When it comes to buying a smartphone (especially one that potentially breaks the bank), there are two very important things to consider: one, a sharp display, and two, a good camera.
Sony’s recently launched Xperia XZ Premium scores in both departments, and pretty well we’ve got to say.
The company’s latest flagship model packs a gorgeous 4K HDR display on a 5.5-inch screen, a 19-megapixel camera that has super slow-motion video recording capabilities, and only the latest and greatest Snapdragon 835 Qualcomm chip.
So in terms of specs, this phone is a monster, there’s no doubt about that. Is it worth getting though, especially over other great Android phones like Samsung’s Galaxy S8 or LG’s G6? Here’s our verdict after putting it to the test:
Pros:
Fantastic Camera
Here’s where the Xperia XZ Premium excels. Its camera comes with HDR, face detection, EIS (electronic image stabilisation), and predictive phase detection (a function that lets you “predict” shots, which is pretty useful for snapping fast-paced action).
What we like about it however is the Super Slow Motion function that lets you record footage and freeze it at 960 frames per second (fps). The end-result would look something like this:
The normal camera functions are also pretty competent, although there could be a few improvements in terms of low-light shooting. Overall, for a smartphone point-and-shoot camera, it’s more than sufficient for your day-to-day pictures, selfies, landscape shots, portraits, or otherwise. Here are some unedited sample photos:
Have you walked through a Sony store before, admiring the sharp, 4K television displays? Well, picture this: that same technology is slapped onto the Xperia XZ Premium’s 5.5-inch screen, making it the world’s first smartphone with a 4K HDR display.
And we’ve got to say, it looks absolutely gorgeous. In terms of clarity, there’s really nothing better out there in the market, even if the Xperia XZ Premium uses an LCD display instead of AMOLED one (making it more energy consuming, but that doesn’t really matter since this smartphone has a solid battery life too).
What’s important over here however is that the colours are crisp, whether you’re watching a video or playing a game.
Speedy Performance
Now this is largely down to the Xperia XZ Premium incorporating Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 chip, making everything from loading apps to multi-tasking seamless and very easy.
Add to the mix 4GB of RAM and Sony’s latest flagship easily matches the best Android phones.
Cons:
Clunky Design
With so many great things going for the Xperia XZ Premium, you’d think that Sony would have given it a great design as well, but nope. The phone is a little awkward with its old fashioned squarish design (curved phones are just better looking), the reflective glass body is a fingerprint and smudge magnet, while the bezels at the bottom are a little too thick for our liking.
It’s all a shame really, because Sony could’ve done so much better in this department. We know they were probably going for something like industrial chic, but it ended up looking like industrial shtick instead.
Lack of 4K Video Content
This isn’t really Sony’s fault at all, but they could’ve planned things a little better so they wouldn’t be so far ahead of the game. Right now, there’s barely any 4K-enabled video content out there to watch, perhaps except for on YouTube and the Amazon Prime Video app, and it kind of makes you question the viability of having a 4K HDR screen.
Still, that’s not a bad problem to have at all, and when the industry shifts towards producing more 4K videos (which it surely will), then Sony is primed to have the last laugh.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, Sony’s Xperia XZ Premium is a spec-filled beast that doesn’t disappoint. It may be very costly, with a pre-order price of $1,098, but it’s definitely a smartphone that’s worth splashing out the cash out for, especially if you’ve been itching for an upgrade over the past two years. Not to mention, this is by far the best Sony phone to hit the market in years, so it’s pretty hard to go wrong over here.
Overall rating: 4/5
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