Sony has been pushed to sideline and to cope with market consumer deciding factors, they are focused on premium mobile phone range. Though well-built smartphones is what the company known for, Sony Xperia XZ Premium was launched on 1^st June at a Mobile World Congress that was organized in Barcelona, for now it seems like the device has done good enough in premium moniker.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium Review World’s First with 4K HDR Screen

Sony has been pushed to sideline and to cope with market consumer deciding factors, they are focused on premium mobile phone range. Though well-built smartphones is what the company known for, Sony Xperia XZ Premium was launched on 1^st June at a Mobile World Congress that was organized in Barcelona, for now it seems like the device has done good enough in premium moniker.

Xperia XZ Premium is succeeding its predecessor Xperia Z5 Premium which was launched in 2015, new device is plus size and has 5.5 inch screen display. Attractive and reflective glass design, Snapdragon 835, improved camera i.e. motion eye and 4K HDR are some of its best features.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium Review World’s First with 4K HDR Screen

After hearing the features, very next question that pops up is, how would the handset standout in a tough competition if compared with Samsung S8 and LG G6. Well, there are pretty good reasons to go for: 4K HDR resolution, Snapdragon 835 and Motion Eye camera some dominant ones.

Xperia XZ was launched in 2016 and just after an year its Premium version got out in the market, making it a debate, many asking if it is a second generation phone or slight remuneration in high specced model as we know iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

Early Verdict – Solid battery, 4K HDR display, Motion Eye camera with 960fps video recording, Snapdragon 835, Gorilla Glass protection, and reflective loop-like design surface.

Comparison with Samsung Galaxy S8 and LG G6

Primarily, these three smartphones rely heavily on their display quality but the Samsung and LG models designs are more impactful, especially Samsung S8 is sleek and handy. Sony Xperia XZ Premium has 5.5 inch 4K HDR display, resolution of 2160 x 3860 pixels, also deployed technology of Sony Bravia TV range. All these three features make the Sony version to dominate.

Design is the deciding factor while purchasing a smartphone. In that case, Xperia new successor sticks to the rectangle design just like the ones we seen before with same alignment of camera, power button, fingerprint scanner and volume rockers.

Samsung Galaxy S8 has infinity display and dual curvy phone edges without bezels on the sides with 6.2 inch compact body. Super AMOLED display with 2960 x 1440 resolution. Real advantage is when user plays YouTube video and wants infinite view or mode, the phone offers cinematic experience.

LG G6 has 5.7 inch display and same viewing experience which we can again term as cinematic. Arrow bezels are on the phone sides but the display is in more compact form i.e. IPS In Cell Touch Display with QHD+ resolution.

Such display and design features make it quite tricky for the end consumer to pick the one out of the rest. But RAM and storage are some compulsory factors to consider. Snapdragon 835 is the latest one and runs by Sony Xperia XZ Premium but LG and Samsung do have the same power house, it’s just the matter of time which region of the world get its first. For example, in India, LG is bit late but Samsung Galaxy S8+ operates on Exynos 8895 processor which is even more powerful than Qualcomm Snapdragon 835. In short, power efficient.

Cameras of Sony Xperia XZ Premium are better than Samsung S8 as it the Galaxy S8 has 12mp rear camera and 8mp front camera. Sony Xperia has 19mp rear and 13mp front camera. There is no debate on the technologies they used for auto focus and selfie thing both are crucial. Have you checked the motion pictures, filters and stickers in the Samsung smartphone camera?

Samsung battery is more heavy in running operations rather the Sony Xperia  claims with 4K HDR, debatable if the battery can run superfast or not.

FEATURES

Design & Display – First of Its Kind

Most attractive feature of the smartphone is its look and feel. Right at the first glance you will resemble the Sony Xperia XZ Premium with the other Xperia phones. But distinct is the glass loop reflective surface, it gives you the feel of a real mirror. Also, the screen has the protection of Gorilla Glass 5, 2.5D cured front glass panel.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium Review World’s First with 4K HDR Screen

It is quite slippery at hands and harness fingerprints easily, so you will be cleaning it a lot. Back cover is the solution here but it would shield the real look. Fingerprint scanner is located next to power button which is to the right of the phone. Such alignment was last witnessed in Sony Xperia XZs and Xperia Z5. So, don’t get surprised at all. The scanner functioning is impressive here and unlocks the phone just quickly and placement next to power button is convenient for the user.

Audio jack of 3.5mm on the top panel of the phone is just the same old, USB Type-C port could be found in the bottom panel. Camera button is on the right side of the phone whereas left side has SIM card and microSD card dedicated slots.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium Review World’s First with 4K HDR Screen

Phone is bit hefty for long use as it weighs 191 gram and has thickness of 7.9mm. Dust and water resistance makes it an ideal purchase too.

BRAVIA TV tech use for display – one of the substantial claims is BRAVIA TV tech being used in the display of the Xperia XZ Premium. The same feature was boosted at the launch event. Display of 5.5 inch is supported by 4K HDR i.e. 2160 x 3840 pixels. Since we use apps and content on smartphones in full HD display so we might not spot a difference until and unless we click images and videos shot in 4K UHD.

Images and videos would be crip because of the color gamut contrast. That feature, is a promise not from company’s end but from critics end too.

Camera, 19 Mega Pixel Rear and 13 Mega Pixel Front

Motion Eye camera is the prominent feature injected into the 19 mega pixel rear camera shooter. The rear camera has the ability to shoot or record slow motion videos at 960 frames per second. Wow, far ahead from its competitors Samsung S8 and LG G6. Many cameras maximum range is 240 frames per second.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium Review World’s First with 4K HDR Screen

CMOS 3 stage image sensor is the reason why 960fps is being made possible. Thanks to the wise eye, keeping the wisdom of what to rely on.

Camera has 2 options for slow motion shoot in a toggle which is dedicated. You can record the whole video in slow motion or normal video could be tamed to slow motion mode as you like or prefer. There you will get the standard features for instance, Superior Auto mode, 4K video, Panorama and manual mode.

Front camera- it is of 13 mega pixel and seems to have good capacity of taking selfies.

Performance

Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 can only be seen in Sony Xperia XZ Premium being released in the market. Because of the named power house, the phone is extra responsive to user needs and won’t stuck or hang even if the user is playing heavy duty games. Also, you can do multitasking without fearing you may stuck in the middle of it. The phone has 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage which could be expanded with microSD card i.e. up to 250GB.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium Review World’s First with 4K HDR Screen

Xperia XZ Premium packed latest Android 7.1.1 Nougat, supports Nano-SIM, dual SIM cards, 4g VoLTE, high resolution audio, 3230mAh solid battery under the technology hood of Quick Charge 3.0.

‘Stamina Mode’ provided by Sony is here for testing the battery performance. In this mode, user can monitor battery use and can save it all at the same. We know by now that 4k HDR asks for battery to provide more of power supply and it yet has to be seen by the user if it delivers what it claims.

Phone shipped with the charger which claims to charge the smartphone up to 60 percent in just 45 minutes.

Availability and Price

Luminous Chrome and the other Deepsea Black are the colors announced by Sony in which this new smartphone will be available. Carphone Warhouse is one of the exclusive place to look for Chrome version of the handset.

SIM free price of Sony Xperia XZ Premium is £649 or on a 10GB contract on monthly basis the device is of £79.99 on a £39.

In India and Pakistan, price of the handset is Rs.59,990.

Final Verdict – Not just heavy duty smartphones, Samsung Glaxy S8 and LG G6, Sony Xperia XZ Premium buckle up to give tough competition to all the recognized brands’ handsets like Google Pixel, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, Google Pixel XL. Xperia new lad asks for the price nothing short on its design or performance features. Top of the line specs makes it the premium choice even in the Xperia range.

OnePlus and Xiaomi thinking of expanding their line of smartphones in Asian market by launching Snapdragon 835 in the phones, well making the competition even fierce. However, by far Sony Xperia XZ Premium has taken the lead, who’s coming up next?