlayStation, Xperia Lounge and Movie Creator. The best Sony-made app, PS4 Remote Play, is missing though, so you'll have to download it from the Google Play Store.
There's a touch of bloatware too, in the form of Amazon, Kobo and AVG apps, but these can be deleted if you particularly dislike them, or need the space.
The Xperia XZ runs Android 6 Marshmallow out of the box. It's a shame Sony didn't see fit to include the latest Android 7 software at launch, but you can now download the latest software to the phone. We've yet to test out Android 7 on the Xperia XZ, but we plan to update this review very soon with details of how the new software works.
The Xperia XZ didn't crash under any usage scenarios during our review period – it seems to be a fully reliable phone, unlike the Xperia Z5 proved to be. Playing games such as Real Racing 3 and Reigns proved that the XZ is well capable of handling high-end gaming – more about that later.
There were a few occasions when apps loaded slowly, but so far we haven't had any significant problems with the XZ.
Sony Xperia XZ Camera
Sony is known for making really good camera sensors for smartphones, but they have unfortunately never managed to get the camera quite right with their own phones. However, there are a lot of improvements that have been made with the new sensor that the Xperia XZ is sporting. The device is sharing the same 23 MP rear camera as the smaller Xperia X Compact, and also comes with a 5-axis image stabilization, a new laser auto focus sensor, and a RGBC-IR that helps get the most accurate white balance, regardless of the lighting condition.
A point to remember is that the 5-axis stabilization is purely software based, so there are no moving parts that are making this happen. This stabilization also kicks in only when you are recording close ups or macro shots, and in other situations, 3-axis stabilization is what you are getting. It does work extremely well though for video, and stabilizes the footage without any noticeable warping or distortion.
Where the Xperia XZ differs from its smaller sibling is when it comes to the front-facing camera, with the former coming with a 13 MP shooter, instead of the 5 MP front-facing unit of the Xperia X Compact. The front camera of the Xperia XZ allows for plenty of detail and color to be captured, and you also get a lot more flexibility with zooming into and cropping shots.
The rest of the camera experience is typically what has been available from Sony. The camera app is fairly simplistic, and navigating between Superior Auto, Manual, Video Recording, or switching to the front-facing camera can all be done by simply swiping on the screen. You also get the usual modes like AR Effect, Sweep Panorama, and Timeshift Video, that can be a lot of fun to play around with. The only quirk with Sony’s default camera app is that the HDR mode is still buried in the camera settings, and is only accessible when using the Manual mode.
It is very quick and easy to launch the camera and take a shot, especially when using the dedicated camera key, and the pictures it takes are surprisingly very good. Images are extremely sharp and detailed, and it produces colors that are much more natural and true to life, but at the same time are stilll very pleasing to the eye.
The predictive hybrid auto focus feature that Sony has been using a for a while now also works well for tracking moving objects and capturing them without motion blur. As long as the subject is moving at a reasonable speed, you’ll be able to get a crystal clear shot.
Sony Xperia XZ Speaker
The Sony Xperia XZ’s speaker driver arrangement is great, using one above the screen and one below.
This gets you a good stereo effect when the phone is held in front of your face, and means you need to actively try to block the speakers. Perfect.
The Sony Xperia XZ’s speaker driver arrangement is great, using one above the screen and one below.
This gets you a good stereo effect when the phone is held in front of your face, and means you need to actively try to block the speakers. Perfect.
This gets you a good stereo effect when the phone is held in front of your face, and means you need to actively try to block the speakers. Perfect.
The Sony Xperia XZ’s speaker driver arrangement is great, using one above the screen and one below.
This gets you a good stereo effect when the phone is held in front of your face, and means you need to actively try to block the speakers. Perfect.
Sony Xperia XZ Battery
A 3,230mAh is included with the Premium. To be honest, in a phone this big, we’d like to see nearer 4,000mAh like the Huawei P10 Plus. Nonetheless, we found the Premium easily lasted a full day even when butchering it with photos, games and navigation. Under light use, it could almost last two days.
Quick Charge 3 is included so it will recharge quickly too. Sony also boasts about using Qnovo Adaptive Charging which promises to manage charging cycles more effectively and improve the life-span of the battery itself.
Conclusion
The Sony Xperia XZ Premium is a stunning smartphone, both in terms of design and performance. The mirror-like look isn’t for everyone due to the appearance of smudges, but it helps provide an elegant, high-end look.
The 4K HDR display is one-of-a-kind, bright and vibrant, and shows off snaps taken by the impressive Motion Eye camera perfectly. The camera itself can handle almost anything you can throw at it, although performance does slip in low-lit conditions and the super slow-mo video mode takes some practice.
If you’re looking for a gorgeous high-end smartphone with a huge focus on display and cameras with above average battery life, the Sony Xperia XZ Premium is a solid option.
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