Introduction
Sonys latest flagship, the Xperia Z6 comes with refined design, improved camera, and a due update in specs. Wait, back up a little there - its actually called the Xperia XZ this time around but, yeah, the rest of that is true.
When Sony announced the new X-series, some suggested that the Xperia X Performance was meant to take on the likes of the Galaxy S7s and HTC 10s, but we knew that couldnt be the case. Okay, suspected might be more accurate there. Obviously, now we all know that the Xperia XZ is Sonys top-dog for this season, and the Z in its name quickly reveals its ancestry.
Indeed, the XZ has a lot in common with the Z5. The display, for one, is the same size and resolution as the last generation - not necessarily a bad thing, but the XZ also comes with 3GB of RAM - modern-day flagships will crack a condescending smile seeing that in the spec sheet.
No one will laugh at the rest of it, though - top-of-the-line Snapdragon 820 chipset, 23MP camera with a trio of focusing technologies and 4K video recording (one could think the Z is required for that, had it not been for the M5), high-res 13MP front camera, Type-C connectivity, fingerprint reader, IP68 rating, stereo speakers - name one thing missing.
Sony Xperia XZ key features
- 5.2" 1,080 x 1,920px LCD display with 424ppi, X-Reality for Mobile, Triluminos technology; Gorilla Glass
- Android OS v6.0 Marshmallow with Xperia launcher
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset: quad-core Kryo CPU (2x2.15GHz +2x1.6GHz); Adreno 530 GPU; 3GB RAM
- 23MP Sony IMX300 camera, 24mm-equiv. f/2.0 lens, predictive hybrid laser/phase detection/contrast AF, IR sensor for white balance selection, SteadyShot, LED flash, dedicated hardware shutter key; 4K vi deo recording
- 13 MP front-facing camera with 1080p@30fps video
- 32GB/64GB of built-in storage and a microSD card slot
- Single and dual-SIM models (DualSIM has a hybrid slot shared with the microSD card)
- LTE Cat.9 (450/50 Mbps); Dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; GPS/GLONASS/Beidou, Bluetooth v4.2
- Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic; 24-bit/192kHz Hi-Res audio
- 2,900mAh non-removable battery, QuickCharge 3.0 support, Qnovo adaptive charging, Battery Care smart charging
- IP68 rating for dust- and water-proofing
- Fingerprint sensor (market dependent), stereo speakers, USB Type-C port, 3.5mm headphone jack
Main shortcomings
- 3GB of RAM when the competition has almost entirely switched to 4GB, with 6GB becoming an increasingly popular choice
- FullHD screen resolution not flagship-grade
- Fingerprint recognition not available in the US
Were yet to see tangible proof that the RAM race leads to actual usability benefits, but if people were to reason that way, the industry would sit still. It would have been great though, if Sony could have gone with 4GB just to keep up with the times and avoid having reviewers write this paragraph and make them look bad. The extra 1GB cant cost that much, right?
The second count Sony might end up countering with a sequel to the UltraHD Xperia Z5 Premium - 1080p for the mainstream flagship, 2160p for that supposed Premium, and no 1440p at all. Makes sense.
Sony Xperia XZ press images
Finally, once again, Americans are denied fingerprint recognition. The hardware is there, apparently the paperwork isnt, so Sony cant offer the feature on the US market. We do have it on our international version review unit, and well test it for the rest of you to know, but not we before we take a look at the hardware on the following page.
Unboxing
The Xperia XZ comes in a plain white cardboard box like the other Xs and youd be hard pressed to tell the flagship apart from the rest of the lineup. Theres plenty of color on the inside though, once you remove the lid. Inside our units package we found a run-of-the-mill 5V/1.5A AC adapter, and a Type-C cable.
White lid, colors on the inside ̢ۢ Barebones bundle of our review unit, yours may differ
Sonys retail bundle can vary between countries and carriers, so the box contents here are probably not indicative of what youd be getting on your end. Some markets may receive a fast charger, and a headset isnt out of the question. We already spotted a few pre-order campaigns that included a pair of Sonys XB950BT Extra Bass Bluetooth headphones - a £150/€200 value.
The headphones themselves are a very comfortable fit and cover the ears completely, while the swiveling cans are great for packing in a suitcase. The name is not just for show either - these do pump out some serious bass.
Sony Xperia XZ 360-degree spin
The Sony Xperia XZ measures 146 x 72 x 8.1mm, the exact same footprint as the Xperia Z5 it comes to succeed, but 0.8mm thicker. Its still not as thick as the Xperia X Performance and its 8.7mm, and nowhere near the chunky 9.5mm X Compact.
The Galaxy S7 is meanwhile smaller in every dimension, though its display is, admittedly, 0.05 inches smaller in diagonal. Then, the LG G5 is a few millimeters larger at 149.9 x 73.9 x 7.7mm but you get a bit more screen real estate there. The HTC 10 is virtually the same as the Xperia XZ in footprint and its slightly higher thickness of 9 millimeters is offset by curves and chamfered sides.
At 161g, the Xperia is precisely as heavy as the HTC flagship. The G5 is 2g lighter, while the Galaxy S7 trumps them all with its weight of 152g. Sonys own Z5 was 154g, but the more recent X Perfo rmance is closer to the Xperia XZ at 164 g.
Hardware overview
Sonys smartphone design has traditionally been about evolution, refinement, and polishing, rather than striking changes from one generation to another. That said, it does show that on the XZ designers did more than move around the front camera and sensors.
Now, the Xperia XZ is still mostly a rectangle with sharp corners - some things will never change. If anything, the corners have gotten sharper.
The design is a stylish mix of sharp edges and smooth curves throughout. The sides are fluid, flowing from front to back with only miniscule gaps between the frame and the adjacent surfaces. Sony calls this design loop surface, because design concepts are always better with fancy names, but other than that, it sure looks and feels nice.
Bold lines, pointy corners, looping sides
And mind you, those are three different materials youre touching - glass on the front (an unspecified generation Gorilla Glass), polycarbonate on the frame and ALKALEIDO metal on the back.
The curious sounding ALKALEIDO alloy is actually a trademark name belonging to the Japanese steel manufacturer Kobe Steel and our research showed its a type of aluminum alloy.
Sony claims that theyve chosen ALKALEIDO to complement their phones premium design with a material, which has an extra shine and a feeling of depth.
Information is scarce though and the marketin g materials dont say anything about is its mechanical properties so we are really not sure what to expect of the durability of its finish.
We imagine it must have been a challenge to attain the water-proofing with all those different materials on board the device. And while were on the subject, Sony warns you not to submerge the phone in water, and to avoid seawater, salt water (sea and ocean), and chlorinated water (pools), and points out that the warranty doesnt cover abuse and improper use. Thats very much Apples stance on the subject too, and Samsung simply says that you should stay within the boundaries of the IP rating.
Waterproofing is still a gray area with smartphones and wed certainly advise against deliberately subjecting your phone to an environment that would test its ingress protection. Take it for what it is - a failsafe for when accidents happen.
Mineral Black is what our review units color is called, but depending on how light hits it, it can be deep purple, or brown or anything in between. It is ALKALEIDOs smooth satin finish to thank for all this sparkle.
What it fails miserably at is keeping fingerprints away. Beautiful as it may be when clean, its going to be covered in grease for most of its life unless you religiously wipe it with a cloth after each use. Under some angles you may not see it, but its there. Thats a rather prevailing issue with todays smartphones, we just sort of expect metal backs to be less prone to accumulating smudges than ones made of glass.
It is mostly metal on the rear - the ALKALEIDO alloy we already mentioned - save for a strip along the bottom that is plastic. Its not really an eye-sore, and if youre positively inclined, it may even pass for a design accent.
The camera in the top left corner with a flash underneath it. The fla sh (still a single LED unit) is joined by a couple of sensors, one for laser autofocus, the other for measuring the color of the light in the scene for producing a more accurate white balance.
Rear panel made of ALKALEIDO alloy ̢ۢ Camera, laser AF sensor, RGBC-IR sensor, flash
In terms of space management, the Xperia XZ is typical Sony - ample bezels all around, but especially above and below the display. Sure, there are the stereo speakers to somewhat make up for them, but still we feel that shaving a millimeter or two wouldnt hurt.
On the forehead, youll find one of the speakers in the center, which also doubles as an earpiece for voice calls. On its right are the proximity and ambient light sensors, and on the left youll find the front-facing camera.
Further to the left, almost on the edge is an LED notification light if you care for such subtle niceties.
Left to right: notification LED, selfie cam, earpiece/speaker, ambient light/proximity sensor ̢ۢ A lone speaker on the chin
The top and bottom didnt get the memo on the whole loop surface thing, though. Sharp transitions and flat surfaces dominate here, but you shouldnt mind - thats not where all the swiping and tapping happens. For the purpose of looking good they certainly fit the bill.
On the bottom youll find the Type-C USB port. The Xperia XZ is the one of the f irst two Sony smartphones to have one. Sony only went halfway on this, though - Type-C it may be, but it only adheres to the USB 2.0 specification.
Right next to it is the primary mic.
The top panel has the secondary mic and (thankfully!) a standard 3.5mm jack. Certain manufacturers tend to think that it may no longer be needed but well have to disagree.
USB Type-C (2.0) port and mic 1 on the bottom ̢ۢ Mic 2 and 3.5mm jack up top
The control layout is typical Sony too. The fingerprint reader/power button is on the right, a little bit above midpoint. Its easily accessible with either a right thumb, or a left index finger, so you should be okay no matter which h and you normally use. If its the left one though, the sensor may have a slightly lower success rate due to the more awkward handling position. Hands and fingers vary, and so will your experience - we had no issues operating it.
In the hand
That doesnt necessarily apply to the volume rocker though, even if its a quibble - it could have been placed a little higher. We appreciate the two-stage manual shutter button, but increasingly more so for its ability to launch the camera super quickly and less as an actual shutter release. Weve already grown accustomed to taking pictures with tapping, but more importantly, exercising force on the small physical button often results in s lightly misaligned shots and camera shake on such small devices where you cant get a steady grip (as opposed to an actual digicam).
All of the controls are on the right ̢ۢ The US doesnt get fingerprint recognition ̢ۢ Volume rocker sits a bit too low
On the left side, youll find the card slot. Our unit takes one nano-SIM card and a microSD card, but a dual-SIM model will be available with a shared slot between the second SIM and the microSD.
The tray has a rubber gasket to keep water and dust out (good), but the phone will invariably restart every time you pull it out (not so good). You may find it particularly irritating if you happen to swap microSD or SIM cards often.
Left side ̢ۢ Card tray of the single-SIM model
5.2-inch FullHD IPS display
Sony is confident it nailed the flagship display size and resolution with the Xperia Z2 and has been sticking with it ever since, now including the Xperia XZ. A 5.2-inch FullHD display means a density of 424ppi, which is plenty sharp. However, the likes of LG and Samsung have moved to QHD for similarly sized displays, and Sony is trailing in the specs race.
The display posted very good scores across the board with the only exception of color accuracy. The maximum brightness of 502nits in manual mode goes as high as 608 nits in auto mode, with bright light shining into the XZ.
Blacks are nicely dark and contrast ratio is excellent - higher than the X Compact, but not as high as the X Performance.
At the lowest setting, brightness is easy on the eyes at 5.2 nits.
| Display test | 100% brightness | ||
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | ||
| 0.37 | 502 | 1349 | |
| 0.46 | 608 | 1336 | |
| 0.39 | 595 | 1526 | |
| 0.33 | 482 | 1461 | |
| 0.59 | 583 | 986 | |
| 0.44 | 534 | 1225 | |
| 0.00 | 392 | ∞ | |
| 0.00 | 610 | ∞ | |
| 0.29 | 428 | 1543 | |
| 0.17 | 306 | 1855 | |
| 0.20 | 378 | 1881 | |
| 0.46 | 500 | 1094 | |
| 0.35 | 561 | 1225 | |
| 0.40 | 656 | 1225 | |
Color reproduction is not great, though. The average DeltaE of 5.8 is decent, but there is a pronounced blue cast to white and gray. Other than that, out of the primaries, green is off the most (DeltaE around 10), and cyan is far from the truth as well.
Sunlight legibility, on the other hand is superb. High quality LCD displays have been getting near AMOLEDs in this respect, even if they cant quite match th e best of them. The Xperia XZ is on par with the iPhone 6s, and a little short of the iPhone 7 in contrast under direct light, but the LG G5 and especially the HTC 10 are far behind.
Sunlight contrast ratio
- Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
4.615 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
4.439 - OnePlus 3
4.424 - Samsung Galaxy S7
4.376 - HTC One A9
4.274 - Samsung Galaxy Note7
4.247 - Samsung Galaxy A3
4.241 - Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
4.124 - Samsung Galaxy Note5
4.09 - Huawei Nexus 6P
4.019 - OnePlus X
3.983 - Vivo Xplay5 Elite
3.983 - Oppo R7s
3.964 - Apple iPhone 7
3.964 - Huawei P9 Plus
3.956 - Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016)
3.918 Samsung Galaxy C5
3.911- Samsung Galaxy C7
3.896 - Samsung Galaxy A5
3.895 - Samsung Galaxy J7 outdoor
3.879 - Samsung Galaxy J2 outdoor
3.873 - Samsung Galaxy A8
3.859 - Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016)
3.817 - Motorola Moto X (2014)
3.816 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016) outdoor mode
3 .802 - Xiaomi Redmi Pro
3.798 - LG V20 Max auto
3.798 - Sony Xperia XZ
3.795 - Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016)
3.789 - Apple iPhone 6s
3.783 - Meizu Pro 5
3.781 - Microsoft Lumia 650
3.772 - Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)
3.756 - Oppo F1 Plus
3.709 - Vivo X5Pro
3.706 - Sony Xperia X Compact
3.694 - Apple iPhone SE
3.681 - Samsung Galaxy A7
3.679 - Meizu PRO 6
3.659 - BlackBerry Priv
3.645 - Apple iPhone 6s Plus
3.53 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016) outdoor mode
3.523 - Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016)
3.523 - Acer Jade Primo
3.521 - Microsoft Lumia 950
3.512 - Oppo R7 Plus
3.499 - Samsung Galaxy J7
3.422 - Meizu MX5
3.416 - LG V20
3.402 - Oppo R7
3.32 - Samsung Galaxy J2
3.235 - Sony Xperia X Performance
3.234 - Motorola Moto X Pl ay
3.222 - Huawei P9
3.195 - Lenovo Vibe Shot
3.113 - Motorola Moto X Force
3.105 - LG Nexus 5X
3.092 - Huawei Mate S
3.073 - Microsoft Lumia 640 XL
3.065 - Apple iPhone 6 Plus
3.023 - Sony Xperia X
2.989 - Samsung Galaxy Note
2 .97 - Huawei Mate 8
2.949 - Sony Xperia XA Ultra
2.906 - LG G5
2.905 - HTC One S
2.901 - Sony Xperia Z5
2.876 - Microsoft Lumia 550
2.851 - Xiaomi Redmi 3 Pro
2.803 - Sony Xperia Z5 compact
2.784 - LG V10
2.744 - Xiaomi Redmi 3
2.735 - Sony Xperia M5
2.69 - Huawei P9 Lite
2.679 - Vivo V3Max
2.659 - Xiaomi Mi 4i
2.641 - Sony Xperia XA
2.609 - Xiaomi Mi 4c
2.574 - LeEco Le Max 2
2.567 - Microsoft Lumia 640
2.563 - Lenovo Moto G4
2.544 - Oppo F1
2.528 - Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
2.525 - Huawei Honor 7 Lite / Honor 5c
2.506 - Sony Xperia M4 Aqua
2.503 - Oppo F1s
2.481 - Motorola Moto G
2.477 - Lenovo Vibe K5 Plus
2.473 - Huawei G8
2.471 - Huawei nova
2.467 - Sony Xperia Z
2.462 - Lenovo Vibe K5
2.459 - Huawei Honor 7
2.406 - Sony Xperia E5
2.386 - ZUK Z1 by Lenovo
2.382 - HTC 10
2.378 - Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)
2.378 - Huawei nova plus
2.329 - HTC One E9+
2.305 - Alcatel One Touc h Hero
2.272 - Apple iPhone 4S
2.269 - Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
2.254 - Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
2.253 - Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 (MediaTek)
2.249 - Sony Xperia C4 Dual
2.235 - Motorola Moto G (2014)
2.233 - LG Nexus 5
2.228 - Huawei P8
2.196 - Xiaomi Red mi Note 2
2.166 - OnePlus Two
2.165 - HTC One X
2.158 - LG Aka
2.145 - Archos 50 Diamond
2.134 - Xiaomi Redmi Note
2.119 - Acer Liquid X2
2.084 - Huawei P8lite
2.078 - Moto G 3rd gen max manual
2.026 - Xiaomi Mi Max
1.996 - Sony Xperia E4g
1.972 - OnePlus One
1.961 - Meizu m3 note
1.923 - Meizu m2 note
1.892 - BlackBerry Leap
1.892 - HTC Butterfly
1.873 - ZTE Nubia Z9 mini
1.759 - Sony Xperia U
1.758 - Asus Zenfone Selfie
1.68 - Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)
1.675 - ZTE Nubia Z9
1.659 - Jolla Jolla
1.605 - Motorola Moto E
1.545 - Sony Xperia M
1.473 - HTC Desire C
1.3 - Sony Xperia C
1.283 - Meizu MX
1.221 - Sony Xperia E
1.215
Connectivity
The Xperia XZ is we ll stocked on connectivity options. Our review unit is the single-SIM version (F8331 model name), but theres also a dual-SIM one (F8332). The slot in that case is of the hybrid variety though - its either a second SIM or a microSD card - you cant have all three.
LTE Cat. 9 (450Mbps down, 50Mbps up) is supported. The phone also comes equipped with dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac with 2x2 MIMO antennas for speeds up to 433Mbps (if you have an 802.11ac capable router). Local connectivity goes on with Bluetooth 4.2 with aptX and Low Energy, and NFC.
The Wi-Fi connection can be used for screen casting - be it Miracast, Google Cast, or DLNA. If you connect a DualShock controller, the Xperia XZ can even double as a portable console streaming your Playstation 4 games vis PS4 Remote Play. It can also connect to your cars stereo system via MirrorLink.
GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou satellite positioning is supported, unless youre in the US, where its just GPS and GLONASS.
The Xper ia XZ has no FM radio though. Funnily, to get that youll need to look lower in the lineup - the Xperia X has it.
The USB port is Type-C, but it only conforms to USB 2.0 spec and not 3.0 or 3.1. It lets you hook up USB storage and accessories and charge other devices. Every time you connect it to a PC, youll need to select the data transfer mode, as it defaults to charge only. That makes sense when you have a form of screen lock enabled to protect the contents of the device. However, on the XZ defaulting to charging is also the case when no security is set up, which is somewhat annoying. Also, on other phones, unlocking the handset immediately identifies it as a media device without the extra intermediate step required.
Sony has dropped MHL support, so you have no wired way to output an image to a TV. You do get 3.5mm analog output to your choice of headphones.
Sony Xperia XZ battery life
The Xperia XZ relies on a 2,900mAh battery to keep it powered. Thats t he same capacity as the Xperia Z5 before it, while the Xperia X Performance has a 2,700mAh power pack. The majority of current Android flagships are around that number too, with the HTC 10 and Samsung Galaxy S7 having a smidgen more juice to work with (3,000mAh), and the LG G5 - slightly less (2,800mAh). The iPhone 7, on the other hand, makes do with a substantially smaller capacity - 1,960mAh.
In our tests the Xperia XZ proved to be excellent at voice calls and an otherwise balanced performer in the other disciplines. In 3G calls the smartphone not only delivered on Sonys promised endurance - but actually even exceeded it. The 23:39h voice call endurance is an hour behind the Galaxy S7 edge, but no match for any of the other competitors, with the iPhone 7 not capable of lasting even half that. The XZs results is also 3 hours longer than the X Performances.
Web browsing over Wi-Fi depletes the Xperia XZs battery in just over 9 hours - not spectacular, but a tangible impr ovement over the Z5s 7:40h. The XZ matches the HTC 10 in this test (9:08h) and outlasts the LG G5 (7:38h). The Galaxy S7 edge, however, will let you wander the web for 5 and a half hours after the XZ has called it quits.
In looping our test video until the battery is down to 10%, the Xperia XZ lasts for 8 and a half hours, pretty much the same as the X Performance. Compare that to the 4 hours the Z5 barely squeezes out of its same capacity battery. Outside the Sony realm, the HTC 10 is in the same ballpark (8:42h), the iPhone 7 lasts a little longer (9:15h) and the LG G5 beats them all (10:21h). Well, except for the Galaxy S7 edge and its crazy 20 hours of video playback.
Coupled with frugal standby power consumption, the above numbers add up to a combined endurance rating of 72 hours. Of the above competitors only the Galaxy S7 edge manages to top that (98h), the HTC 10 stands at 66h, while the iPhone 7 and LG G5 score 61h and 60h, respectively. The Xperia X Performance s overall results is 61h, while the Z5s 48h look pretty bad in this company.
Much like the previous X-series phones, the Xperia XZ has the Qnovo adaptive charging technology built-in. The technology allows the phone to monitor the cells electrochemical processes in real time and adjust charging parameters accordingly to minimize cell damage and extend the battery units lifespan.
Qnovo claims the battery should last hundreds of charge cycles more than a conventionally charged battery. This means a year or so of extra longevity as in theory if the battery ages better, it should hopefully be able to hold charge better in time (an important aspect for a phone that has its battery sealed-in).
Battery Care is another proprietary Sony feature, which however is introduced with the Xperia XZ. It wont be available on all markets though, so if it sounds like something you might be interested in, check back with your local Sony rep.
Battery Care
So what does Battery Care do? Say you charge your phone overnight, and you regularly plug it in at midnight and unplug it at 8 in the morning. In time, the phone will recognize the pattern, charge the battery to 90% and then stop charging. And then at, say, 7:30 in the morning it will pick up where it left off and top it all up to 100% at a slower pace. If it hasnt picked up your routine, itll do a standard charge.
The handset also supports the Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0 (and, of course, 2.0), but were not sure if it will come bundled with a charger to match. It will most probably be a regional thing.
On the soft ware side of things, theres Sonys Stamina battery saving feature. It has two modes: regular Stamina, and Ultra Stamina. The first disables non-essential features like GPS and vibration, and takes performance down a notch.
Stamina mode
Ultra Stamina is for absolutely dire occasions when you dont expect to be able to find a power outlet for a long period of time. Enable that and its back to basics where you get a single homescreen with access to the dialer and contacts, text messages, camera, clock - just the basics. Going out of Ultra Stamina require s a restart.
Ultra Stamina
The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case youre interested in the nitty-gritties. You can also check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones weve tested will compare under your own typical use.
Android 6.0.1 with some Xperia sprinkled here and there
The Xperia XZ in our office is running A ndroid 6.0.1 Marshmallow, and thats what retail units will ship with out of the box. An update to Nougat is planned, naturally, and recent speculations point to an October date.
Sony tends to keep the stock Android look, except for a few gentle touches here and there. The big stuff, like the proprietary Stamina battery saving modes and the home-baked multimedia apps are here as well.
The fingerprint reader introduced on the Z5 series of Xperias is integrated into the Power button on the right side.
We had an excellent user experience with the fingerprint reader on the Xperia XZ. Its fast and accurate. Theres an animation that slides the lockscreen away from your thumb (as if you pushed it out of the way). If you have simple swipe unlock enabled (no security) you can tap on the Power button to unlock instead, provided youve woken up the device first.
Fingerprint settings
Smart Lock gives you conditional security - trusted nearby devices, locations, faces, or voices can allow you to skip the security unlock protocol.
Lockscreen ̢ۢ Smart lock
The homescreen appears unchanged from the rest of the X series. This includes the swipe down gesture, which shows a screen of the apps you use most along with recommendations for new apps to install. The search field is highlighted so you can start typing the apps name immediately.
< strong>Homescreen ̢ۢ App search ̢ۢ Suggestions and recommendations ̢ۢ Folder view ̢ۢ Homescreen settings
The traditional app drawer is present, and youll find a number of proprietary apps pre-installed. Sony takes great pride in the A/V prowess of their devices, and the multimedia apps are all custom and feature-rich, but more on them in their dedicated chapter.
The app drawer is quite functional as well, letting you sort the apps in by frequency of use, name, date installed or a custom arrangement. The app search works here too, and you can go into a management state, allowing you to uninstall multiple apps instead of having to drag each one to a virtual waste bin.
App drawer ̢ۢ Sorting options ̢ۢ App management
Themes are available (both free and paid) that can customize the look and sound of the Xperia XZ. Some themes are even interactive with wallpapers reacting to your touches.
Xperia themes
The notification area is plain Android. You can re-arrange the quick toggle tiles and adjust the screen brightness. Whats missing is a toggle for Auto brightn ess (you need to go into the settings for that). Thats the single thing we dont mind getting changed by manufacturers and still, many of them like to keep this aspect stock.
The app switcher is similarly a vanilla Android affair with the 3D rolodex look and a kill-all button. The small apps are gone, however, and there is no longer floating-app multitasking. There isnt screen pinning either like we had on the Xperia X Performance - apparently, not a very popular feature, as we havent seen it since.
The Smart cleaner feature will periodically empty the cache of apps you havent used in awhile. You can switch this off or just manually tell it not to bother for certain apps.
Smart cleaner frees up memory of both kinds
Sony has a proprietary backup solution built-in on its latest Xperias. It can backup applications, conta cts, messages, phone settings. The backup info itself can be stored in the cloud under your Sony online account, or locally on the microSD card or an external USB device.
Backups can be scheduled, including conditions like "Connected to Wi-Fi" and "Charging device", depending on your preferences.
Scheduled backups are the best way to prevent data loss
Synthetic benchmarks
The Sony Xperia XZ is powered by the Snapdragon 820 SoC like the majority of Android flagships this year. The chipset is not exclusive to the XZ in Sonys lineup either - the X Performance runs on Qualcomm high-end silicon as well.
In case youve been living under a rock for the past year or so - the Snapdragon 820 is manufactured on a 14nm process, has 4 custom Kryo CPU cores (typically 2x2.15GHz + 2x1.6GHz), and relies on the Adreno 530 for graphics rendering. What sets the XZ apart from all of this years top-dogs (not exactly in a good way either) is the 3GB of RAM - the rest of the big names have gone with 4GB, with the OnePlus 3 having 6GB of RAM (though its not actually using all of it actively).
RAM shouldnt have much of an effect on GeekBench scores - a CPU-focused benchmark, and yet the Xperia XZ doesnt fare quite as well as the rest of its peers. In the single-core test of the older GeekBench 3 the XZ places last among all S820 devices, and on par with the Exynos version of the Galaxy S7 edge. The Sony top-dog is comfortably ahead of the Huawei P9, at least.
In the multi-core test the Xperia shows average performance for its hardware and the gaps between the members of Qualcomm camp are minimal. The octa-core CPUs inside the Kirin 955 and Exynos 8890 power the Huawei P9 and Galaxy S7 edge to unreachable levels.
GeekBench 3 (single-core)
Higher is better
- OnePlus 3
2383 - HTC 10
2368 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
2 345 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
2345 - LG G5
2328 - Xiaomi Mi 5
2305 - Sony Xperia X Performance
2273 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
2151 - Sony Xperia XZ
2136 - Huawei P9
1819 - Sony Xperia X
1367 - Sony Xperia Z5
1252
GeekBench 3 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
< span class="value">6600 - Huawei P9
6558 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
5566 - OnePlus 3
5520 - Sony Xperia X Performance
5460 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
5420 - Sony Xperia XZ
5394 - LG G5
5362 - Xiaomi Mi 5
5358 - HTC 10
5257 - Sony Xperia Z5
4037 - Sony Xperia X
3796
GeekBench 4 hasnt been around long enough yet, but we do have a few devices to measure the XZ up against, and the comparison isnt making it look good either. Sure, the A10 chip in the iPhone 7 is a powerhouse, but the Sony smartphone is a few percent behind the Galaxy S7 edge and the OnePlus 3, both powered by the same Snapdragon 820 chipset.
GeekBench 4 (single-core)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 7
3488 - OnePlus 3
1719 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
1696 - Sony Xperia XZ
1578
GeekBench 4 (multi-core)
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 7< br />5654
- Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
4128 - OnePlus 3
4045 - Sony Xperia XZ
3868
Moving on to Basemark OS II 2.0 to look at some numbers representing overall performance. Here the XZ is in a group with its X Performance brother and the Xiaomi Mi5. The Snapdragon-powered S7 edge and the OnePlus 3 post a few percent higher scores, the Moto Z is substantially ahead, and the iPhone 7 is in a league of its own. On a positive note, the XZ outperforms both the LG G5 and the HTC 10.
Basemark OS 2.0
Higher is better
- Apple iPhone 7
3416 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
269 0 - OnePlus 3
2365 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
2352 - Xiaomi Mi 5
2180 - Sony Xperia X Performance
2179 - Sony Xperia XZ
2151 - Huawei P9
2068 - LG G5
2065 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
2050 - HTC 10
1839 - Sony Xperia X
1714 - Sony Xperia Z5
1580 - Apple iPhone 7
179386 - HTC 10
154031 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
151619 - OnePlus 3
141764 - LG G5
134541 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
132849 - Xiaomi Mi 5
131758 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
129229 - Sony Xperia XZ
124266 - Sony Xperia X Performance
116217 - Huawei P9
98069 - Sony Xperia Z5
77848 - Sony Xperia X
77537 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
36322 - Xiaomi Mi 5
33110 - OnePlus 3
32715 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
32160 - Sony Xperia XZ
29548 - LG G5
29456 - HTC 10
28882 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
28480 - Sony Xperia X Performance
28450 - Sony Xperia Z5
24941 - Huawei P9
16942 - Sony Xperia X
150 87 - Apple iPhone 7
43 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
32 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
32 - HTC 10
31 - Sony Xperia XZ
31 - OnePlus 3
31 - LG G5
30 - Sony Xperia X Performance
30 - Xiaomi Mi 5
30 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
29 - Sony Xperia Z5
21 - Huawei P9
10 - Sony Xperia X
9.2 - Apple iPhone 7
60 - < span class="label">Sony Xperia XZ
32 - Sony Xperia X Performance
31 - OnePlus 3
30 - Xiaomi Mi 5
29 - Sony Xperia Z5
22 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
18 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
16 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
15 - LG G5
15 - HTC 10
15 - Huawei P9
11 - Sony Xperia X
10 - Sony Xperia XZ
20 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
19 - HTC 10
18 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
18 - OnePlus 3
18 - Sony Xperia X Performance
17 - Xiaomi Mi 5
17 - LG G5
16 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
15 - Sony Xperia Z5
12 - Huawei P9
6.5 - Sony Xperia X
5.3 - Sony Xperia XZ
19 - Sony Xperia X Performance
18 - OnePlus 3
18 - Xiaomi Mi 5
17 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
12 - Sony Xperia Z5
12 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
10 - HTC 10
9.9 - LG G5
8.8 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
7.8 - Huawei P9
7.1 - Sony Xperia X
5.9 - Apple iPhone 7
1547 - Apple iPhone 6s
879 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
733 - Lenovo Moto Z Droid
648 - OnePlus 3
625 - Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (Snapdragon)
624 - LG G5
587 - Xiaomi Mi 5
580 - Sony Xperia XZ
577 - Sony Xperia X Performance
551 - Huawei P9
341 - Sony Xperia X
251
Antutu is not showing the Xperia XZ in a good light either - compared to other similarly equipped devices, that is. Save for the Xperia X Performance, the XZ is the lowest-ranked Snapdragon 820 smartphone here, with the HTC 10 and Moto Z far ahead. The Huawei P9 loses to the Sony flagship once again.
AnTuTu 6
Higher is better
On the graphics front, the Xperia XZ does a good job with Basemark X scores on par with the LG G5 and marginally ahead of the HTC 10 and Galaxy S7 edge (Exynos). Other models post higher figures here on the same hardware - its a matter of fine-tuning.
Basemark X
Higher is better
In GFXBench the Xperia XZ is among the better-performing Snapdragon 820s. In the Car Scene, in particular, the Sony manages to top the chart beating everyone in the onscreen part (not a big feat, considering a lot of the competitors sport 1440p screens), but also in the offscreen section, rendered at 1080p on all devices. A similar showing in Manhattan - highest S820 score onscreen, second best offscreen. The iPhone 7 breezes through this test thanks to a combination of powerful GPU and low screen resolution.
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)
Higher is better
GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)
Higher is better
GFX 3.1 Car scene (offscreen)
Higher is better
GFX 3.1 Car scene (onscreen)
Higher is better
Android flagships have slowly started to catch up with the iPhone 6s in Basemark ES 3.1, but we do have the iPhone 7 now and the chart doesnt look one least bit like a race between equals. The Xperia XZ is on par with the Mi5 and the G5, but the rest of the droids, including the Moto Z Droid, post higher scores. Not as high as even the iPhone 6s, but still.
Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal
Higher is better
A Snapdragon 820 was always going to be powerful, and inside the Xperia XZ it shows its musc le. Other makers have done a better job of tailoring the SoC to their needs, though, and the XZ often ends up behind. Its a top-of-the-line chipset, of course, and you wont be left waiting for it - its just that its potentially capable of a little more as seen in other devices.
Phone
The Sony Xperia XZ we have for review is the single-SIM version (F8331). A dual-SIM version will also be available on some markets with a model designation F8332. That one uses a hybrid slot for the second SIM card, shared with the microSD card.
The call log is separated from the contacts, but theres a shortcut to those in the upper right corner. It can be filtered by missed, incoming and outgoing calls. Smart dial is supported too.
Dialer with smart dial ̢ۢ Call log ̢ۢ Phonebook ̢ۢ Favorites
Loudspeaker
The Sony Xperia XZ has front-firing stereo speakers, just like every Sony flagship since the Xperia Z2 (and some recent midrangers too). In principle, well take this setup over any other in a heartbeat, but Sonys speakers are fairly modest in terms of loudness, falling in the Below average category in our test. None of the major competitors truly excels here, yet they are all ahead of the Xperia.
| Speakerphone test | Voice, dB | Ringing | Overall score | |
| 61.9 | 66.0 | 62.1 | Below Average | |
| 65.1 | 62.3 | 66.3 | Below Average | |
| 61.6 | 65.5 | 67.6 | Below Average | |
| 63.4 | 65.8 | 67.8 | Below Average | |
| 63.1 | 66.7 | 74.3 | Average | |
| 70.0 | 69.1 | 71.8 | Good | |
| 68.7 | 70.9 | 73.5 | Good | |
| 72.1 | 66.6 | 75.6 | Good | |
| 67.6 | 73.2 | 75.7 | Good | |
| 69.2 | 71.9 | 80.6 | Very Good |
Messaging
The Sony Xperia XZ has a customized messaging app with all the possible bells and whistles. If you havent transferred all your texting to other platforms, of course.
Ours came with panda stickers pre-installed, but you can download more (free and paid sticker packs are available). You can also send your own creations drawn in the Sketch (obviously, this changes the message type to MMS).
Messaging app ̢ۢ Stickers are available, just like in chat apps
For text entry, Sony picked the SwiftKey keyboard. Its touted as having one of the best prediction algorithms, which is fine for those who use it, but it means you cant remove the suggestions bar at all. Other than that limitation, the keyboard offers multiple layouts and themes, 5 different sizes, undocking, secondary symbols upon long press, swipe input - pretty much everything.
Customizeable SwiftKey keyboard
Other apps
Lifelog tracks a host of daily activities, including walking, running and sleeping, but also the music you listen and the photos you take or the apps you use. It then presents the info in a split-screen view with a timeline on top and detailed numbers on the bottom.
Lifelog tracks more than just steps and calories
The News app is a news aggregator, pulling stories from sources on topics of your choice. It can also issue two daily bulletins for you at a time you specify, so you dont miss out on current events.
News
Xperia lounge is Sonys own entertainment app, feeding you exclusive content and competitions related to music, movies and games.
Xperia Lounge
Oddly, there is no file manager pre-installed, youll need to provide your own. All you get is a shortcut to a downloads folder.
Sonys Album shines as a gallery app
The Album app is among the most comprehensive and feature-rich gallery apps weve seen, and its fast and easy to use. At the very top of the list is a slideshow, showing off your photos, lower down, the first photo of each month is shown at twice the size of other images. Photos are organized by month, and you can use pinch-zoom to change the size of thumbnails (then they smoothly animate into the grid).
The Album app is beautiful and functional
You can instead browse photos on a map (you can manually add geotag info too) or by folder. This includes network storage so that you can view photos from a DLNA server (your home computer, for one). Then theres integration with online albums - Facebook, Picasa, Flickr.
Image editing is handled by several apps, including Sketch and Sticker creator (so you can create your own custom stickers to send to your friends).
Sketch lets you fingerpaint over a photo or a pa per-like texture, add text, stickers, photos and so on. If youre talented (the below screenshot reveals our mediocrity), you can share your creations on the Sketch mini-social network. Wed stick to just browsing what others drew.
Sketch is a fun image editor with a mini social network for sharing art
Movie Creator is similar to the Assistant of Google Photos. It automatically creates short videos from the photos and videos youve shot. You can do it manually too: pick photos and videos, change their order, add color effects and music (you get a small audio collection to start you off, but can use custom files too). Then tap the Share button and send out your animated slideshow.
The Movie Creator can automatically or manually make shareable slideshows
Music app
The Music app feels like a part of the same software package as the rest of the custom Sony stuff. The contextual side menu offers much of the same browsing options - by folder, network folder and online services, in this case, Spotify (its just a link to the Spotify app though). You can share music from the phone to compatible players.
Music app
The app can find the tracks video on YouTube, look up info about the artist on Wikipedia and search for lyrics on Google.
The Music app offers a variety of audio settings - ClearAudio+ determines the best audio quality settings depending on the track youre listening to. Then theres DSEE HX, which uses an almost wizardly algorithm supposed to restore or rather extrapolate compressed music files, like MP3s into high-res audio. According to Sony, the result is near Hi-Res Audio Quality, but it only works with wired headphones.
Dynamic normalizer evens out the volume differences across tracks, which is great if youve mixed multiple albums from multiple sources.
Audio settings
Theres no FM radio on the Xperia XZ and Sonys proprietary song recognition app Track ID doesnt come pre-installed. Its still available to download from the Play Store, naturally.
Video
Named simply Video, the app is a lot more than a player. Sure, it can play your local videos and videos on your home network, plus it has extensive subtitle settings. Additionally you can flip a switch and have videos played in the background.
Video player
But tell the app where you are, and if the region is supported it will pull info off the internet with TV schedules, shows currently airing and highlights of what to expect.
TV schedule and highlights< /span>
Audio output good, but not perfect
The Sony Xperia XZ delivered excellently clean output when used with an active external amplifier, getting top marks across the board. Its output loudness was just above average so it̢۪s a very decent performance overall.
Degradation caused by headphones is more than we are used to seeing from flagships with a moderate hike in stereo crosstalk, a little intermodulation distortion and slightly shakier frequency response. Those are hard to detect without dedicated equipment, but the fall in volume is easy to be felt. All in all the output will please the majority of users, but we certainly expect better from a flagship these days.
And now here go the results so you can do your comparison.
| Test | Frequency response | Noise level | Dynamic range | THD | IMD + Noise | Stereo crosstalk |
| Sony Xperia XZ | +0.01, -0.04 | -93.0 | 92.8 | 0.0047 | 0.010 | -93.6 |
| Sony Xperia XZ (headphones) | +0.22, -0.20 | -91.7 | 90.2 | 0.0065 | 0.199 | -57.8 |
| Sony Xperia X Performance | +0.01, -0.04 | -95.2 | 90.0 | 0.0038 | 0.011 | -95.1 |
| Sony Xperia X Performance (headphones) | +0.23, -0.17 | -93.2 | 89.3 | 0.0078 | 0.174 | -64.9 |
| +0.06, -0.10 | -92.4 | 92.3 | 0.0015 | 0.0093 | -80.9 | |
| +0.03, -0.11 | -92.3 | 92.3 | 0.0011 | 0.012 | -77.0 | |
| LG G5 | +0.01, -0.04 | -92.6 | 92.6 | 0.0051 | 0.0096 | -93.3 |
| LG G5 (headphones) | +0.05, -0.01 | -92.2 | 92.3 | 0.0029 | 0.037 | -50.7 |
| Xiaomi Mi 5 | +0.01, -0.03 | -95.3 | 95.1 | 0.0034 | 0.0065 | -95.1 |
| Xiaomi Mi 5 (headphones) | +0.01, -0.03 | -95.2 | 95.1 | 0.0027 | 0.013 | -71.5 |
| Samsung Galaxy S7 | +0.01, -0.04 | -92.5 | 92.6 | 0.0027 | 0.0078 | -92.7 |
| Sa msung Galaxy S7 (headphones) | +0.05, -0.05 | -91.9 | 92.1 | 0.0044 | 0.063 | -73.4 |
Sony Xperia XZ frequency response
You can learn more about the tested parameters and the whole testing process here.
Camera
The 23MP primary camera of the Sony Xperia XZ is familiar from existing Sony high-end models, but in some aspect its better than any of them.
The sensor isnt new - starting with the Z5, Xperias have used a multi-aspect 24.8MP sensor, now officially named as Sony IMX300. It is a custom sensor model, which is used only on Sony smartphones, and not supplied to other OEMs.
Depending on whether you shoot in 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio, different portions of the sensor are used and you get either 22.8MP or 20.1MP images, respectively, and never the full 24.8MP. Hence the official 23MP designation. Among the benefits of having such a multi-aspect sensor are the similar field of view in both modes (measured diagonally), and higher-res 16:9 shots than what youd get by cropping from a regular 23MP sensor with a 4:3 aspect ratio.
Coverage comparison: 22.8MP 4:3 image ̢ۢ 20.1MP 16:9 image
As we already mentioned, this sensor was first used in the Xperia Z5. Later on, the same sensor was used in the Xperia X and the Xperia X Performance. Its also used now inside the XZ. You can read more about it in our dedicated article we published back when the Z5 ca me out.
The sensor is placed behind a 6-element lens with an ultra wide-angle 24mm-equivalent field-of-view and a f/2.0 aperture. These particular specs of the camera have not changed since the Xperia Z5.
Historically, flagship Xperias have had no optical image stabilization, and neither does the XZ. Sonys SteadyShot with Intelligent Auto has been upgraded, however, and now offers 5-axis image stabilization. Were not too comfortable with the term axis thats become all too popular for describing what is a degree of freedom, but the point is that Sonys system is able to compensate for translation alongside two axes and rotation around all three. Or shift shake in the X and Y direction and yaw, pitch, and roll shake.
However, it only works in a narrow range of scenarios, when shooting video. Its activated in FullHD mode only, and when shooting close-up subjects . In cases, where both of these conditions dont apply, its back to its usual 3-axis algorithm (pitch/yaw/roll).
Thats not all that is new about the Xperia XZs camera. While from the Z5 on high-end Xperias have had hybrid contrast/phase detection autofocus, the XZ adds laser autofocus to the mix, to help speed things up, by taking care of close-distance subjects and letting the other systems, well, focus on the rest of the focusing range.
But wait, theres more. Sony has also installed an RGBC-IR sensor (RedGreenBlueClear-InfraRed) to assist the image sensor in figuring out the color temperature of the ambient lighting, and adjust the white balance accordingly.
Theres just one LED for the flash, though - no change there.
Introduced on the Xperia X, predictive autofocus is here as well. The idea is that you can tap on your subject and the camera will track its movement, keeping the focus locked on it. This is great for subjects who would move all around the scen e such as a toddler or a pet.
Camera interface
The Xperia XZ uses Sonys latest camera UI. You change modes by swiping up and down (or left and right, if youre holding it in portrait). Superior Auto will probably be the main mode you use, only make sure you select the 23MP resolution - its 8MP by default.
Theres a Manual mode too, which has gotten a few more features this time around. What was once just exposure compensation and white balance selectors, has now been expanded to include full range shutter speed selection (1/4000s - 1s) and a manual focus slider. The ISO setting is still tucked away in an extra settings menu, though.
Camera interface
The Camera App tab holds some useful features and some features, which are just there for fun. Some of the available modes are Sweep Panorama, Slow-motion video, Face in picture, Sound Photo and a few more.
The selfie cam has pretty much the same features as the main camera aside from minor differences (the selfie cams manual mode has no ISO selector or manual focus slider). It even reminds you to look at the camera lens when taking a photo.
Like other Xperias, the Xperia XZs camera lets you capture moments in the blink of an eye - from a locked phone, it takes a mere 0.6 seconds to capture the first shot. To use that feature, you need to enab le taking a photo when waking the camera with the shutter key in Settings.
Image quality
How do we go about this. To put it simply, the Xperia XZs camera output is alright. It excels at resolving high-intricacy detail like foliage (and test charts) in good lighting, but with the sheer resolution of the 23MP images wed be surprised if it didnt. All that detail, however, is mixed up with noise and noise reduction artifacts, which doesnt look good when pixel peeping.
Stick to fit-to-screen magnification and youd appreciate the good dynamic range and genuine color reproduction, particularly in natural light.
Camera samples: Superior Auto mode
As usual, were providing the samples of the same scene taken in Manual mode. While there may be subtle differences in some specific scenarios, generally theres little to tell them apart from those taken in Superior Auto. The way we see it, unless you specifically want to tweak shutter speed, ISO or focus, Superior Auto is the way to go.
Camera samples: Manual mode
Artificial light is when the dedicated RGBC-IR should help with white balance, and while it may very well be able to judge the color temperature perfectly, images still come colder than wed like. Incandescent light in particular is rendered a lot cooler than the average person perceives with their eyes.
The other headline feature on the XZ is the triple-hybrid autofocus with laser assist being the new kid on the block joining phase and contrast detect. Laser work s at close range and should be particularly useful in low light. Well, we experimented while shooting the test charts at the studio and the speed didnt blow our minds, despite the fact that its a perfectly tailored scenario for the tech to shine.
In the past, Sony smartphone cameras have been plagued by lens issues, and weve observed the usual corner softness on the XZ, as well as on the X Compact. These two, however, seem particularly prone to lens flare with some examples shown below.
Lens flare
High-contrast situations can be handled in one of two ways. You can either shoot in Superior Auto and let the Xperia decide whats best for you, or you can switch to manual and flip the HDR toggle yourself. On the X Compact the dedicat ed HDR mode produced noticeably brighter images than Superior Auto - brighter overall, like positive exposure compensation. On the XZ the processing is much more restrained, and the results are more pleasing, but also practically the same as in Superior Auto - again, just stick to that. The thing is, without a live HDR preview you can never be sure what will come out in the end.
HDR scenario: Superior Auto ̢ۢ Manual mode, HDR off ̢ۢ Manual Mode, HDR on
The Xperia XZ doesnt feel right at home in low light though. The samples below were shot at dusk, and while exposure is spot-on an d colors arent washed out, zooming in reveals how soft and lacking in detail the images are. And thats not even at night.
Lowlight samples
Naturally, we shot our test posters with the Sony Xperia XZ and heres how it fared next to reigning flagships iPhone7 and Galaxy S7 edge. Of course, our tool allows you to compare it against any other smartphone that weve shot with.
Sony Xperia XZ in our photo compare tool
Panorama
Sonys panoramas have been and still are amon g the poorest you can find on a flagship, in both user interface and image quality. Yes, theres a Sweep panorama mode, but you still have to manually select the sweeping direction and the images are of low resolution and have stitching issues.
Panorama sample shot in portrait
13MP selfie camera
The Xperia XZ is equipped with a 13MP selfie camera, making it the highest-res front-facer on a big-name flagship - Sony gets it. It produces excellent images too, packed with detail and with good dynamic range. It does suffer in less than ideal light, though.
Front camera samples
Video recording
The Xperia XZ is the only model in Sonys current lineup to feature 4K video recording - largely a marketing decision, since the Xperia X, X Perfomance and X Compact all have the hardware to do it. Of course, you get the standard 1080p/30fps and high-speed 1080p/60fps options.
A few caveats go with the above. For one, 2160p recording is a shooting mode all in itself, instead of being a setting in video recording. Digital stabilization is available, of the SteadyShot Standard type, but it appears that Sony uses the center 3,840x2,160 pixel portion of the sensor only, thus resulting in a severely narrower field of view, compared to still shots.
The 1080p/60fps mode also gets the SteadyShot Standard variety. In contrast, shooting in 1080p/30fps mode gives you the option between Standard and Intelligent Ac tive. Its this last mode that gets the headline 5-axis stabilization (still digital), but only when recording close-up subjects.
Bit rates are 56Mbps for 4K, 30Mbps for 1080p/60fps and 17.5Mbps for 1080p/30fps. Audio is recorded in 156Kbps in all cases.
4K video is somewhat soft, but you can still read the gas prices on the gas station sign. There isnt much detail in the shadows, though. The footage is practically noise-free too, and looks really natural.
Why use 1080p when you have 4K? Certainly someone at Sony thought so, because FullHD footage is nothing spectacular. The Xperia X Compact we just reviewed produces noticeably more detailed 1080p videos. And with the limited field of view of 2160p capture, you may often end up having to resort to lower-res modes to get more in the frame, and end up disappointed by the diffe rence in quality.
You can also download the untouched video samples: 2160p (11s, 72MB), 1080p at 60fps (14s, 51MB), 1080p at 30fps (10s, 23MB).
Finally, you can compare the Xperia XZ to any of the numerous phones and tablets weve tested, but weve pre-selected the iPhone 7 and Galaxy S7 edge.
Sony Xperia XZ in our video compare tool: 2160p
Sony Xperia XZ in our video compare tool: 1080p
Final words
Rest easy, Xperia X Performance, the Xperia XZ will take it over from here. Sonys ultimate flagship this year has finally arrived (though we are still entertaining the thought of an X Premium).
It brings back Z-series essentials reimagined to fit into the top of the revamped X lineup - the blocky rectangular body is now clad in ALKALEIDO; the 5.2-inch display is the same size and resolution, only better; the camera has every known focusing tech built-in, and an extra color temperature sensor. How could all that not make a worthy upgrade to the Z5, good enough to make us stop lamenting the Z-series demise?
Well it does, sort of. Its a better phone than the Z5 in pretty much every respect, thats for sure. The greatest leap is perhaps in battery life, where the Z5 fared miserably once we adopted a specific brightness level for our battery tests. The display itself is also an improvement - visibly, and also measurably.
Time and time again, though, we cant get truly excited about a Sony camera. It may be equipped with every imaginable engineering breakthrough Sony could come up with, yet youd be able to find more pleasing images if you look elsewhere. Try not to get us wrong on this one - its not a bad camera, its just not the best camera, and it still beats us why Sony, of all makers, cant make it the one.
Sony Xperia XZ key test findings
- Attractive no-nonsense design building on the traditions of Sony flagships. High-quality build. Changing hues under different light looks surprisingly refereshing.
- Excellent display, high maximum brightness and contrast, great in the sun. Color reproduction is not very accurate though.
- Solid battery life - 72h endurance rating, 9 hours on the web, and will offer almost as much runtime in video playback.
- Minimalist approach to skinning Android leads to a clean interface, but with added Sony goodness - Stamina modes help prolong battery life, multimedia apps are easy to use and feature rich. Wheres a file manager when you need one, though?
- Snapdragon 820 is a top performer in general, but the XZ isnt among the best vehicles for showcasing its prowess - mostly average results in benchmarks. It may not be a chart-topper but its a good showing nonetheless.
- Excellent audio quality and above average loudness with external amp, unimpressive volume and a drop in quality with headphones.
- Detailed 23MP images from the primary camera, suffering from noise and noise reduction. Good dynamic range and colors in good lighting, uninspiring performance when light levels drop. All the extra engineering (laser autofocus, white balance sensor) leads to little perceptible improvement in image quality and shooting experience.
- Great-looking 4K video, but with limited field of view. 1080p footage goes wider but isnt on the same level in terms of quality.
- 13MP front facing camera is a boon for selfie lovers - plenty of detail, good dynamic range, just keep the subjects well lit.
Sonys pricing of its flagship actually makes some sense with the Xperia XZ, for a change. Thats in part due to the Bluetooth wireless headphones that come bundled in a lot of markets if you pre-order the XZ. Priced at €200/£150, they bring the phones price down to €500/£400, though simple math is not really how this works. What does tend to work, especially with Sony handsets, is price drops, s o you might be wise to wait for a few months (though no headphones then).
Anyway, the rivals are clear - only the best will do. Lets start with the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge, which is closer to the XZ in terms of price than the regular S7. With the S7 edge you get more screen real estate in mostly the same physical dimensions, and its sharper too.
The curved Samsung flagship also has much longer battery life going for it, but its primary camera has half the pixels of the XZs. Not to mention Samsungs 5MP front-facer - its so two thousand and late, says the Xperias 13MP selfie cam. The Type-C port of the Xperia joins the mock fest, only to be countered by the microUSB of the S7 edge that both adhere to the same USB 2.0 standard, and which type of cable do you have more of?
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
The HTC 10 is another flagship from an aching manufacturer that might have been too pricey at launch. Its price has dropped, making it more affordable now than the Xperia XZ. It may not be ALKALEIDO, but the 10 is made of metal as well, though it cant match the XZs IP68 rating. Its another case of 12MP/5MP vs the Sonys 23MP/13MP combo. The HTC features a proper USB 3.1 Type-C port, so at least you get faster transfer speeds.
HTC 10
The LG G5 does come in an aluminum body too, only you cant feel it under the coating, and with that detachable chin it can hardly compete with the Xperia XZ in a beauty pageant. Or in a pool dive - the G5 has no waterproofing. At EUR250/GBP120 less than the XZ though, it is a bargain for what it offers - a couple of rear cameras (both 4K-capable), QHD display, removable battery - heck, it even has an FM radio.
LG G5
As more unorthodox option, one could explore the Huawei P9, again more affordable than the XZ at launch. A different take on the dual-camera, the Leica-branded shooter on the P9 could introduce you to black and white photography, but the phone cant record 4K video. Its also not as powerful, trailing the XZ in most benchmarks, and lacks the protection from the elements.
Huawei P9
The iPhone 7 is pricier than the Xperia XZ pretty much everywhere, and belongs to a different ecosystem altogether - not a minor consideration. An overall more compact device, the iPhone has a smaller lower-res display, but its one of the best in business - certainly the most color-accurate. Then theres the more powerful chipset, and the optically stabilized primary camera, though the XZ has the megapixel trump card to throw against it. The XZ has a microSD slot for storage expansion, which is but a dream in the Apple realm, yet it could be essential to some.
Apple iPhone 7
Weve been having a hard time wholeheartedly recommending a Sony flagship recently, for one reason or another. Well, we have it easier with the Xperia XZ - its the best Sony smartphone ever. Only, we cant help but feel they can and should do even better.
! ( hope useful)
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