Back in the day Sony was the phone to have but seems to have gotten lost of late being overshadowed by the competition. This year though it seems Sony has gotten a wakeup call and taken a torpedo to its competition in the form of the Sony XZ Premium. Winner of best phone at the MWC 2017 the Sony XZ Premium features three very unique attributes not found on any other phone currently. We here at Cellucity took a closer look.
So, what are these unique features? Firstly, and for me probably the biggest deal is the download speeds. At 1Gbps this XZ Premium offers the fastest download speeds on a mobile phone in the world- Fact! Powered by Qualcomm’s latest chipset, Snapdragon 835 with an octa core processor and 4GB RAM this machine is powerful. A definite improvement on previous incarnations the Sony XZ Premium is destined to be a hit with gamers and social media users alike.
Next up is the display- a beautiful 5.5” 4K HDR display. Sony means business with the XZ Premium. Not only is the screen crisp and immersive, powered by Sony’s Bravia technology, it is also the only phone in the world able to receive and stream 4K content, a feature lacking in all its top shelf competition. With media groups like Amazon Prime and Netflix starting to roll out 4K content Sony has really pipped the competition here and has done more than just think about improving their handsets-they have also considered the multiple advancements in the media arena.
Design wise the Sony XZ is premium. With Gorilla Glass 5 covering the front and back the XZ Premium has a mirror finish which is truly beautiful. Coupled with the metal body the XZ Premium is also IP68 certified making the XZ premium one of the more durable smartphones around. The physical design pays homage to previous incarnations however with the square look it does appear a bit dated when compared to its competition. The addition of a fingerprint sensor built into the power button makes the XZ Premium just that much more efficient when compared to its competition.
Camera wise the Sony XZ Premium sees a downgrade from its 23MP norm to the 19MP now featured. However, fear not Sony has insured that the pixels are 19% bigger ensuring better photos especially in low light conditions. The front camera sports a 13MP offering with both cameras offering all the cool modes you would expect from a top-flight phone.
Known for their sound innovations you will be hard pressed to find a better phone in terms of an audio experience. With High Resolution Audio, even your compressed files will sound better. The Sony XZ Premium comes with Digital Noise Cancelling technology allowing you to pair with any DNC headphones for undisturbed listening pleasure. I would recommend trying the Sony NC750 Stereo Headset – a Sony Premium headset to go with a Sony premium device.
If you are considering taking the plunge and concerned about battery life the suggested battery life is anywhere between 2-3 days with tests putting it at over 1 day with constant high usage across multiple platforms. It is unfortunate that Sony have not included their QUALCOMM 3.0 fast charger as standard but you can get one here. The Xperia XZ premium is also only wireless charging compatible with a supported cover.
My overall impression is that this phone is a multimedia machine. Is it deserving of its win at the MWC? I think so, three world firsts in one handset is not bad going for a brand that up to now seemed to be struggling against the competition.
The Sony Xperia XZ Premium is expected to be available in SA during the first week of July.
