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Sony Xperia XZ
Sony Xperia XZ
Sony Xperia XZ
Sony Xperia XZ
...


7.8/10
Informr score
The Sony Xperia XZ currently has an Informr score of 7.8 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 31 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

What's good

  • Vivid, crisp display
  • Fast performance
  • Plenty of internal storage
  • microSD support
  • Great front-facing camera
  • Clean, minimalist design
  • Fast charging
  • All-day battery life

What's bad

  • Price compared to competition
  • Lackluster rear camera
  • No waterproofing

Sony’s sleek designs and polished experience have helped them stay near the top of Android phone rankings. With the redesign of their flagship series, Sony hopes they still have what it takes to be a leader.

The Sony Xperia XZ is one of the latest entries to the 2016 flagship market and reviews are rolling in. Is what they’re offering worth the price? Let’s dig into what everyone is saying!

Reviews all agree that one look at the phone and you know it’s a Sony product. Its square lines and minimalistic design were a hit with reviewers. Sony’s ditched the glass back panel of prior generations, going for a metal panel instead. However, no one had any issues with this decision. Trusted Reviews noted, “Sony has styled out this seam-heavy design perfectly, though. There are no sharp edges to ruin the feel, and all the parts are perfectly colour-matched.” Alphr called the XZ “a device that’s clean, crisp and feels wonderful in hand.”

However, the biggest change versus earlier designs--and a possible issue with this phone compared to other flagships--is a lack of waterproofing.

Flipping around to the front of the phone, you’ll find a 5.2-inch 1080p IPS display. Reviews on the screen are great despite it being a lower resolution than much of its competition. Trusted Reviews said, “the lack of QHD resolution isn't immediately obvious, particularly when the display already slaps you across the face with its bold style.” Expert Reviews got a little more scientific and declared, “To the naked eye, it looks beautiful, and our X-Rite colorimeter certainly thought so too.”

Of course, a display means nothing if the phone can’t push all those pixels smoothly. Sony opted for a 2.2Ghz quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor and 3GB of RAM to ensure there’s enough power to please. Recombu put the phone to the test and said, “Everyday performance is silky smooth, with no stutter or lag as you zip through menus and load up apps.”

You’ll also find generous on-board storage--up to 64GB depending on the model--and support for microSD cards leaving plenty of room apps and media. While the phone runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, Sony has promised updates to Nougat.

To keep you sharing selfies or video chat long into the night, Sony’s opted for a 2,900mAh battery with QuickCharge 3.0 support. It also features smart charging that adapts to you daily schedule and only tops off your charge shortly before you’d start your day. Sony claims this will increase battery life. Reviewers had no problem getting a full day out of the phone and all noted quick top offs when connected to a supporting QC3.0 charger.. Good Gear Guide pushed their demo phone hard and noted, “After a day of rather-intensive use, including a bit of gaming and VR it wanted to move into low-power mode by the late afternoon. We’re confident it would last a full day ordinarily.”

Unfortunately, it’s not all good news with the new phone. Reviewers all agreed that the phone doesn’t compete with other flagships for picture quality. While the rear camera offers 23MP images, most reviews noted heavy detail loss due to image processing. Many also found the “five-axis image stabilization” touted by Sony inconsistent at best.

However, if you’re a fan of selfies, most reviewers loved the 13MP wide-angle front-facing lens. It includes a flash and the wide-angle helps get more than one person in a shot.

Overall, the biggest issue mentioned by most reviewers had nothing to do with performance, build quality or features--it was the price that led many to recommend skipping the XZ. Expert Reviews UK summed up opinions well, saying, “With such competition, the Xperia XZ fails to make much of an impression, even if its speed, screen and battery life are all excellent in their own right.”


Android
Operating system
Operating system
Android
2.2 GHz
Processor
Processor
2.2 GHz
5.2"
Screen Size
Screen Size
5.2"
23+ MP
Camera
Camera
23+ MP
2900 mAh
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


Gadgets 360
Gadgets 360

It's a good looking phone that's made out of premium materials, has a decent display, handles almost everything you throw at it with ease, takes good pictures, and has battery life you can live with. Yet, in what's surely a sign of how far we've come in the last couple of years, it's hard to recomme...

- Kunal Dua, Gadgets 360
TechRadar
TechRadar

The Sony Xperia XZ is a great premium handset offering everything you'd expect from a flagship phone. If you own a recent Sony phone though it might not be enough of an improvement to rush out and buy it on day one.

- James Peckham, TechRadar
GSMArena
GSMArena

The Xperia XZ is at the forefront of Sony's efforts in the smartphone space, there's no doubt about that. It brings back Z-series essentials re-imagined to fit into the top of the revamped X lineup - the blocky rectangular body is now clad in ALKALEIDO; the 5.2-inch display is the same size and reso...

- GSMArena team, GSMArena
Recombu
Recombu

That’s quite a bit cheaper than the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and the LG G6. And while you don’t get the same super-premium display tech or the boosted performance, Sony’s handset is still a feature-packed media machine with few flaws. Even demanding users will be satisfie...

- Chris Barraclough, Recombu
Ausdroid
Ausdroid

The Sony Xperia XZ misses out nothing and brings a lot of solid features to the table. If you're a Sony fan and wanting to know if this is a phone you should get, then yes, yes it is.

- Duncan Jaffrey, Ausdroid


Prices (Where to Buy)




Common Questions


We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Sony Xperia XZ user manual here.


Sony backs up the Xperia XZ with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.


If your Xperia XZ has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Sony support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Sony's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.



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Quick view

Screen Size
5.2"

The Sony Xperia XZ's screen size is 5.2 inches with 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution.

Processor
2.2 GHz

There is a Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820 Quad core 2.2 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The phone runs on the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow (Update Available: 8.0 Oreo) operating system (OS).

Camera
23+ MP

You can take photos with the phone's onboard 23+ MP camera.

There is also a secondary front facing camera with 13+ megapixels resolution.

Storage
32 GB

Internal memory is 32 GB. An external, MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 256 GB) expansion slot is available for increased storage capacity.

Battery
2900mAh

The phone is powered by a Lithium Polymer (Li-Pol), 2900 mAh battery. Sony's performance ratings are 1050 minutes, 544 minutes Wi-Fi surfing.

Xperia XZ Specs

Overview
Release Date October 6, 2016
Regions Available USA, United Kingdom
Operating System Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow (Update Available: 8.0 Oreo)

Compare Android Smartphones

Processor Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820 Quad core 2.2 GHz
Internal Storage 32 GB
RAM 3 GB
Hearing Aid Compatible No
TTY/TDD Yes
Noise Cancellation Yes
SAR Head: 0.81 W/kg
Body: 0.35 W/kg
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included AC Charger, Manual
Cellular
Networks
GPRS, EDGE, HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE
Mobile / Cellular Data
4G/LTE
Push-to-talk (PTT) No
Wi-Fi Calling Unknown
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) Yes
SIM card size
Nano-SIM
Dual SIM No
Connectivity
USB USB Type-C
USB OTG Support No
GPS Type A-GPS
Infrared Yes
Bluetooth 4.2
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, AVRCP, OPP/FTP, HID, HFP, HSP, PAN
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC, aptX, LDAC
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Mobile Hotspot Yes
Memory Expansion Slot Yes
Expansion Slot Info MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 256 GB)
NFC Yes
Data Tethering Compatibility Yes
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
23+ Megapixels
Zoom
8x digital
Flash
Yes (Dual LED)
Additional Rear Camera Info
Auto focus, Effects, Face detection, Geotagging, Image stabilization, ISO, Multi-shot, Night mode, HDR, Scene recognition, Metering
Video Recording Formats
3GP / 3GPP, H.264 / AVC, MPEG-4, WMV, ASF, AVI, MKV
Video Recording Parameters
Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels)
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
13+ Megapixels
Additional Front Camera Info
No
Video Recording Parameters
Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels)
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology LCD (TFT)
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution 1080 x 1920 pixels
Pixel Density 424 pixels
Size 5.2 inches
Secondary Display No
Sensors Ambient Light, Proximity, Motion / Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Digital Compass
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating No
Additional Display Features Capacitive touch screen, Glove touch, Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Power & Battery
Battery Type Lithium Polymer (Li-Pol)
Battery Capacity 2900 mAh
Removable Battery No
Wireless Charging No
Fast Charging No
Video Playback Time Up to 660 minutes
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Up to 544 minutes
Internet Use (Cellular) Unknown
Talk Time Up to 1050 minutes
Standby Time Up to 25.4 days
Mixed Usage
Physical Characteristics
Design Type Bar
Material Aluminium
Colors Mineral Black, Platinum, Forest Blue, Deep Pink
Dimensions [H x W x D] 14.6 x 7.2 x 0.8 cm (5.8 x 2.8 x 0.3 in)
Weight 161 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Water Resistant
Rugged design No
IP Rating IP 68
Headset Jack 3.5mm
External Speakers Stereo
Input / Navigation
Sleep / Wake Key Yes
Home Key No
Input / Keyboard Type Touchscreen
Navigation Type Touchscreen
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor No
More
Additional Information Other Names (AKA): Sony F8331

Additional Sensors: Barometer, Pedometer, Fingerprint Sensor
Related Links Manual (PDF)
Sony Xperia XZ Reviews
Where to buy Sony Xperia XZ
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