Although Sony's Xperia XZ Premium ticks almost every box on the high-end smartphone test, and also offers users Android 7.1 combined with excellent performance, it still doesn't make the cut. -5” of our respective rating. In particular, the quality of photos taken in low light leaves much to be desired. And also because Sony, even in its flagship smartphone, refuses to have a fast charger, the ratings in the “Battery” test category are lower than those of its direct competitors.
Advantages
very fast processor
excellent equipment
high quality workmanship
Flaws
The mirror surface of the case collects a lot of fingerprints
Camera in low light does not correspond to high-end level
- Price-quality ratio
Fine - Place in the overall ranking
17 out of 200
- Price/quality ratio: 73
- Performance and Control (35%): 93.2
- Equipment (25%): 93.8
- Battery (15%): 80
- Display (15%): 89.7
- Camera (10%): 73.4
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Sony Xperia XZ Premium is a mirror
For several years now, Sony has not fundamentally changed anything in the design of its smartphones, and this time it continues to rely on the minimalistic look that we know from the Xperia series devices. In principle, it all looks good and elegant, but in the case of the Xperia XZ Premium it already reaches its limits.
Firstly, the phone turns out to be very large, since the screen is surrounded on all sides by clearly defined frames. In addition, at the bottom, Sony has placed an additional black strip with soft control buttons, which also takes up a certain space.
On the other hand, the silver/chrome body of the device we tested reflects everything like a mirror. Within a short time, both the front and back surfaces became covered with numerous fingerprints and greasy stains. Of course, they can be rubbed off on clothes, but they definitely won’t be recognized as beautiful. But now there are no problems taking selfies with the main camera. The edges here are also glossy, rounded and very smooth, which makes the device weighing 190 grams easier to slip out of your fingers during a telephone conversation.
Mirror surface: Xperia XZ Premium allows you to take selfies with the main camera
Brilliant 4K display
In terms of equipment, Sony is rolling out several heavy artillery pieces to the position at once. These include an extremely clear 4K display with a 5.5-inch diagonal. Xperia XZ Premium in UHD resolution presents not only photos and videos, but also displays the user interface.
However, in everyday life, a picture with a pixel density of 800 ppi hardly provides any advantages compared to 400 ppi. Even if we bring the smartphone very close to our eyes, we most likely will not be able to notice the difference in clarity. However, VR (virtual reality) fans will be able to get some benefit from this.
Like competitors LG and Samsung, Sony advertises support for HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology. The screen boasts a truly wide color gamut and excellent image quality, but it doesn't shine as brightly as a Full HD display does. The latter reaches a remarkable 582 cd/m2, but Sony can only offer XZ Premium users 485 cd/m2. However, in most cases the content reads quite well.
The display displays content in 4K resolution - but it's almost impossible to understand Battery: Sony is saving on the wrong things
Of course, UHD resolution on a large display took its toll during our online testing. Here, the Xperia XZ Premium managed to last a good eight and a half hours, but it's still a long way from the almost ten hours of the cheaper Xperia XZs.
The device missed a certain number of rating points, not least because of the duration of the charging process, which lasts more than three hours. And although the XZ Premium itself supports Quickcharge 3.0 fast charging technology, Sony decided to save a little money and included a regular power supply with a power of only 7.5 W in the package.
A freshly polished phone looks gorgeous, but its surface quickly becomes covered in fingerprints. Xperia XZ Premium camera with its advantages and disadvantages
Sony paid great attention to the digital camera of its new flagship and equipped it with a high resolution of 19 megapixels, as well as a high-speed video recording function with 960 frames per second. The camera is essentially the same as the one in the Xperia XZs, but showed slightly better results during testing. The reason may most likely be a new firmware version.
The photo quality here can be considered good for the most part, however, in comparison with such direct competitors as above all, the Xperia XZ Premium still reveals certain shortcomings. Pictures taken in low light do not correspond to the high-end level of the device. This is clearly shown by comparing photographs taken by the smartphone we tested and the HTC U11.
However, even in daylight, the Sony camera does not reach the level of competitors that cost about the same. Contours are often noticeably indistinct and surfaces blurred. Most likely the problem is that the matrix is too small for the high resolution used.
Twilight photos: Compared to the HTC U11, photos taken on the Xperia XZ Premium have less detail and more artifacts. Plus they're a little dark. High speed video camera
The camcorder's "High Frame" mode is an interesting feature that makes shooting in daylight a lot of fun. In this mode, the camera shoots video in HD resolution at up to 960 frames per second, so you can then playback the footage very slowly.
However, because the shutter speed per frame is extremely fast in this mode, indoor results often appear too dark and noisy. The ability to take “pre-emptive” pictures is practical. In this mode, the camera takes photos before you press the shutter button, so you can then choose a better shot - this mode is especially useful when shooting moving subjects.
The Sony Xperia XZ Premium camera has several good features Top performance
In terms of performance, the Xperia XZ Premium is on par with the best models on the market (and in our smartphone rankings). Snapdragon 835 provides a fast user interface, smooth scrolling, pleasant response speed to commands and quick application launch. This “system on a chip” also contains gigabit LTE and Bluetooth 5 modules.
If 64 GB of internal memory is not enough, you can expand it using microSD cards. Data exchange with a computer will also be pleasantly fast thanks to the presence of USB 3.1 Type-C. Last but not least practical is the protection of the case in accordance with the IP-68 standard, which for users means the ability to drop the smartphone into water without consequences.
Sony sells the Xperia XZ Premium in chrome and black colors at an initial cost of 54,990 rubles.
Waterproof: Sony Xperia XZ Premium users don't have to worry about rain or drops in water Alternative: Sony Xperia XZ
Cheaper, not as well equipped, but with a longer battery life: Sony fans can't go wrong by choosing. At the same time, the smartphone, which has been on sale since last fall, costs about 13,000 rubles less. In some online stores you can find it even cheaper than 40,000 rubles.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium test results
Characteristics and test results of Sony Xperia XZ Premium
| Price-quality ratio | 73 |
| OS during testing | Android 7.1 |
| Current OS | Android 8 |
| Is there an OS update planned? | no data |
| App Store | |
| Weight | 189 |
| Length x Width | 156 x 78 mm; |
| Thickness | 8.0 mm; |
| Expert design review | Very good |
| Expert assessment of work speed | Very good |
| Download speed: PDF 800 KB via WLAN | 2.3 s |
| Download speed: main chip.de via WLAN | 0.5 s |
| Download speed: chip.de test chart via WLAN | 5.2 s |
| Sound quality (speakerphone) | Very good |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 |
| Processor architecture | |
| CPU frequency | 2.450 MHz |
| Number of CPU cores | 4+4 |
| RAM capacity | 4.0 GB |
| Battery: capacity | 3.230 mAh |
| Battery: easy to remove | - |
| Battery: surfing time | 8:26 h:min |
| Battery: charging time | 3:03 h:min |
| Fast charging function | Yes |
| Charger and fast charging cable included | |
| Battery: discharging time/charging time | 2,8 |
| Wireless charging function | - |
| WLAN | 802.11n, ac |
| Voice over LTE | |
| LTE: frequencies | 800, 1.800, 2.600 MHz |
| LTE: Cat. 4 | up to 150 Mbit/s |
| LTE: Cat. 6 | up to 300 Mbit/s |
| LTE: Cat. 9 | up to 450 Mbit/s |
| LTE: Cat. 12 | up to 600 Mbit/s |
| Screen: type | LCD |
| Screen: diagonal | 5.5 inches |
| Screen: size in mm | 68 x 122 mm; |
| Screen: resolution | 3.840 x 2.160 pixels |
| Screen: Dot Density | 801 ppi |
| Screen: max. brightness in a dark room | 485.9 cd/m² |
| Screen: staggered contrast in a bright room | 32:1 |
| Screen: staggered contrast in a dark room | 131:1 |
| Camera: resolution | 19.2 megapixels |
| Camera: measured resolution | 1,815 line pairs |
| Camera: expert assessment of image quality | Fine |
| Camera: VN1 noise | 1.9 VN1 |
| Camera: minimum focal length | 4.4 mm; |
| Camera: minimum shooting distance | 9 cm; |
| Camera: Shutter Time with Autofocus | 0.76 s |
| Camera: optical stabilizer | - |
| Camera: autofocus | Yes |
| Camera: flash | LED |
| Video resolution | 3.840 x 2.160 pixels |
| Front camera: resolution | 13.0 megapixels |
| LED indicator | yes (multicolor) |
| Radio | - |
| SIM card type | Nano-SIM |
| Dual SIM | - |
| Protection against dust and moisture (IP certificate) | IP68 |
| Fingerprint's scanner | |
| User accessible memory | 49.3 GB |
| Memory card slot | Yes |
| USB connector | Type-C-USB 3.1 |
| Bluetooth | 5 |
| NFC | Yes |
| Headphone output | 3.5 mm; |
| HD Voice | Yes |
| SAR | 1.21 W/kg |
| Firmware version during testing | 45.0.A.1.229 |
| Test date | 2016-05-22 |
Exclusive, Luxury, Special, Singular and Premium. All these prefixes to names have already set the teeth on edge, but nevertheless Sony used this technique when naming the successor to the Sony XZ. The Premium prefix was simply added, although this approach is often used to highlight special rather than new product lines. But is Sony's new gadget worthy of such a name?
At MWC 2017, the jury said it was worthy, and the Sony XZ Premium was recognized as the best smartphone of 2017. Of course, he had no serious competitors at this summit, but nevertheless this is an indicator of recognition. Moreover, in terms of technology, the XZ Premium is truly beyond competition - the fresh, powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC, the exclusive IMX400 photo matrix, the ability to record Slow-motion video at 960 frames per second at HD resolution, as well as a 4K HDR display and moisture protection according to IP65/IP68 standard. All this is seasoned with a pair of high-quality system speakers. At the presentation, company representatives said that the XZ Premium is the most technologically advanced smartphone ever released by Sony. Of course, this can be said about any new product in a dynamically developing segment, but in the case of the smartphone being tested, these words are not just a marketing ploy.
Specifications
| Display size and type | 5.5-inch, 4K HDR, LCD (IPS) |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, 8 cores (4x2.45 GHz, 4x1.9 GHz) |
| Built-in memory, GB | 64 (UFS1) |
| RAM, GB | 4 |
| Memory expansion | microSD (up to 256 GB) |
| Number of SIM cards | 2 |
| 2G communication standards | GSM GPRS/EDGE |
| 3G communication standards | UMTS HSPA+ |
| 4G communication standards | LTE Cat16 |
| WiFi | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, 2.4/5 GHz, MU-MIMO |
| Bluetooth | v5.0 |
| NFC | Eat |
| IrDA | No |
| USB connector | USB Type-C |
| Audio jack | TRRS (mini-jack 3.5 mm 4-pin) |
| FM radio | No |
| Fingerprint's scanner | Eat |
| Navigation | GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS, SBAS |
| Built-in sensors | acceleration sensor, electronic compass, gyroscope, proximity sensor, light sensor, Hall sensor |
| Rear camera | 19 MP, f/2, f=25 mm |
| Front-camera | 13 MP, f/2, f=22 mm |
| operating system | Android 7.1.1 (upgrade to Android 8.0) |
| Protection class | IP65/IP68 |
| Battery | 3230 mAh |
| Dimensions, mm | 156*77*7,9 |
| Weight, g | 191 |
Appearance and ease of use
For many years now, Sony has not even tried to change the design of its smartphones. There are no slick corners, like most modern smartphones, and the front panel smoothly flows into the back due to the rounded sides. Traditionally, this design refinement is called Loop Surface or “loop surface”. The smartphone is quite large and heavy, so an uninitiated user might think that it has a 5.7-6-inch display. But no, it's only 5.5 inches. But on the other hand, a pair of excellent stereo speakers fit in the lower and upper parts of the front plane. Although the frames are 17 mm wide, this still does not justify it.
The build quality of the case is impeccable, all panels fit perfectly, but when you try to twist and squeeze, the case gives a little and creaks, which is not what you expect from a smartphone with the Premium prefix in the name. Moreover, when you try to twist the case, rainbow stains appear in the corners of the LCD matrix. The front and back sides are covered with Corning Gorilla Glass, both of which are 5th generation glasses. The glass is not afraid of scratches, which is good news, but it collects fingerprints at an incredible speed, so you have to wipe the case extremely often. In addition to everything, an extremely easily soiled option, “Deepsea Black” (black), was provided for testing. Also available in Bronze Pink and Luminous Chrome. The last option, from a subjective point of view, is the most interesting, but it is no less afraid of prints than the black modification. The side surfaces are made of aluminum with a polished surface to a mirror finish. The lower and upper sides are matte, with small chamfers around the perimeter.
In front above the display there is an LED indicator, a front camera, and a light sensor. The speakers are located symmetrically below and above the display. On the back side you can see the camera window, as well as a unit consisting of an LED flash, laser and IR camera assist sensor.
On the left side surface, only the cover of the compartments for installing a nanoSIM SIM card is visible, one of which can be replaced with a microSD flash drive.
Such a replacement can only be carried out by the main tray, which can be removed without the help of pins. But in order to get the second tray, you need to have at least slightly grown nails, otherwise you won’t be able to grab onto the tray’s small hook. Traditionally for Sony smartphones, when you remove the SIM card tray, the operating system reboots. On the right side surface there is a volume control rocker key, a lock key with an integrated fingerprint reading sensor, which is perfect for both right-handers and left-handers. Special attention should be paid to the dedicated photo key, which allows you to activate the camera and take a photo even while wearing gloves, because using the camera does not require unlocking the device.
At the bottom end there is a noticeable microphone and a USB Type-C connector, and at the top there is a second microphone and a mini-jack connector (3.5 mm). The presence of the latter in Sony's flagship product indicates that it is too early to bury this connector.
Display
Sony XZ Premium became the world's first smartphone with a 4K HDR display. Of course, Sony doesn't miss a single opportunity to mention this. Although, by and large, such a high resolution is not always necessary, and it does not have the best effect on battery consumption. Of course, the manufacturer took this feature into account, so the desktop is drawn with FullHD resolution, while when watching videos, photos and playing games, it is rendered in full resolution.
In the display settings, you can select one of three familiar modes: “standard”, “Ultimate brightness mode” and “professional mode”. The most vivid picture is in the “standard” mode, but the accuracy of color display in it is far from ideal, at least when using content created in the sRGB/Rec color space. 709. The same can be said about the “maximum brightness” mode. But in these modes the color gamut is huge and close to Rec. 2020, which is used in the HDR10 standard adopted by Sony. But in order to enjoy all this splendor you will need appropriate content, and there is little of it, and this is mainly the streaming services Amazon Prime and Netflix.
In the “professional” mode, the color gamut is much smaller, and clearly corresponds to the standard sRGB color space. The color deviation, Delta E, in this mode on the gray wedge ranges from 1.2...10.7, and on the primary colors (RGBCMY) - 0.7...3.9, and these are excellent indicators. And visually the picture seems more natural. In addition to mode selection, separate manual adjustment of RGB channels is possible.
The measured brightness of the white field was 387.2 cd/sq.m, while the brightness of the black field was 0.44 cd/sq.m, that is, the static contrast is 880:1. You can often find references to much higher brightness, but in our sample, when running Android 8.0, these are the indicators.
Extreme brightness mode
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"Standard" mode
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Professional mode
Sound
Like its predecessor, the XZ Premium is equipped with a pair of speakers in the front plane. The sound quality is excellent by smartphone standards. By and large, only the ZTE Axon 7 can compete with the hero of the material in terms of sound quality, but from a subjective point of view, the Sony XZ Premium is preferable. When playing a test sinusoidal signal with a frequency of 1 kHz at a distance of 1 meter, a level of 75.0 dBA was recorded. It's funny, but in the case the volume level was almost the same. But the predecessor of the tested smartphone, Sony Xperia XZ, has a much lower volume level – 64.6 dBA.
As for the quality of sound reproduction in headphones, the experimental device is in perfect order. Even without activating various “improvers” it sounds good. The only thing I can complain about is the automatic detection of the headphone type, which does not always work correctly. The audio settings contain standard Sony features, namely DSEE HX (upgrading sound quality to Hi-Res Audio), Clear Audio+, dynamic normalizer, surround sound settings, as well as a 5-band equalizer with a separate “Clear BASS” bass control. In general, everything is like in Walkman players.
The output level on the analog audio output was low. When playing a test signal with a load of 32 Ohms, a value of 212.7 mV was recorded. This is already on the verge of a foul, but it is enough if you use headphones with low impedance. For comparison, under similar conditions the result showed 275 mV, and the ZTE Axon 7, which can be put on par with the experimental one in terms of music playback quality, showed 305.7 mV. It’s funny, but in our database of testing results, the record holder for output signal level is a product from Sony, namely a budget product, which produced a whopping 928.5 mV!
Performance
The smartphone is built on the basis of the flagship system-on-a-chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, made using the 10 nm FinFET process. Of course, this is not a breakthrough Snapdragon 820 model, but there are quite a few differences from its predecessor. There are twice as many cores, and they are all based on Kryo 280 (Cortex-A72), the frequency is slightly higher, a slightly improved video subsystem based on Adreno 540 is used, there is support for Bluetooth v5.0 and X16 LTE (with download speeds up to 1 Gbit/s ). By modern standards, the smartphone does not have much memory - 4 GB. Of course, LPDDR4X memory operates in dual-channel mode.
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The following smartphones were chosen as opponents:
: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, 4 cores (2x2.15 GHz+2x1.6 GHz), 3 GB RAM, 5.2 inches, 1920*1080;
: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, 4 cores (2x2.15 GHz + 2x1.6 GHz), 4 GB RAM, 5.5 inches, 1440*2560;
: Samsung Exynos Octa 7880, 8 cores (1.87 GHz), 3 GB RAM, 5.7 inches, 1920*1080.
System performance was measured in synthetic PCMark, 3DMark, Geekbench 4 and AnTuTu v6. Memory speed was assessed using the AndroBench application. Testing was also carried out in cross-platform javascript tests (Mozilla Kraken JavaScript and SunSpider). The results of these tests significantly depend on the browser used, therefore, to minimize the impact, Google Chrome will be used in all reviews, as the most common one.
Camera
One of the main features of the smartphone is the main camera based on the exclusive Exmor RS IMX400 sensor, which Sony kept for itself and does not sell externally. This sensor has a resolution of 19 megapixels, which is significantly less than in the case of the predecessor camera. And this is correct, because the extra millions of dots only complicate the task of processing the image, and the noise is more noticeable, because the level of distortion of this type is extremely dependent on the physical size of the pixel. By the way, in the case of the IMX400 sensor, the pixel size is 1.22 microns with a matrix diagonal of 1/2.3 inches. In general, this figure is by no means a record, because the Sony Exmor RS lineup includes sensors with a physical pixel size of 1.4 and even 1.55 microns, which is achieved through the use of a 12 megapixel resolution. The camera is also not impressive with its record aperture numbers – f/2.0. However, the camera is capable of taking high quality pictures even in low light conditions, such as indoors or on a cloudy day with heavy clouds. It is noteworthy that in the first versions of the Sony Xperia XZ Premium firmware, the images were greatly overexposed, stretching out the shadows and at the same time knocking out the light areas. But in the current version of the firmware there is no such problem, so it is extremely rare to resort to manual settings.
But the main feature of the matrix is completely different. Thanks to the built-in extremely fast memory, the smartphone is capable of recording Slow Motion video at 960 frames per second with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. But, as usual, there is a small “but” - the duration of the slow-motion video is limited to 0.182 seconds. What can you accomplish during this time? Well, actually, nothing, because in such a short period a freely falling body can only overcome 16 cm. And in general, such figures are beyond the bounds of human reaction, therefore, in order to catch a worthwhile video sequence, it must either be staged, or you have to catch it for a long time, or - it's just luck. In addition, for the function to work correctly, you need good lighting (the test video uses a fluorescent lamp, which provided 1000 lux of illumination at the shooting point). This function works as follows: while recording a regular video sequence, you need to press the dedicated Slow-motion key, after which the smartphone will record a slow-motion video lasting 0.182 seconds and continue recording as usual. It looks something like this.
Example video 960fps
In general, there is a “wow” effect. But for now it’s just a toy that looks like a demonstration of abilities, a foundation for the future, as well as research and analysis of the market reaction to such “tricks,” but nothing more.
The smartphone's flash turned out to be catastrophically weak. At a distance of a meter, a level of only 5.05 lux was recorded. This is the worst result among all the smartphones we tested. Of course, the result is not much better, but it was difficult to expect any deterioration in the new product. In order to assess the scale of the tragedy, it is enough to compare the result with.
UPD: power measurements were carried out in video light mode. As repeated measurements have shown, in the “flash” mode the results are slightly better - about 20 lux.
To evaluate image quality, a test pattern was shot on the main camera with sensitivity from ISO 50 to ISO3200 in 1 EV steps. It is worth noting that in automatic mode the limits of available sensitivity are expanded to ISO 12800.
Example pictures
Macro photography
 |  |  |  |  |
| Illumination 50 lux | Illumination 50 lux + flash | Illumination 3 lux + flash |
Video recording
In addition to super slow-motion video, the smartphone, of course, can record videos with 4K resolution. The flow rate is limited to 30 frames per second, and you can select the video compression format (H.264 and H.265). FullHD video can be recorded in 30p and 60p modes.
Example entry 4K-video
1080/60 recording examplep
Autonomous operation
The smartphone is equipped with a battery with a capacity of 3230 mAh, which is not so much for such a powerful smartphone, and competitors have larger batteries. Plus, don't forget about the 4K display. When tested in gaming mode, the smartphone lasted 252 minutes. This is a modest result, but worse has happened. In video mode, battery life is only 377 minutes. Short battery life during video playback is a long-standing problem with Sony smartphones, but in the case of the XZ Premium it manifested itself in all its glory. In reading mode, the smartphone was able to work for only 620 minutes.
It is worth noting that the desktop, and as a result, reading programs, is drawn in FullHD, but in video and game modes full resolution is activated, which, as tests have shown, does not have the best effect on battery life. Fully charging the battery from the charger provided with the test sample (5 V/1.5A) took 176 minutes, and to 85% in 115 minutes. It is worth noting that the Snapdragon 835 SoC used supports Quick Charge 4 fast charging technology, and the smartphone itself and the included charger support Quick Charge 3.0.
Traditionally, Sony smartphones support a battery care mode that automatically detects the charging stop time and subsequently charges the battery up to 90% with a high current, and the last 10% falls within the normal charging stop time. But with the existing charger, the need to use this function is doubtful.
Conclusion
I have liked the design of Sony smartphones for a long time. It doesn’t have the sleekness of Samsung and Apple smartphones, it doesn’t try to borrow other people’s ideas, it’s not like everyone else. The design of Sony smartphones may either not be liked at all, or may cause delight, but it will not leave anyone indifferent. Just look at the idea of using a separate key for taking photos and a fingerprint reading sensor on the lock key. The other side of the coin is the dimensions and weight that are typical for smartphones with a slightly larger display. Unexpectedly, the Sony Xperia XZ Premium showed quite a few other shortcomings. And this despite its high cost! But overall I still liked the new product. It is noteworthy that this is not due to the “wow feature” - super slow motion. But the magnificent display, high sound quality in the headphones and amazing (by smartphone standards) sound of the system speakers are what makes you think hard about purchasing the smartphone we are testing.
Minuses:
— extremely easily soiled body;
— weight and size indicators;
— weak LED flash;
— low signal level on the analog audio output;
- battery life;
- price.
Pros:
— great design (purely subjective);
— protection against moisture ingress according to IP65/68 standard;
- excellent 4K HDR display with a huge color gamut and accurate color reproduction;
— high-quality system stereo speakers;
— high sound quality on analog audio output;
— slow-motion video with a speed of 960 frames/s and HD resolution (duration 0.182 s);
— Bluetooth v5.0;
- USB Type-C;
— WiFi module with support for the 5 GHz band and MU-MIMO;
- high performance.
The Sony Xperia XZ Premium smartphone has not only a modern appearance, but also powerful hardware. The new generation Snapdragon 835 processor, which currently has no competitors, is responsible for performance. In addition, the new product has a 5.5-inch screen with excellent 4K resolution and highly sensitive cameras, capable of replacing a camera in many cases. Below is a review in which we will try to figure out whether the gadget is worth its price.
- Read also a review of a Sony smartphone for 12,500 rubles.
What's included in the Sony Xperia XZ Premium package
In the compact box, along with the smartphone, there is an AC adapter that is used to charge the gadget, and a USB cable that is used to connect the product to a computer. There is also a miniature device for removing memory cards from the tray and stereo headphones. Like all the company's products, the smartphone comes with a user manual and a warranty card.
Design Sony Xperia XZ Premium
The front and back of the case are made of durable Gorilla Glass 5 and are connected to each other using an aluminum side frame. Both halves have mirror surfaces, which girls will appreciate. An oleophobic coating is provided to protect against grease stains, which does not fully cope with its function and fingerprints are still visible. The angular shape of the case does not spoil the appearance of the product; the corners of the metal frame are rounded, which significantly improves the ergonomics of the device. Thanks to the IP68 degree of protection, the device is not afraid of dust, moisture and can operate underwater at a depth of up to 1.5 meters. The manufacturer produces this model in three colors - black, bronze and silver. With dimensions of 156x77x7.9 mm, the gadget weighs 191 g.
The screen occupies 69.65% of the front side area. There are no mechanical buttons under the display; interface keys are used to control device functions. At the top there is traditionally an auxiliary camera lens, a notification LED and a speaker, which, in tandem with the main one, participates in music playback and creates surround sound. On the left side there is a hybrid slot for SIM cards and microSD, protected from dust and moisture by a plastic plug. The tray is designed to connect two nanoSim cards or one SIM card and a memory card.
On the right side there is an oblong power activation button with an integrated fingerprint sensor, a volume rocker and a key with which you can take photos or videos. At the bottom there is a USB port for connecting to a computer and charger, and a microphone. At the top there is a 3.5 mm jack for connecting a headset. In the upper left part of the rear surface the manufacturer installed:
- the main camera lens, protected around the perimeter by a steel ring to protect the lens from minor mechanical damage;
- photo flash;
- laser autofocus sensors;
- IR remote control emitter.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium: specifications
The 5.5-inch display is based on an IPS matrix with wide vertical and horizontal viewing angles (178° each). Amazingly high 4K resolution (3840x2160 pixels) and pixel density up to 801 ppi allow you to display clear and detailed images on the screen. Support for multi-touch technology (up to 10 touches) ensures smooth image scaling. With a maximum brightness level (up to 700 cd/m2) and a contrast ratio tending to infinity, you can watch videos without color distortion even in sunlight. HDR10 technology expands the dynamic range of shooting and displays a balanced image. The presence of the upscale function reduces the display resolution from UHD to FHD when working with content and applications that do not support a high image standard. This reduces energy consumption. Thanks to X-Reality technology, it is possible to add clarity and saturation to a photo or video image by “drawing” additional pixels. In addition, other important parameters can be noted:
- aspect ratio - 16:9;
- color depth - 24 bits;
- The color palette according to the sRGB standard is 138%.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium hardware
The heart of the gadget is a powerful 64-bit Snapdragon 835 processor with 8 Kryo cores operating at 4x2.45 GHz and 4x1.9 GHz. Given the advanced characteristics of the chip, there is no need to worry about its competitiveness for a few more years. An Andreno 540 video card with a clock frequency of 710 MHz is responsible for processing and displaying images. Thanks to dual-channel 4 GB LPDDR4X RAM, the smartphone supports many popular programs and applications. Personal information, music, photos, videos and games are stored using 64 GB of built-in memory. If necessary, it can be increased to 128 GB by connecting:
- microSD;
- microSDHC;
- microSDXC.
According to Google statistics, as of May 2017, the number of devices running AndroidNougat is 7.7% of all Android devices in the world and their number continues to grow by an average of 2.2% per month. Due to the peculiarities of the OS, it is possible to use a large number of paid and free applications that can be downloaded from PlayMarket.
Cameras and multimedia Sony Xperia XZ Premium
The gadget has a 19 megapixel camera model Exmor RSI MX 300 with a physical sensor size of 1/2.3 inches. Initially, the manufacturer will “test” it on its devices, and in the future there is a possibility of supplying it to other companies, such as Apple, Samsung and others. The module uses a “proprietary” algorithm for working with Bions images, which came to mobile gadgets from professional cameras. It allows you to quickly process the camera image and recognize movement in the frame.
The module uses a 6-lens GLens lens with a minimum focal length of 4 mm, capable of macro photography from a distance of 12 cm. For high-quality camera operation, the manufacturer has provided laser autofocus and an IR-RGB sensor located next to the flash. Laser focusing is used for objects located in close proximity to the lens. Phase detection autofocus is used for long distance shooting. The IR-RGB system optimally sets the white balance with different powers of artificial light sources, resulting in pictures with excellent color rendition.
Among other hardware features, I would like to note the unique shutter mechanism, which allows you to clearly photograph moving objects, and an additional button located on the right side of the smartphone body. If you hold the button for a long time, the camera is activated even when the screen is off; if you press it briefly, the shutter is released. In the settings you can set the volume control as zoom.
The camera can shoot in automatic or manual mode. With the first method, you need to press a button, and the electronics will do the rest. In the second mode, it is possible to set the required shutter speed in the range from 0.0002 to 1 second, change the white balance, perform exposure compensation, and smoothly adjust the focus.
Photos in daylight are clear, without blurring in the corners. When shooting at night, the noise reduction system is activated and at 100% zoom, small details are “eaten up”. One of the advantages of the camera is the function of shooting video in slow motion, while the image quality is reduced to HD and the sound is turned off. In return, it becomes possible to see the grace of movement that is inaccessible to the human eye under normal conditions. The flash operates in four modes:
- filling;
- automatic;
- eliminating the “red eye” effect;
- flashlight.
For selfies and video calls, Skype has a widescreen 13 MP camera. The sensitivity of the module is enough to take photographs with a resolution of 4160x3120 pixels and create videos in FullHD quality. The secondary camera is equipped with a number of functions, including a filter that smooths out wrinkles on the skin, a smile detection option and a self-timer mode that responds to gestures.
The model is equipped with stereo speakers that provide loud and rich sound. As befits the flagship of the XPERIA line, the smartphone uses S-Force Front Surround technology, providing three-dimensional virtual sound. The presence of the ANO function allows you to determine the type of connected headset and automatically set the necessary sound settings. Many users consider the lack of an FM tuner to be a disadvantage. Built-in video and audio players support AAC, MP3, MP4, MPEG and many other file formats.
Communication Sony Xperia XZ Premium
The connection is carried out in all existing standards from 2G to 4G. Thanks to the use of Bluetooth technology, it is possible to exchange information wirelessly between compatible devices at a distance of up to 10 meters. A Wi-Fi module is provided for Internet access. Terrain orientation and location determination are carried out by satellite navigation adapters:
- A-GPS;
- BriDou;
- Glonass.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium battery review
A lithium-polymer non-removable battery with a capacity of 3230 mAh is responsible for offline operation. Its charge is enough for 1-2 days of talk time or 6 hours of watching videos in good quality. Charging is possible both from AC power and from a computer via a USB connector. A full battery recovery cycle lasts no more than 2 hours. The presence of the QuickCharge 3.0 fast charging function significantly reduces this period.
To increase battery life, the manufacturer has provided a special economical STAMINA mode, which reduces the performance of the gadget and reduces the speed of information transfer in the background. The Qnovo Adapting Charging technology used significantly increases battery life.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium: price and release date
The device was presented at the MWC 2017 exhibition in early spring. The start of sales was scheduled for the end of May. The new product appeared on the Russian market only in June. Despite the high price, SonyXperia XZ Premium quickly won the hearts of users.
Having familiarized yourself with the technical characteristics and functionality of the gadget, you can highlight the positive and negative aspects of the model. The advantages definitely include a modern, powerful new generation processor, a sensitive fingerprint scanner, a high degree of protection that allows you to safely use your smartphone on the beach or in the shower, as well as a unique screen resolution. Considering that the model is positioned as the flagship of the XPERIA series, there are a number of shortcomings that spoil the overall impression of the gadget:
- despite the use of a new generation camera, the quality of shooting leaves much to be desired;
- the price of the Sony Xperia XZ Premium smartphone, although it meets the specifications, is too high;
- for a device of this class, the battery used has a low capacity;
- soiling of the case;
- heating of the device during prolonged use of energy-intensive applications;
- no QuickCharge included in the package.
Spring has arrived, and with it the big announcements from Sony. At MWC 2017 in Barcelona, the company announced four new smartphones and a multimedia projector based on Android. And now it’s time to talk about the new products in more detail. We decided to slightly change the format of blog posts, and first of all we will talk about the flagship smartphone Xperia XZ Premium.
The Xperia XZ Premium has the same style as the original Xperia XZ, presented last year, the only differences are the size (due to the larger display) and the location of the volume keys (they remained on the right side, but moved higher). So what's new?
1. 4K HDR display with a diagonal of 5.5 inches. Yes, 4K was already in the Xperia Z5 Premium, but the current flagship uses a new generation IPS matrix. It has a better color gamut, more accurate color rendition and higher brightness and contrast. In normal mode (on the desktop, in service applications, on social networks, and so on), the screen displays the picture in Full HD resolution, and when playing a video (and it doesn’t matter in which application), the display turns on at full power. The difference is visible to the naked eye. Content originally recorded in a lower resolution is automatically upscaled to 4K.
2. Motion Eye Camera. A flagship smartphone would be unthinkable without a new camera. The new camera uses the Sony IMX400 module, which is not yet available to other manufacturers. The matrix resolution is 19 megapixels, the lens has a digital stabilization system, but the most interesting thing is that the CMOS sensor has its own memory modules, which significantly improve its speed characteristics. Thanks to this, Xperia XZ Premium can shoot HD video at up to 960 frames per second. A little later we will definitely show how it works.
3. Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 platform. It's official: Sony Xperia XZ Premium becomes the first smartphone to use Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 system-on-chip. The central processor is eight-core, 4 cores operate at frequencies up to 2.5 GHz, 4 other cores at frequencies up to 1.9 GHz. RAM will be 4 GB.
4. IP68 protection. In Sony's home market of Japan, protection against dust and moisture is nothing new. This is a completely standard option for most mobile phones. We will not create entities, so the Xperia XZ Premium will have the same characteristics for all countries of the world. Well, the IP68 standard, let us remind you, implies a half-hour stay under water at a depth of up to one and a half meters.
5. Fresh take on classic colors. Sony Xperia XZ Premium will be available in Deep Sea Black and Luminous Chrome. Approximately at the beginning of June 2017. We will definitely announce the exact sales date and recommended price for Russia a little later.
In the meantime, you have a great opportunity to ask absolutely any question about the XZ Premium, and we will tell you everything in detail in the comments.
The last few Sony flagships have been, as they say, quite good. They could be submerged in water, took good pictures, and were not inferior in performance to their competitors. But despite this, the devices did not become popular. This year's Xperia lineup has something of a shiny flagship in the form of the XZ Premium (a continuation of the Z5 Premium that arrived in 2015). Several of its features and capabilities are, on paper, significantly superior to rivals' top-end devices. Let's figure out how noticeable this difference is 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. The smartphone comes with a cable and charger. Alas, we only got the device itself and the cable, but the power supply was missing.
What's really unusual is the smartphone itself. We visited the “mirror” version. Absolutely everyone who saw the device for the first time noted the shiny body. The manufacturer has clearly achieved a certain WOW effect. The second thing that is immediately noticeable is that the device will only be clean after the box. And maintaining it in its original form quickly gets boring. In everyday use, it will almost always be covered with fingerprints and small debris from pockets.
Design and usability
Describing Sony smartphones is becoming an increasingly boring task every year, because their appearance remains virtually unchanged. 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, there is 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.
The XZ Premium consists of three main materials: the front and back panels are glass (Gorilla Glass 5 on both sides), the top and bottom parts are made of aluminum, and the sides are made of plastic. At the same time, we cannot say 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 cover it with a cover, but it still won’t hurt for safety. 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 its weight is 191 grams. Globally, these are the dimensions of the level, and the diagonals of the displays are the same - 5.5 inches.
There was clearly no attempt to please aesthetes who love neat corners and discreet frames. While the sides still fit nicely into the palm, the lower polished edges on the metal are quite sharp. While most manufacturers are trying to make the bezels around the display smaller and smaller, Sony followed in the footsteps of Apple and did not skimp on the “wrapping” of the display. But this made it possible to place front stereo speakers, which are also not blocked by anything while watching videos or playing games.
The manufacturer distinguished itself twice with buttons. Firstly, 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 great. Secondly, Sony still has a two-way button to control the camera. It's hard to say how much better this option is than just tapping on the screen, but it's nice to have the choice. All other controls are located in familiar places and you won’t have to search for them for a long time.
The not-so-comfortable edges at the bottom and top don’t feel the best in your 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 wouldn’t really want to test its impact resistance. There is moisture resistance (IP65/68), but the gadget cannot be completely submerged under water, although it should survive rain without any problems.
Display
The Xperia XZ Premium could have accommodated a larger diagonal screen, but Sony opted for a 5.5-inch matrix. And the main thing about it is the resolution, which reaches 4K (3840x2160 pixels), while the pixel density is an impressive 800 ppi. The XZ Premium display does show a very clear picture, but in my opinion, if it were Full HD, it wouldn’t make much of a difference. But it is important to note that the entire interface, applications, photos and videos are redrawn (upscaled) to 4K resolution. This is an important difference from, in which, on the contrary, the interface and programs were re-rendered for Full HD, and the maximum resolution was available only for video.
In addition, the XZ Premium has HDR support (along with TRILUMINOS Display and Dynamic Contrast Enhancer technologies), which improves 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, it is a little warmer than normal by eye. And even with this, in comparison with other well-calibrated screens, I don’t want to change anything. And if necessary, in the settings you can select a preset with gamma or “tweak” RGB. Subjectively, the standard display mode is very good and does not require any intervention.
Similarly, the Xperia XZ Premium display has enough backlight for any situation. Moreover, the light sensor works perfectly. During the time spent with the smartphone, I never once had the desire to tighten the backlight. There are no complaints about the sensor either. Probably the only thing missing was an “evening” mode that would reduce the display of shades of blue. This function is already available in many even inexpensive devices, and in a premium smartphone you already expect to get this out of the box.
Sound
As mentioned earlier, the Xperia XZ Premium comes with dual speakers. They are not very suitable for listening to music, however, they sound loud enough. But for watching video they are more than enough: the sound is directed at the user from both sides, and due to the wide frames there are no problems with overlap and distortion. You will still have to use headphones for music. For example, my Ultimate Ears with a smartphone sound great, even playing regular mp3 files.
Of course, the device is also good for conversations. Since the earpiece is one of the two main ones, you can hear your interlocutor without much effort. The microphone transmits a little more noise than we would like, but there is nothing critical about it.
Hardware platform and software
Inside, the Xperia XZ Premium has everything as it should: an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 with Adreno 540 video. The RAM capacity is 4 GB, and the 64 GB drive can be supplemented with a memory card up to 256. However, if you need to use two SIM cards, you will have to be content only built-in storage. But the performance today can be said to be top-notch.
The tests already show values that simply do not make sense to compare with anything. 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. From simple applications to jumping from games to instant messengers and back again, everything is easy for a smartphone. It doesn't even get particularly hot. Naturally, I really enjoyed using this device.
The test device is equipped with Android 7.1.1 with an almost stock interface, which is supplemented only by some add-ons from Sony. These are pre-installed branded applications for news and multimedia, as well as system search, which can be called up by swiping down on the desktop.
Overall, the device works almost perfectly. The interface is drawn without any visible hitches, and the animation seems even faster than necessary. On the other hand, when compared with top-end gadgets from other manufacturers, there is nothing supernatural in the XZ Premium; the performance and available software are in no way superior to its rivals. Today, almost all top models work quickly.
Autonomy
The Xperia XZ Premium has a 3230 mAh battery. While using the device, it withstood a day of operation without any problems. Even with long trips and the navigator turned on, the smartphone confidently lasted until the night with a small amount of charge left. The screen operating time was 5.5 hours a 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 the included charger. But given the support for QuickCharge 3.0, we can assume that we wouldn't have to wait long. And in case there is no outlet nearby, Sony still has STAMINA power saving modes: normal and “ultra”, which will not just slightly limit the processor, but will completely leave access to a few applications 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 one), then the ability to make slow-motion videos at a speed of 960 FPS sounds impressive. But let's start in order.
The main camera of the Xperia XZ Premium natively takes pictures in 17 MP resolution with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The photos come out great during the day. It's a pleasure to watch them on a large monitor. Some pictures come out very colorful and clear. But it’s better to verify the result on the spot; the sensor, for example, can overexpose the sky. Despite the fact that the camera is indeed very fast (as promised on) and has a 5-axis stabilizer, it is not always possible to take a clear shot, especially if there are moving objects. In the evening, the number of defects in photographs increases, which is due to the autofocus, and indoors under artificial lighting the white balance is not always determined correctly.
But this is not the most interesting thing, 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 with a recording speed 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 a mode, start recording, and at the right moment press the slow down button. After this there will be a 6 second slo-mo on the recording. Slow-motion video recording occurs for 0.182 seconds, which is limited by the memory of the camera module itself; without the latter, Sony would not have been able to achieve a recording speed of 960 FPS; the company calls this technology Motion Eye. Wherein For the recording itself, you simply need a good light source, otherwise the video will be dark and noisy.
An example of recording Full HD video during the day:
An example of recording Full HD video in the evening:
Example of 4K video recording:
Time lapse example:
The resolution of the front camera of the Xperia XZ Premium is slightly higher than what is installed in some top-end gadgets from competitors, as is the main sensor. The camera misses only when it starts to get dark. Then the frame may come out blurry. Therefore, a selfie can sometimes take more than one attempt. Otherwise, the front camera did not disappoint.
The camera app is very easy to use. It is not oversaturated with different settings. Changing modes 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. According to tradition, there was also an augmented reality mode with a dinosaur and other things.
