Why it matters to you
If you’re a Sony fan, it’s possible that you’re about to get a couple more smartphone options to choose from.
Sony is back with its Xperia lineup, and if you were expecting an all-new design, you may be disappointed. The differences from last year’s lineup are largely internal, though the four smartphones have some unique features that make them stand out.
There are two lines within the main Xperia line that Sony is debuting at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. On the lower end of the spectrum are the Xperia XA1 and XA1 Ultra, and on the opposite end are the Xperia XZ Premium and the Xperia XZs.
Xperia XZ Premium and XZs
The 5.5-inch XZ Premium is the cream of the crop with its 4K HDR display and Snapdragon 835 processor.
As far as design goes, there’s not much of a difference from last year’s XZ — save for the camera flash placement on the rear. It comes in chrome and and black, and despite its large bezels, the chrome variant makes the smartphone stand out and look gorgeous. It’s wrapped in Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back, and it’s quite the fingerprint magnet.
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The Snapdragon 835 is a powerful chip, and it’s likely necessary to keep the 4K HDR display running smoothly. Sony’s Z5 Premium from 2015 only utilized the 4K display for 4K content and the device normally ran at a 1,080-pixel resolution. It’s likely what’s happening here with the XZ Premium, but Sony did not confirm it. Sony took HDR technology from its TVs and brought them into the XZ Premium — meaning you’ll get brighter whites, darker blacks, and more vivid colors.
The XZ Premium comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, though a MicroSD card slot lets you upgrade that up to 265GB. It uses a USB Type-C charging port to power the 3,230mAh battery, and the device supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 technology.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium (left) Sony Xperia XZs (right)
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
The front selfie camera has 13 megapixels and a 22mm wide-angle lens, but there are two features that make the XZ Premium unique — the first is the 4K HDR screen, which we mentioned, but the second is its rear camera.
The rear camera is packed with 19 megapixels and features 5-axis image stabilization. Sony’s Motion Eye technology allows the device to capture slow-motion video at 960 frames-per-second. It’s incredibly slow, and the effect is stunning. It certainly doesn’t do this at 1,080p, but at a lower resolution. For comparison, the iPhone’s highest slow-motion video recording capability is at 240 frames-per-second at 720p.
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Predictive Capture is another neat feature that starts capturing any motion as soon as you open the camera app. When you actually press the shutter button, the camera will save the last four photos from two seconds prior. That way, there’s a higher chance you may have captured a special moment.
Overall, the camera seemed to produce solid photographs in our limited time with the phone, though there was some slight shutter lag. We’ll test it out more when we get a review unit. Regular performance seemed fast, as we didn’t experience any lag or stutter.
There is no fingerprint sensor on the side of the U.S. model of the device, which Sony says is a “business decision.”
The Xperia XZs carries a lot of the same features of the XZ Premium, including the camera. What’s different is the screen — it’s Full HD with a smaller 5.2-inch display. It also features the Snapdragon 820 processor. The XZs isn’t as pretty as the XZ Premium. The bezels are huge on the front display, and the back isn’t as interesting as the chrome-colored premium variant.
Pricing and availability
The Xperia XZ Premium will launch in the spring, and its price hasn’t been released yet. We do know, however, that the XZS will cost $700 and it will launch on April 5. The Snapdragon 820 processor is a year old, and there are devices with better processors that cost less, so it may be a tough sell.
There’s nothing exciting about these devices, as there’s not much of a visible difference from last year. It also doesn’t seem as though the improvements are features consumers would really be interested in, though some of the camera tricks like Predictive Capture seem interesting. We’ll have to see if the Xperia line can take on the intense competition when the phones arrive later this year.
Highs
- Chrome-colored XZ Premium is gorgeous
- Display looks great
- Snappy performance
- 960 fps capability and Predictive Capture is useful and unique
Lows
- Uninspired design
- XZs is too expensive, meaning XZ Premium will be overkill
- Low battery capacity is worrying