Sony Xperia XZ Premium design
Starting with the design of Sony Xperia XZ Premium. The front panel will remind you of Sony’s old Xperia series phones. Above the screen is the ‘Glass Loop Surface’. The company has used 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass 5. But what gives it a different identity is the rear part which is highly reflective. The rear panel gives the feeling of being a mirror in any kind of light. Overall, the smartphone will now also be useful for preparing oneself. Well, seriously speaking, at first glance we found the Luminis Chrome color variant of this Sony phone to be more reflective than necessary. However, some people may find the look completely premium. It is certain that if you have this phone in your hands then everyone will definitely look at the handset.
The phone was slipping in the hands very easily. Apart from this, fingerprints also irritate, which means you have no choice but to take precautions and clean frequently. Maybe the back cover might come in handy. But this will hide the look of the phone.
The phone has a fingerprint sensor which is placed in the middle on the right edge where the power or volume rockers are usually located. And this is also the power button. There is nothing new in the setup. We have already come across this setup in handsets like Sony Xperia Z5 and Sony Xperia XZ. In the limited time we spent with the smartphone, we found that the fingerprint sensor worked quickly. Due to its position it was also easy to reach. Just above this are the volume buttons. There is a 3.5 mm jack on the top and a USB Type-C port on the bottom. A separate button is provided on the right edge to capture photos. There are SIM and microSD card slots on the left edge.
With a thickness of 7.9 mm, this phone fits in the hands, but feels a little heavy (191 grams). Due to the weight, it will not be easy for you to keep it always in your hands. Well, we would like to mention the features and problems only after using it for a long time. For this you will have to wait for the review of the handset.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium display
In the launch event, the company talked loudly about the display of the handset. Like the Xperia Z5 Premium, the Xperia XZ Premium has a 5.5-inch IPS LCD screen with a resolution of 3840×2160 pixels. This type of resolution is not usually seen in handsets. The company says it has integrated the 4K HDR technology of Sony Bravia televisions into smaller screens. You won’t be surprised when you look at the screen at first glance. Because usually the content is of full-HD resolution. But as you explore the photo gallery or photos taken from the camera, the effect of 4K HDR technology will start becoming visible. We will be able to know how powerful 4K content looks on the screen only through the review. But the screen is extremely diverse in terms of colors. The brightness is appropriate, there will be no problem in reading in daylight. It will prove to be your reliable companion for media entertainment.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium Camera
Among the important features, after the display comes the Motion Eye camera of Sony Xperia XZ Premium. The 19-megapixel sensor provided by Sony is capable of recording slow motion video at a rate of 960 frames per second. Yes, four times slower than the 240 fps capable smartphone cameras available in the market. For this the company has used a three-level CMOS sensor. In the limited time we spent with the smartphone, we recorded some slow motion videos. The output impressed us. However, the final decision will be left for review. There’s a toggle to activate slow motion mode inside the camera app. You will have two options. If you want, record the entire video in slow motion. Or activate slow-motion capture as per your wish in between any normal video. The camera app is very simple and easy to use. It has modes like Manual, Superior Auto, Panorama and 4K video. The front camera sensor is 13 megapixels, which will be enough for selfies and video chatting.
This is the first phone to be launched in India with Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. Due to the latest processor, there was no problem in any activity on it. The app responded quickly. There was no problem in switching between them. The processor is paired with 4 GB RAM. In normal use we do not think there should be any problem. However, the real performance will be known only after the benchmark results. The inbuilt storage is 64 GB which is enough for a common user. But if you need more, there is also support for microSD card up to 256 GB.
Dual SIM (Nano SIM) Xperia XZ Premium will run on Android 7.1.1 Nougat. It is equipped with 4G VoLTE. Hi-res audio support is also provided in it. The battery is 3230 mAh which supports quick charging. There’s also a stamina mode to keep an eye on battery consumption. But considering the screen size and its resolution, there is still some doubt about the battery capacity. Which might get removed during the battery life test in the review. The company is also providing a quick charger with the phone. It is claimed to charge the battery 60 percent in 45 minutes. Common Sony features like smart actions, dust and water resistance are also a part of this handset.
our thoughts
While this Sony phone has premium in its name, it also faces competition from handsets like iPhone 7 Plus, LG G6, Google Pixel XL and Samsung Galaxy S8+ available in the market. At least in terms of price, Sony Xperia XZ Premium has presented its claim. In the coming time, it will also face challenge in the Indian market from handsets like OnePlus 5 and Xiaomi Mi 6, which will be available at a much cheaper price. And these are also equipped with Snapdragon 835 processor. Now the question is whether this is really a powerful handset. Will it be a profitable deal to spend so much money? At first glance we would say that it looks different and stylish too. Camera and display strengthen its claim. Any decision on performance will be correct only after review. In such a situation, we will ask you to wait for a few days. But if you want, you can take advantage of some attractive offers given by the company by making pre-order booking.
It may be noted that Sony India has borne the expenses of our correspondent for the launch event.