Sony xz premium review. Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device. A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Sony's last few flagships have been pretty good, as they say. They could dive in water, shot well and were not inferior in performance to competitors. But despite this, the devices did not become popular. This year, the Xperia lineup has a somewhat brilliant flagship, the XZ Premium (a continuation of the Z5 Premium, which appeared in 2015). Several of its features and capabilities on paper are vastly superior to the top-end devices of rivals. Let's see how this is a noticeable difference in real use.

Equipment and first impressions

Fans of unboxing have practically nothing to do here, because the flagship gadget comes in a very ordinary box with a couple of Xperia logos. Smartphone comes with cable Charger. Alas, we got only the device itself and the cable, and the power supply was missing.

What is really unusual is the smartphone itself. We have visited the "mirror" version. Absolutely everyone who saw the device for the first time noted the shiny case. The manufacturer has clearly achieved a certain WOW effect. The second thing that is immediately noticeable is that the device will be clean only after the box. And maintaining it in its original form quickly bothers. In everyday use, it will almost always be covered with fingerprints and small specks from pockets.

Design and usability

Describe Sony smartphones every year becomes an increasingly boring task, because their appearance practically does not change. Yes, the arrangement of individual elements varies from model to model, but only avid fans of the brand will be able to notice these changes. Otherwise, absolutely nothing new. And yet, the gadget looks decent, in my opinion. In addition to the "mirror" version, there are classic black and pink body colors.

XZ Premium consists of three main materials: the front and back panels are glass (Gorilla Glass 5 on both sides), the upper and lower parts are made of aluminum, and the sides are plastic. At the same time, it cannot be said that it all looks bad or has assembly flaws. Another thing is practicality. After all, the device is quite large and slippery. I don’t really want to close it with a cover, but for safety it still doesn’t hurt. True, in this case, even without this, a large smartphone will become even larger. After all, its dimensions are: 156 × 77 × 7.9 mm, and the weight is 191 grams. Globally, these are the dimensions of the level, and the diagonals of the displays are the same - 5.5 inches.

Aesthetes, who love neat corners and inconspicuous frames, obviously did not try to please. If the sidewalls still pleasantly fall into the palm, then the lower polished edges on the metal are quite sharp. While most manufacturers are trying to make the bezels around the display ever smaller, Sony followed in the footsteps of Apple and did not stint on the "wrapper" of the display. But this made it possible to place front stereo speakers, which also do not overlap while watching videos or playing games.

With the buttons, the manufacturer distinguished himself twice. First, the fingerprint scanner is located in the power key, which is located on the side. A very unusual solution, because almost all other manufacturers have placed the sensor either on the “back” or under the display. In addition, the option is not the most convenient, but you can get used to it, especially since the scanner itself works fine. Secondly, Sony still has a toggle button for camera control. It's hard to say how much better this option is than just tapping on the screen, but it's nice to have a choice. All other controls are located in the usual places and you won’t have to look for them for a long time.

Not the most comfortable edges on the bottom and top are not felt in the best way in the hands. And the size of the smartphone is such that it is not convenient to put it in every pocket. The case cannot be called practical either, because it is very easily soiled, and I would not strongly like to check it for impact resistance. There is moisture resistance (IP65 / 68), but you can’t completely immerse the gadget under water, although it should survive the rain without any problems.

Display

The body of the Xperia XZ Premium could fit a larger screen, but Sony settled on a 5.5-inch matrix. And the main thing in it is the resolution, which reaches 4K (3840 × 2160 pixels), while the pixel density is an impressive 800 dpi. The XZ Premium display does show a very clear picture, but in my opinion, if it were Full HD, it would not make much difference. But it is important to note that the entire interface, applications, photos and videos are redrawn (upscaled) for 4K resolution. This is an important difference from, in which, on the contrary, the interface and programs were redrawn under Full HD, and the maximum resolution was available only for video.

In addition, XZ Premium has HDR support (along with TRILUMINOS Display and Dynamic Contrast Enhancer technologies), which has improved image quality. If earlier with Sony matrices it made sense to change the color display settings, now there is no such need. The picture is not cold, the eye is a little warmer than normal. And even with this, in comparison with other well-calibrated screens, I don’t want to change anything. And if needed, in the settings there is an opportunity to choose a preset with a gamma or “twist” the RGB. Subjectively, the standard display mode is very good and does not require any intervention.

Likewise, the display of the Xperia XZ Premium has enough backlight for any situation. Moreover, the light sensor works perfectly. During the time spent with the smartphone, there was never a desire to tighten the backlight. There are no complaints about the sensor either. Probably the only thing that was missing was the "evening" mode, which would lower the display of shades of blue. This feature is already available in many inexpensive devices and in a premium smartphone you already expect to get this out of the box.

Sound

As previously mentioned, the Xperia XZ Premium is equipped with two speakers. They are not very suitable for listening to music, however, they sound quite loud. But for watching videos, they are more than enough: the sound is directed at the user from two sides, because of the wide frames there is no problem with overlap and distortion. For music, you still need to use headphones. For example, my Ultimate Ears with a smartphone sound great even when playing normal mp3 files.

For conversations, of course, the device is also well suited. Since the conversational speaker is one of the two main ones, you can hear the interlocutor without special efforts. The microphone transmits a little more noise than we would like, but there is nothing critical in this.

Hardware platform and software

Inside the Xperia XZ Premium, everything is as it should be: eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 with video Adreno 540. Volume random access memory is 4 GB, and a 64 GB drive can be supplemented with a memory card up to 256. True, if you need to use two SIM cards, you will have to be content with only the built-in storage. But the performance today, one might say, is top-notch.

The tests already show such values that there is simply no point in comparing them with something. Flagship devices are really powerful and it becomes difficult to load them if the software works as it should. In the case of the Xperia XZ Premium, the impressions were only positive. Beginning with simple applications, ending with jumping from games to instant messengers and back, everything is easy for a smartphone. It doesn't even get very hot. Naturally, I really liked using such a device.

On the test device, Android 7.1.1 is installed with an almost stock interface, which is complemented by only a few add-ons from Sony. These are pre-installed branded applications for news and multimedia, as well as a system search that can be called up by swiping down on the desktop.

In general, the device works almost perfectly. The interface draws without visible hitches, and the animation seems to be even faster than it should be. On the other hand, when compared with top-end gadgets from other manufacturers, there is nothing supernatural in the XZ Premium, performance and affordable “software” do not beat rivals in any way. Today, almost all top models work quickly.

autonomy

The Xperia XZ Premium has a 3230 mAh battery. During the use of the device, he withstood a day of work without any problems. Even with long trips and the included navigator, the smartphone confidently lasted until the night with a small margin of charge. Screen time was 5.5 hours per day.

In the PCMark test, the result is very good - 8 hours 17 minutes. Unfortunately, we did not have the opportunity to find out how long it takes to fully charge from a complete charger. But given the support for QuickCharge 3.0, we can assume that we would not have to wait long. And in case there were no outlets nearby, Sony still has STAMINA power saving modes: normal and “ultra”, which will not only slightly limit the processor, but leave access to a few applications altogether and turn off everything except cellular communications.

Xperia XZ Premium Cameras

Another feature that sets the Xperia XZ Premium apart from the rest is the camera. And if the resolution of the sensors is unlikely to surprise (19 MP went to the main camera and 13 to the front), then the ability to make slow motion videos at a speed of 960 FPS sounds impressive. But let's start in order.

The Xperia XZ Premium's main camera natively captures 17MP images with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Photos during the day are great. It is a pleasure to review them on a large monitor. Individual shots come out very colorful and clear. But it is better to make sure of the result on the spot, the sensor, for example, can overexpose the sky. Despite the fact that the camera is really very fast (as promised on) and has a 5-axis stabilizer, it does not always manage to take a clear shot, especially if there are moving objects. In the evening, the amount of marriage in the pictures increases, which is to blame for the work of autofocus, and in a room with artificial lighting, the white balance is not always correctly determined.

But this is not the most interesting, because the Xperia XZ Premium camera can not only record 4K video and fairly smooth Full HD at 60 frames, but also shoot very slow motion video at a recording rate of 960 fps in 720p resolution. The only limitation is that you literally have to catch the moment to slow down. The principle is this: select the mode, start recording, and at the right time, press the slowdown button. After that, there will be a 6 second slo-mo on the recording. Slow motion video recording takes place within 0.182 seconds, which is limited by the memory of the camera module itself, without the latest Sony would not have been able to realize the recording speed of 960 FPS, in the company this technology called Motion Eye. Wherein for the recording itself, a good light source is simply necessary, otherwise the video will be dark and noisy.

Recording example Full HD video afternoon:

Example records Full HD video in the evening:

Example of 4K video recording:

Slow motion example:

Permission front camera The Xperia XZ Premium is slightly larger than some of the competitors' top-end gadgets as the primary sensor. The camera misses only when it starts to get dark. Then the frame may come out blurry. Therefore, it can sometimes take more than one attempt to take a selfie. Otherwise, the front camera did not disappoint.

The camera app is very easy to use. It is not oversaturated with different settings. Changing the mode and switching between cameras is done with simple swipes. The main thing is that the program starts almost instantly and you are immediately ready to shoot. It's pretty cool. By tradition, there was also an augmented reality mode with a dinosaur and other things.

Fingerprint recognition. DSEE HX Sound Enhancement Technology. Improved Bluetooth streaming. Noise reduction technology. S-Force Front Surround 3D sound field. Automatic optimization technology analyzes the type of headphones. The Virtual Phones Technology (VPT) function simulates surround sound in headphones. Clear Audio+ function. Equalizer. clear bass. Xperia Actions helps you keep your to-do list short. Smart Cleaner technology for efficient operation. Charge level calculation. Qnovo adaptive charging technology. Battery care function. Monitor battery status in real time. PS4 remote play.

Separately, it is worth saying a few words about the proprietary slow motion mode at 960 frames per second. There are a bunch of beautiful and cute examples of how to use this mode on the net:

But I would like to talk about the disadvantages and limitations. Immediately, we note that the interface for shooting slow-motion video is very non-obvious. Despite a lot of hints, it’s quite difficult to guess right off the bat that the smartphone will record a video in normal mode, during which you need to press the button again to activate slow motion.

Moreover, this segment turns out to be really small, only a small fraction of the movement can be captured, after which the buffer overflows.

Another distinctive feature is the high demands on lighting. The slightest deterioration in lighting conditions leads to a dramatic deterioration in the quality of an already small frame area. This is not a stone in the Sony garden, you just can’t deceive physics, and it’s simply unrealistic to shove super-fast optics into a smartphone that could provide an acceptable ISO value in low light, coupled with the required shutter speed of 1/960 seconds.

We must remember this and not try to pass off a smartphone as a super-fast camera. This bonus is nice, but due to the peculiarities of technology, the scope of real application is limited.

Comparison with competitors Sony Xperia XZ Premium

The flagship of a well-known company and competitors needs no less eminent ones. Let's see what other manufacturers can offer us.

Parameter	Sony Xperia XZ Premium	Samsung Galaxy S8+	Apple iPhone 7 Plus	HTC U11
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835	Samsung Exynos 8895	Apple A10 Fusion	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Core configuration	4 x 2.45 GHz + 4 x 1.90 GHz, Kryo 280	4 x 2.3 GHz + 4 x 1.7 GHz, M2+A53	4 x 2.34 GHz + 4x? GHz, Hurricane + Zephyr	4 x 2.45 GHz + 4 x 1.90 GHz, Kryo 280
GPU	Adreno 540	Mali-G71 MP20	PowerVR 7XT series	Adreno 540
RAM, GB	4	4	3	4 / 6
Number of SIM cards	1/2	1/2	1	1/2
Screen	5.46" IPS 4K, 3840 x 2160	6.2" sAMOLED, 2960x1440	5.5" IPS, Full HD, 1920x1080	5.5" IPS, WQHD, 2560 x 1440
Camera resolution, Mpix	19.0 + 13.0	12.0 + 8.0	12.0 + 12.0	12.0 + 16.0
Battery capacity, mAh	3 230	3 500	2 900	3 000
Built-in memory, GB	64	64 / 128	32 / 64 / 128	64 / 128
Presence of a microSD slot	Eat	Eat	No	No
Dimensions, mm	156.0 x 77.0 x 7.9	159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1	158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3	153.9 x 75.9 x 7.9
Weight, g	195	173	188	169
price, rub.	~49 000 / ~55 000	45 000 – 65 000	45 000 – 60 000	45 000 – 50 000

Unlike LG, Samsung released two versions of the flagship at once. AND samsung galaxy S8 + just can compete with Sony Xperia XZ Premium, while LG G6, despite the large diagonal, can be attributed more to compact solutions.

The Korean flagship compared to the Japanese offers about the same set of functions, but in a more fashionable, modern shell. Of the obvious advantages, it is worth noting the presence of a version with a more capacious built-in drive and 6 GB of RAM, as well as good autonomy.

If you need a smartphone with a retro design from the 2015s, you can advise Apple iPhone 7 Plus: it still has the same huge bezels around the screen and is ready to offer a good hardware platform, coupled with a specific OS.

HTC U11 was not as bad as many expected. Yes, it lacks a 3.5 mm port and looks like a giant lollipop, but the advanced single-chip system, 6 GB of RAM and a fairly fast shell make this “dark horse” a rather interesting device.

There should have been an LG V30 and new flagship Nokia, but since they are still missing for many reasons, there is nothing to discuss here.

Conclusion

At MWC17 and a little later, the main market players released their flagships, praising the bezel-less design, elongated displays, dual cameras and so on. At that moment, Sony and HTC's new products looked strange: both manufacturers went their own way and pretended not to pay attention to industry trends. Despite this, large Sony flagship received recognition from users and many warm reviews. It's hard to tell if this is a success without sales statistics, but judging by the number of offers, the demand is not that great.

At one time, Sony smartphones overtook demand by many years, offering waterproofing and directional stereo speakers a few years ago, thereby forming a kind of contingent around them that appreciates the original design, traditions and values of the company. But since the days of the Sony Xperia Z3+, progress has slowed down a lot, and the Sony Xperia XZ Premium has been unable to offer something new to the market, only increasing the gap from the daring Chinese manufacturers.

The trump cards of the Sony Xperia XZ Premium were advertised as a 4K screen and super slow motion. The problem is that these benefits are very difficult to realize. The 4K screen barely uses its full resolution and can only open up if the VR industry becomes widespread, which does not guarantee the relevance of the model at that time, as it already happened with the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium. An inexpensive helmet could improve the situation. virtual reality, which would be specifically designed for the Sony Xperia XZ Premium, coupled with the ability to use it as a monitor for PC and PS4, but we do not see such a device.

Approximately the same situation with slow motion. At the show, this feature was promoted so much that many perceived the Sony Xperia XZ Premium as a “camera phone”. Albeit with one camera, but still. In practice, the slow-motion mode turned out to be not so easy to master, and the scope of application is noticeably limited due to high lighting requirements. In other respects, the photo capabilities of the flagship remained the same, without offering a radical improvement in picture quality.

As a result, we get good smartphone, but only in isolation from price and positioning. There are several “buts” for all the advantages, which make the advantages of the new product not obvious to potential buyers who study the “Premium” prefix and plastic sidewalls. The question “What is the premium something?”, I believe, will sound often.

Pros of Sony Xperia XZ Premium:

High quality stereo speakers;
Moisture resistance according to IP65/68;
Support for two SIM cards and memory cards;
Great as a gaming smartphone;
High-quality battery with increased resource (Sony + Qnovo);
High quality front camera with AF support;
Convenient and fast fingerprint scanner on the sidewall.

Smartphone cons:

The potential of the 4K screen is not revealed;
Combined SIM card slot;
The design of the flagship has not been updated for a long time;
4 GB of RAM looks like a compromise at this price;
The main problems of the camera are not fixed (no OIS, strong noise reduction, optics).

May not suit:

The case is rather slippery;
Slow motion has received a number of severe restrictions;
Mirror coloring is impractical;
Weight and dimensions.

Stanislav Bobrov aka ARGUMENT_600

We are grateful to:

To the Russian representative office of Sony for providing the Sony Xperia XZ Premium smartphone for review.

Last year, Sony surprised a lot: the company released, in fact, two flagships in one year. First, within new series the Japanese showed the Xperia X Performance - it was the most powerful of the new smartphones, so it seemed that this was the flagship. However, a little later, the company made Xperia XZ - a device with a similar filling, but more large screen and a new design concept that has suddenly become the new leader of the family. Perhaps the company was dissatisfied with sales, or maybe this was the cunning marketing ploy, the essence of which none of the inhabitants understood. Anyway, this year Sony is acting differently, updating the entire series at once.

leader model range becomes the Xperia XZ Premium, which is similar in concept to the Xperia X5 Premium, while the successor to the past flagship, the Xperia XZs, becomes a more compact and affordable alternative. Well, in the first league this season are Xperia XA1 and XA1 Ultra. It seems that Sony is trying to build a single line of different models past years and think more about quality than quantity. Well, let's see how good the new flagship Xperia is and what it can oppose to the market leader in the face.

⇡ Specifications

	Sony Xperia XZ Premium	Sony Xperia Z5 Premium	Huawei P10 Plus	Samsung Galaxy S8	HTC U Ultra
Screen	5.46 inches, IPS, 3840 × 2160 pixels, 807 ppi, capacitive multi-touch	5.5 inches, IPS, 2160 × 3840 pixels, 806 ppi, capacitive multi-touch	5.5 inches, IPS, 2560 × 1440 pixels, 540 ppi, capacitive multi-touch	5.8 inches, Super AMOLED, 1440 × 2960 pixels, 570 ppi, capacitive multi-touch	5.7", IPS, 2560 × 1440 pixels, 513 ppi, capacitive multi-touch + second display, 2.05", 1040 × 160
Protective glass	Corning Gorilla Glass 5	No data	Corning Gorilla Glass 5	Corning Gorilla Glass 5	Corning Gorilla Glass 5
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (MSM8998): eight cores (4×2.45GHz + 4×1.9GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 (MSM8994): eight cores (4×1.5GHz + 2×2.0GHz Cortex-A57)	HiSilicon Kirin 960: eight cores (4×2.4GHz ARM Cortex-A73 + 4×1.8GHz ARM Cortex-A53)	Samsung Exynos 8895: eight cores (4 × M1, 2.5GHz + 4 × Cortex-A53, 1.69GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 MSM8996 (Dual Kryo Cores @ 2.35GHz + Dual Kryo Cores @ 1.36GHz)
Graphics controller	Adreno 540, 710 MHz	Adreno 520, 600 MHz	ARM Mali-G71 MP8, 900 MHz	Mali-G71 MP20, 850 MHz	Adreno 530, 624 MHz
RAM	4 GB	3 GB	4/6 GB	4 GB	4 GB
Flash memory	64 GB	32 GB	64/128 GB	64 GB	64/128 GB
Connectors	1× USB Type-C	1 x microUSB	1 x USB Type-C	1 x USB Type-C	1 x USB Type-C
		1 × 3.5mm headset jack	1 × 3.5mm headset jack	1 × 3.5mm headset jack
	1 x nano-SIM;	1 x nano-SIM; 1 x microSD	1 x nano-SIM; 1 x microSD	2 x nano-SIM	1 x nano-SIM; 1 x microSD
		1 × microSD / 1 × nanoSIM/microSD		1 x microSD
Cellular 2G	GSM / GPRS / Edge 850/900/1800/1900		GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz	GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz	GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Cellular 3G	HSDPA 800/850/900/ 1700/1900/2100	HSDPA 800/850/900/ 1700/1900/2100	DC-HSPA 850/900/ 1900/2100 MHz	1700/1900/2100	UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA 800/850/900/ 1700/1900/2100
Cellular 4G	LTE Cat.16 (1024 Mbps, 150 Mbps), bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 26, 28, 29, 32, 38 , 39, 40, 41	LTE Cat. 4 (150 Mbps, 50 Mbps), bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 26, 28, 29, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41	LTE Cat. 4 (150 Mbps, 50 Mbps), bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 18, 19, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41	LTE Cat.16 (1024 Mbps, 150 Mbps), bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 17, 20, 28	LTE Cat.11 (up to 600 Mbps): bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41
WiFi	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4/5 GHz	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4/5 GHz	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4/5 GHz	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4/5 GHz	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4/5 GHz
Bluetooth	5.0	4.1	4.2	5.0	4.2
NFC	Eat	Eat	Eat	Eat	Eat
Navigation	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
Sensors		Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/ gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass)	Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass)	Light, proximity, accelerometer / gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), Hall sensor	Light, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), Sensor Hub
Fingerprint's scanner	Eat	Eat	Eat	Eat	Eat
Main camera	19 MP, ƒ/2.0, laser + phase contrast autofocus, LED flash, 4K video recording, 960 fps HD video recording	23 MP, ƒ/2.0, laser + phase contrast autofocus, LED flash, 4K video recording	2 × 12 MP, ƒ/1.8, laser autofocus, LED flash, 4K video recording	12 MP, ƒ/1.7, phase detection autofocus, optical stabilization, LED flash	12 MP, ƒ/1.8, hybrid autofocus (contrast laser-illuminated + phase detection), optical stabilization, LED flash, 4K video recording
Front-camera	13 MP, ƒ/2.0, contrast autofocus, Full HD video recording	5.1 MP, ƒ/2.4, contrast autofocus, Full HD video recording	8 MP, contrast autofocus, no flash	8 MP, ƒ/1.7, autofocus, no separate flash	16 MP, fixed autofocus
Nutrition	Non-removable battery: 12.2 Wh (3230 mAh, 3.8 V)	Non-removable battery: 13 Wh (3430 mAh, 3.8 V)	Non-removable battery: 14.25 Wh (3750 mAh, 3.8 V)		Non-removable battery: 11.4 Wh (3000 mAh, 3.8 V)
Size	156×77×7.9mm	154.1×75.8×7.8mm	153.5 × 74.2 × 7mm	148.9 × 68.1 × 8mm	162.4×79.8×8mm
Weight	191 g	180 g	165 g	155 g	170 g
Water and dust protection	Yes, IP68 standard	Yes, IP68 standard	No	Yes, IP68 standard	No
operating system	Android 7.1 Nougat	Android 5.0 Lollipop (Android 7.0 Nougat supported)	Android 7.0 Nougat, EMUI 5.1 shell	Android 7.0 Nougat, Grace UX skin	Android 7.0 Nougat native HTC shell sense
Current price	54 990 rubles	45 990 rubles	44 990 rubles	59 990 rubles	49 000 rubles

⇡ Design, ergonomics and software

At first glance - nothing special for Sony and nothing new. The current flagship is made in the usual Sony style and looks like the Xperia XZ, increased in size - the same sharp edges, the same large space above and below. The ratio of the screen area to the total front surface is completely unimpressive - only 68: 100. Compare this with the Samsung Galaxy S8 and its 83: 100. However, it should be noted that the side bezels remain quite thin, and protective glass slightly comes to the side faces, which affects the visual perception of the smartphone.

As befits a flagship in 2017, the body of the Xperia XZ Premium is made of glass and metal. The front and back panels are completely covered with Gorilla Glass 5. It is curious that in the silver version of the smartphone, the back panel is mirrored, you can look into it, and girls really like it. In addition to the silver variant, the Xperia XZ Premium is available in black and pink. True, the latter option has not yet begun to be sold in Russia.

The side edges are very smooth, rounded, the smartphone is comfortable to hold in your hand, despite its impressive size - I had about the same feeling when working with the iPhone 7 Plus. But straight lines at the top and bottom can cause discomfort for those who are used to carrying a smartphone in the front pocket of their jeans. Here, Sony is repeating the mistakes made by the designers of the rectangular Lumia on Windows Phone.

The location of the main elements on the body has not changed. On top is a 3.5 mm audio jack. It's nice that Sony does not follow the dubious trend that Apple and HTC picked up and does not force you to switch to wireless headphones or models with a USB-C connector.

At the bottom is the USB Type-C that has become the new standard, and the volume keys, the power button (with a built-in fingerprint scanner) and the camera start button are placed on the right edge. On the left side there is a compartment for SIM cards and a microSD flash drive. The traditional “trouble” of Sony smartphones is that every time this tray is removed, the device automatically goes into reboot, despite the fact that there are no technical restrictions for hot-swapping a SIM card and a microSD drive for a long time.

In terms of dimensions, the Xperia XZ Premium cannot surprise: a thickness of 7.9 mm has not been impressive for a long time, and a width of 77 mm allows you to somehow work with a smartphone with one hand – you can enter text without problems, but it’s not easy to reach the top edge. And of course, I must say that the smartphone is too heavy - it weighs 191 grams. It's even slightly heavier than the iPhone 7 Plus, which seems overly heavy these days. In addition, I have big concerns about reliability - a heavy smartphone is easier to break. Owners of the Xperia Z5 Premium actively complained about the fragility, because even a fall from a height of 60-70 centimeters led to cracks on the back panel or on the screen. In general, I did not check the XZ Premium for strength, but I advise you to use it very carefully.

But there is good news: protection against dust and moisture has not gone away. Sony Xperia XZ Premium complies with the IP68 standard and can withstand a half-hour stay under water at a depth of one and a half meters. And the presence of a dedicated key for shooting makes it suitable for underwater shooting. True, the manufacturer emphasizes that this is just an ordinary rugged smartphone, and not a full-fledged underwater device.

Returning to the dedicated button for the camera, it should be noted the possibility quick launch: You can point your smartphone at the subject with the screen turned off and press the camera key to take a picture. In some situations, the saved second can play a decisive role, so the function will definitely be useful.

The Motion Eye camera is one of key features smartphone Xperia XZ Premium. It is the camera that should become the main tool for promoting the model on the market, the chip that will allow you to create a unique selling proposition and gain a competitive advantage in the niche of flagship smartphones. In this part of the XZ Premium review, we talk about the Motion Eye camera in as much detail as possible.

XZ Premium: software overview

Sony XZ Premium runs under Android control Nougat 7.0 with minimal modifications. The user sees almost pure Android, with the exception of a few branded modes (for example, Stamina) and branded applications.

Smart Lock mode allows you not to bother with locking in secure places, for example, at home. The smartphone will automatically disable the set type of blocking (scanner, pin, pattern) if the user is in a safe place.

The workspace is traditionally divided into desktops with the main applications and menus with complete list applications. The menu can be sorted alphabetically, frequency of use of applications, installation date and other parameters.

The built-in Smart Cleaner periodically cleans the cache of applications that have not been used for a certain time.

Users have access to branded cloud storage, where you can save contacts, applications, messages, current smartphone settings. Data can be stored online in the cloud (accessed through a Sony account), on a memory card, on external media. Time Reserve copy can be scheduled or set by condition, for example, only with a Wi-Fi connection.

Xperia XZ Premium review summary

Smartphone Xperia XZ Premium makes a double impression. On the one hand, this is a chic phone with unique functionality. At the same time, the feeling that the developers could not bring to mind some functions does not leave, and they simply decided to give up on some shortcomings. IN as a result of Sony Xperia XZ Premium gives the impression of a concept, which in a year and a half will be polished to a shine (already in a figurative sense) and turned into a full-fledged smartphone worthy of a flagship with the Premium index.

Strong xperia side XZ Premium

Incredibly powerful Snapdragon 835 chipset with a margin of 2-3 years (at least).
Unique Motion Eye camera with 960 fps video recording capability.
Gorgeous housing with IP68 protection.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium Disadvantages

In the standard operating mode, the picture quality on the display and readability in the sun leave much to be desired.
Time battery life- at the lower limit of the norm.
Super slow-motion video recording is limited to 0.182 seconds.

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Each manufacturer is trying to introduce innovative features into their new flagships that will make customers look in their direction. Samsung Galaxy S8/Galaxy S8+ have curved screens and an iris scanner, HTC U11 has got an interactive frame, LG G6 has a military standard of protection. A Sony, in its most important model of the year, introduced the Super Slow Motion 960 fps recording mode. But is that enough to get potential customers interested in the Xperia XZ Premium? I will answer this question for you in today's review, which I recommend that you read.

Xperia XZ Premium Features:

5.5″ display with 4K resolution (3840 x 2160) HDR, Gorilla Glass 5;
8 core Qualcomm processor Snapdragon 835 with Adreno 540;
4 GB of RAM;
64 GB internal memory;
Android 7.1.1 Nougat;
main camera 19 MP, f/2.0;
front camera 13 MP f/2.0;
WiFi;
LTE Cat. 16;
GPS / Glonass;
Bluetooth 5.0;
slot for memory cards microSD;
USB port type C;
Fingerprint's scanner;
3230 mAh battery;
stability complies with the IP65/IP68 standard;
dimensions: 156 x 77 x 7.9 mm;
weight: 195 grams.

Design and quality.

What do you see when looking at the Xperia XZ Premium? I am convinced that most of you will answer like this: an enlarged Xperia XZ. Looking at both models it is difficult to find any differences in appearance, except for the size of course, because the Xperia XZ had a screen with a diagonal of 5.2″, while in the Xperia XZ Premium it grew to 5.5″ (more precisely, to 5.46″), which led to an increase in dimensions: 146 × 72 × 8.1 mm - 156 × 77 × 7.9 mm, as well as weight - 161 g to 191 g.

Some people really like the design of Sony smartphones, others do not. However, no matter which group you fall into, you have to admit that the Xperia XZ Premium is unnaturally large. Like an $850 smartphone, the bezels above and below the screen are very large. In the era of miniaturization, the Xperia XZ Premium looks very pale compared to its competitors.

The wide bezels and, consequently, the large size of the smartphone make it not very comfortable to use with one hand. To get your finger to the top edge of the screen, you have to try a little.

The case itself is made of polycarbonate, aluminum and glass (front and back we have Gorilla Glass 5). Judging by the last three weeks that the Xperia XZ Premium has spent with me, I must admit that it is resistant to a difficult daily life - not a single scratch appeared on the case.

The case is symmetrical - the frames above and below the screen have the same width. In addition, the top and bottom edges are absolutely straight, which allows you to put your smartphone on a flat surface without fear that it will turn over. Looking at the front of the smartphone, you may not like the placement of the lower speaker - it is not in the middle, but closer to the bottom edge.

In terms of quality, I have absolutely nothing to reproach him with - in this regard, the Xperia XZ Premium corresponds to the most high class. And he can replace the mirror, which for women can be a decisive moment when buying, especially in the chrome version. But on condition that it is clean, as the case perfectly collects fingerprints.

Remember also that the Xperia XZ Premium is IP65/IP68 rated, which means water and dust resistance. But here it is worth quoting Sony's position:

The Xperia XZ Premium is water and dust resistant, so it can withstand rain and washing under running water without any problems. However, you should remember about the protection of the ports, it comes with the kit. Do not fully submerge or expose to sea water, salt water, chlorine, or other liquids. Wrong or not intended use device will void the warranty. The device has a degree of protection IP65/68. More information can be found on the support website. Note: The Xperia XZ has a plugless USB port that allows you to connect and charge. The USB port must be completely dry before charging.

I tested my smartphone on the beach, in the sand, under water and it still works. I did not dare to carry out more complex tests for water resistance.

Let's talk more about the location of ports, connectors and buttons. On the right side there are buttons for volume control, just below there is a switch that hides a fingerprint scanner, and near the bottom edge there is a physical button for a photo. On the opposite side there is a plug, under which the slot for microSD cards and nanoSIM. What is important, both boxes are put forward independently of each other. Wanting to change the memory card, the phone will not reboot (this happens every time we pull out the SIM card). To pull out the nanoSIM card tray, you must have long nails - you can't do without them.

On the top edge you will find a microphone and a 3.5mm headphone jack. On the bottom is a Type C USB port and a second microphone. Looking at the front panel of the phone, first of all, the stereo speakers catch your eye - one above and one below the screen. Above the screen we will also find a small notification light, a front camera lens and an ambient light sensor. On the back we have the main camera lens and the LED flash.

Display.

There are two important things you need to know about the Xperia XZ Premium display. The most important is the screen resolution and understanding how it works. We have already heard many times that it has an IPS 4K HDR screen. And it's great, it actually has a diagonal of 5.5 "and a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, that is 4K, but the vast majority of you will use it in Full resolution HD, and you will not be able to influence it in any way. This is due to the fact that 4K is activated only at the moment when content of this quality is displayed on the screen. Why is that? Most likely, the energy intensity of such a decision is to blame for everything. But the fact is that no one needs 4K for everyday use - it was made, first of all, with VR glasses in mind.

The second thing you should pay attention to is the aspect ratio of the screen - 16:9. Sony's main rivals, that is, Samsung and LG, have gone in the direction of non-standard solutions, in the Galaxy S8 / Galaxy S8 + we have 18.5: 9, and in the G6 - 18: 9.

Going further, the screen brightness - both minimum and maximum - leaves nothing to be desired. A surprise for me was the lack of a blue filter, which is gradually becoming the standard even in cheap smartphones.

If we are talking about image quality, then in the settings we can adapt it to individual preferences. We can choose from three modes: Standard (lighter, brighter colors), Professional (true colors) or Super Colors (higher contrast). Added to this is the ability to change the white balance (red, green and blue). There is also a separate video image enhancement mode, which improves the quality of the displayed recordings, thanks to X-Reality for mobile technology, the difference is visible to the naked eye.

What else can be said about the screen? The viewing angles are just great, the finger slides without problems, and the reaction to touch and user commands is instantaneous.

Operation and software.

Under the body of the Xperia XZ Premium is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor with Adreno 540, 4 GB of RAM, and it all runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat. Sony's main blunder in this model is the use of 4 GB of RAM, while lesser-known companies already use 6 GB of RAM.

You can be sure that during your daily use, XZ Premium will not disappoint you. The downside is that the application restarts quite often.

Results of various tests:

AnTuTu: 164826.
Quadrant: 35148.
Geekbench 4:

single core: 1892.
dual core: 6417.

3DMark:

Ice Storm: 14491.
Ice Storm Extreme: 14200.
Ice Storm Unlimited: 40088.

This flagship has no problems with games. Regardless of whether we are talking about games like Angry Birds or more complex ones - Asphalt 8: Airborne, GTA San Andreas or Dead Trigger 2. What is important, even during a long game, the phone case does not heat up to such an extent that the user feels any discomfort.

Interface.

I confess that I never liked the Sony system overlay. And although it has changed for the better, I'm still not very satisfied. I didn't have any problems using it, it has everything you need. It is not littered, and is not overloaded with unnecessary functions.

Those worth mentioning:

WiFi Direct;
screen mirroring using Miracast or Google Cast;
multimedia server ( sharing With multimedia devices DLNA via WiFi);
opportunity Dualshock connections 4;
themes and wallpapers;
mode "with gloves";
quick start of the camera by double pressing the button;
smart cleaning: automatically optimizes storage and performance depending on the frequency of application use - you can choose which applications will be stored in the cache;
the ability to create user and guest accounts;
accept an incoming call by holding the phone to your ear, reject by shaking or turn off the call by turning the phone screen down;
Xperia Actions: you can define events to schedule at specific times;
installed apps: Music, Video, PlayStation, Amazon, What's New, Weather, News, Lifelog, Sketch, Movie Creator, Xperia Lounge, AVG, TrackID, Google and mail.

Connection quality:

LTE/talk quality: Tested version offered single SIM, so I couldn't use two SIM cards. There was not the slightest problem with reach; call quality is on high level– I have no comments on this issue.
GPS: well, here - I do not hide - I was disappointed. Several times it happened that the GPS stopped working - a message appeared on the screen during navigation: “I am looking for GPS”. And it happened at the most inopportune moment. With other smartphones, I have never had such problems.
Wi-fi, NFC, Bluetooth: no problem.
MicroSD: allows you to expand 64 GB of internal memory, and in fact 49.9 GB, which remains for the user.
USB type C: allows you to charge your phone and transfer data, and also allows you to connect a USB flash drive. Sorry, does not support video output - HDMI connection does not bring any result.

System memory test - AndroBench:

- speed of continuous data reading: 700.87 MB / s,
- speed of continuous data recording: 193.07 MB / s,
- random data read speed: 90.53 MB / s,
– random data write speed: 18.9 MB/s.

Speakers:

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium has perfectly placed speakers - the sound is directed directly towards the user, and they are also very difficult to close. The only pity is that the lower speaker is not in the center of the lower frame - but this only affects the visual perception, and not the sound quality.

I have no doubt that even the most demanding people will be pleased with its sound. The sound is clear, regardless of the volume level set. Also, you have the option to use Extra options, to customize the sound according to your preference. These are: ClearAudio+ (optimizes sound settings), dynamic normalizer (minimizes volume differences between songs or videos), VPT surround sound, S-Force Front Surround (virtual reproduction of realistic surround sound), and an equalizer, an advanced graphic equalizer, in which we will also find many ready-made settings suitable for various types music.

The sound quality in the headphones I have nothing to reproach. There are also two functions here: automatic optimization, whose task is to analyze the connected headphones and reproduce best quality sound. As well as DSEE HX, whose task is to improve the quality of compressed files, enriching them with high frequencies.

Fingerprint's scanner.

By the way, the first positive impression associated with using the Sony Xperia XZ Premium concerned the fingerprint scanner. After three weeks with this model, I must say that my initial assessment was absolutely correct - this is one of the best scanners on the market.

For the scanner to work, you need to click on it. Because imagine such a scenario, when you keep your hand in the same pocket as your smartphone, your finger automatically gets on the scanner (this is quite natural), which results in the launch of random applications and more. To prevent this kind of event, the scanner is not active. This means that in order to use it, you must first press it. Is not bad decision and it works really well and fast.

The fingerprint scanner on Xperia XZ Premium can be used to lock your phone, as well as authorize purchases and access apps.

Battery.

The big mystery for me before testing the Xperia XZ Premium was the battery life of the 3230 mAh battery used here. I must admit that he showed himself only on the good side, keeps for quite a long time, regardless of the intensity of use.

I can describe my experience with Xperia XZ Premium in a nutshell: with LTE - a day of work, 4.5-5 hours on the screen (SoT); wi-fi - up to two days of work, about 5-6 hours of SoT; a mixed cycle - a day - a maximum of one and a half, SoT about 5 hours, and with the Stamina mode turned on up to two and a half days - 5.5 hours of SoT. I consider this result to be good.

Unfortunately, I am not able to tell you the charging time, because I did not receive a special charger with the phone.

Camera.

The camera is the most controversial component of the Xperia XZ Premium. People interested in this smartphone have already read so much about it and taken so many photos that they themselves do not know what to think about it. It looks good on paper – 19MP f/2.0 rear, 13MP f/2.0 front. I have no complaints about the quality of selfies - photos from the front camera can please. What about the main one?

The main camera in the Xperia XZ Premium suffers from the same disease as previous Sony smartphones, namely dual focus. The main problem is catching focus, it's really hard to catch it, and photos often come out blurry. And this is my main complaint about the Xperia XZ Premium shooting process. Because the shooting speed satisfies me.

When it comes to photo quality, the resulting effects are pleasing to the eye. The colors here are rather dull and lack saturation, but this is not always a disadvantage. The detail of the photos will not disappoint, although I had the impression that the LG G6 is better in this matter. Photos look worse in low light conditions or at night - they clearly lack something.

Let's sum up.

You might like the Xperia XZ Premium, thanks to its 4K HDR display, which - when enabled with proper video - looks flawless, as well as excellent fingerprint reading and stereo speakers. In addition, it shows good time work on a single charge and has many additional modes. Pluses can also be physical button shutter release, making it easier to take photos, and IP65/IP68 certified water and dust resistance.

But, on the other hand, looking at latest smartphones Sony, one gets the impression that their design has stopped in place - some like it, others not so much. I belong to the other camp - although the design itself is fine, but the bezels around the screen could be smaller, because the smartphone is unnaturally large. In my eyes, the problem with GPS turned out to be a big minus, but it is possible that this is only a defect in my copy.

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium is a smartphone that is a pleasure to use. But is it worth paying $850 for it? I'm not sure.

I am very interested in your opinion about the Sony Xperia XZ Premium - write your opinion about it in the comments.