Announced at the Berlin IFA earlier this month, Sony’s latest flagship mobile is the Xperia Z3. Building on the Xperia Z1 and Z2 handsets, the Android-powered Z3 improves many areas of Sony’s older handsets. Existing Xperia owners may not find enough here to merit an immediate upgrade, but anyone looking for a new handset should seriously consider this Japanese smartphone.
Design
Earlier this year, Sony’s Creative Director noted that in the fast paced world of smartphones, Sony would not be wed to a specific design simply because of previous handsets. The design difference between the Z2 and the Z1 was minimal, but there have more noticeable changes between the Z2 (released around six months ago and reviewed here on Forbes) and the Z3.
While the basic ethos of the Sony Xperia Z3 design continues to use the Omni-balance design, it has been updated. The biggest change is the increased curvature along the edges of the handset between the two sheets of Gorilla Glass 3 that make the front and back plates. Where the Xperia Z2 handsets retained a vertical surface and a rather tight curve into the front and back glass plates, the Z3 uses the entire side for the curve. This has created a much more comfortable grip – with no long straight edge the Z3 does not cut into your hand. But it does lose some of the distinctiveness that made Sony’s handsets stand out against other Android handsets.
The other changes element can be found at the corners of the Z3. Four vinyl bumpers are now present. While they disrupt the solid look of the chassis, they should help absorb the impact damage if the Z3 is dropped. It should also allow a tiny bit more flex in the chassis to absorb a number of environmental factors. I’d expect the Z3 to be a touch more robust than the Z2.
At 146 x 72 x 7.3 mm, the Z3 is slightly smaller in each dimension than the Z2 (which is 146.8 x 73.3 x 8.2 mm), but is a 11 g lighter at 152 g. In the phablet space, that drop in weight is very noticeable, and shaving a few tenths of a millimetre off each dimensions creates a nicer handset in the hand. Pair these with the extra curves on the edges, and the Z3 is a significant physical improvement on the Z2, albeit sacrificing Sony’s distinctive look.
Features
Sony continues to push the waterproof and dustproofing on the Xperia Z3. This has been improved since the Z2, and is now rated to the IP65/68 standards. Practically this means the Z3 is dust tight and is protected against jets of water (at low pressures). It can also be kept under four and a half feet of water (1.5m) for thirty minutes.
This all assumes that the user has firmly closed the two gurney flaps that cover the microUSB slot, and the microSD and nanoSIM slots. Because of their positioning, it’s visually obvious when these aren’t in place, and a gentle squeeze will fix them into the chassis. Sony has waterproofed the headphone jack, microphones, and speakers, so these are not a concern.
With a physical camera button, I can see the Z3 being taken underwater on holidays for some photography, but the real benefit of the waterproofing is in general use. There’s no need to be paranoid about water, or the occasional drop into a pint glass, basin of water, stream, or river. Samsung has added similar protection to some of its Galaxy handsets, and I’m surprised that other manufacturers are not following Sony to provide significant levels of protection (I’m looking at the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus here as being bereft of waterproofing).
Anyone with experience of the Xperia Z2 will be familiar with the Z3 specs. While the Z3 runs at 2.5 GHz (compared to the Z2′s 2.3 GHz) it is still a Snapdragon 801 processor. The RAM remains at 3 GB, and internal storage is 16 GB for the handset I am reviewing, although a 32 GB option is available.
This is at the very top end of the current specs for an Android smartphone, although there is the potential that some handsets will move up to the 2.7 GHz Snapdragon – the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge is already there, but has there are battery concerns when you increase the processor speed. Sony’s decisions throughout the Z3 reflects a greater emphasis on battery life than ultimate performance.
Battery
Sony has been generous with the battery. Clocking in at 3100 mAh, it’s over 10% more than the battery in the Samsung Galaxy S5. Sony has also designed the Xperia Z3 with an eye on battery consumption. The clocking of the processor at 2.5 GHz, rather than pushing for a higher speed is one area. Another is the screen. More pixels makes for a nicer press release, but that needs more power to drive, more memory used to store the details, more processing power required to drive the screen, and these all have a detrimental effect on the battery. Staying at 1080p helps the battery life.
Along with the physical design to reduce battery consumption, the Xperia Z3 continues to benefit from Sony’s Stamina mode. With stamina mode activated, your data connection will be dropped when the screen is off, most apps will remain inactive, and the operating system will not use hardware to its maximum potential. This aggressive husbanding of power can push you from two days of use out to fourteen days with careful use of the phone’s features.
You also have Ultra Stamina mode, which leaves you with only a handful of features, essentially turning the all-singing smartphone into a feature-phone with access to your phone, contacts, camera, album, calendar, calculator, alarm clock, and FM Radio. Sony reckons this will offer you up to three weeks of basic use. If you’re going to be away for some time, you need a phone, and the Xperia is all you have, then Ultra Stamina is a very useful utility to have.
Screen
Sony has not pushed for ultimate specifications and has refused to go to a QuadHD screen. Sticking with a 1080p resolution IPS LCD screen, the Xperia Z3 screen is clear and easy to see. The screen appears to be of the same standard as the Xperia Z2, so you have a huge contrast range between the colours, and a very inky black on the screen. Rather than the popping colours of the AMOLED equipped Galaxy, the Xperia Z3 offers a more natural representation of colour, which is especially welcome when looking at pictures or watching video. It’s worth noting that the screen feels brighter to me, although if you are watching the power levels you will turn this down to get a few more hours out of your video watching.
In terms of the resolution, frankly there hasn’t been a time with the Z3 where I’ve wished for the 1920×1080 screen to be 2560×1440 pixels. That’s not to say it would not be useful – sharper images on video would be one answer but when your screen supports more resolution than Blu-Ray, then it’s going to be more hassle getting a suitable video than it is to note the difference.
I’ve no doubt when the time is right (i.e. the part costs comes down significantly and the power consumption is lowered) that Sony, along with many other Android manufacturers, will switch to Quad HD screens in its flagship, but for now I’m happy with the screen in the Z3.
Camera
Megapixels are not the answer to everything, it takes smart software to process the data, and of course the hardware is not just the sensor, but the illumination, the lenses, and the digital filters. Sony has equipped the Xperia with what feels like its best camera unit, although there is a bit of a focus on going for large numbers rather than warm camera images.
The 20.7 megapixel sensor is coupled with a wide-angle 25mm ‘G’ Lens, which gives a nice wide-angle to your pictures and video. The extra data coming in from the camera allows the software based SteadyShot technology to remove as much shake from the camera as possible when shooting video, and with the volume of light captures the Xperia Z3 makes for an above average camera in low-light conditions.
The camera software is an area where Sony has worked hard to create its own look and feel on the Xperia Z3. While there is an automatic mode available, Sony has tricked out Z3 with a number of additional camera modes to take into account your local environment, and to add in some fun effects.
It’s not a simple system to get to grips with, and I would recommend anyone starting out with the Sony to take some time and fiddle around with the camera options before going somewhere that will give you just a single opportunity to get a good picture. I have the advantage of coming from previous Xperia handsets, so it’s slightly easier for me.
Sony has gone for a camera that has a steeper learning curve, but provides more manual options and functionality for users once they get used to the basic settings. It’s an approach that is rewarding in the long-term, by sacrificing some short-term accessibility. Thankfully the automatic mode does deliver results, but also thankfully you can switch away from this and gain more flexibility without loosing any significant features.
Audio
Sony isn’t skimping on the audio output of the Xperia Z3. As well as branded Walkman branded music player in software, the handset has a standard 3.5 stereo jack (which is waterproofed inside, so can remain exposed on the top edge of the handset), as well as two forward facing speakers – one above the screen and one below the screen.
I found that at high volumes the speakers were slightly too loud when on my desk, but also the distortion level was noticeable. Part of that will be the encoding of my MP3 collection, as the alert tones are far clearer and do not suffer from the same distortion (presumably these use the Hi-Res Audio built-in to Sony’s flavour of the OS). With most people listening to music through the speakers you might want to look at higher encoding rates on your MP3 collection if you can. Sony does attempt to upscale the fidelity of MP3 and AAC files but if the initial MP3 is poorly coded it can’t work miracles.
Sony also offer its Unlimited Music as a subscription service, and naturally options such as Spotify, Google Play Music, and Pandora are easily available through the Google Play Store.
Sony’s Android
Sony’s implementation of Android is very close to the stock UI. It has made some alterations to the home screen to allow for easier editing of each pane (widgets, apps, wallpapers and themes are available from a picker along the bottom of the screen), and widgets are not mixed in alongside apps in the secondary view. Beyond these changes, the setting screens, menus, and notifications area are similar to the out of the box experience.
Like most Android partners, Sony adds value through additional software. The Walkman branded music player mentioned above is one of them, as is the Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited subscription services.
Sony also has a ‘What’s New’ app which is one of the few unremovable applications, even in the SIM free version of the handset. This is accessible as an icon, a rather large widget, and through holding down the app soft key – it sits next to the Google Now icon. It’s obtrusive enough that you will never miss seeing it, which is kind of the point for Sony but it feels a mis-step in polite company.
One interesting point for gamers is the inclusions of PS4 Remote Play on the handset. This allows you to play your PS4 console through the screen of the Xperia Z3 (rather than a TV or monitor in the living room), along with a PS4 Dual Shock controller. Lacking a PS4 I’ve not been able to test this out, but the remote play option is one that Sony has been working on in its ecosystem for some time now, but it’s outside the remit of this review beyond a note that this functionality is present.
Conclusions
The decision to upgrade to the Xperia Z3 is a relatively easy one for existing Xperia Z2 owners – although many features have been iterated, it’s not a big enough step to justify leaving a contract early or shelling out the money for a SIM free version. The same is true of the Z1, but as a one year old handset you might be getting itchy feet for an upgrade. If you’re happy with the package and realise you are getting mostly the same again, then the Z1 to Z3 is just about agreeable.
Owners of the original Xperia Z could be approach 18 months on their contract, in which case there’s a good argument to go a little bit early for the Z3 – some fast talking with a network could see some nice offers to induce you to sign another contract for the Z3.
Sony’s slow and steady improvements to its smartphone range is clear, and for those jumping to Sony for the first time, the Z3 is a far easier sell. It’s a high-specced Android handset, and the waterproofing alone is a strong reason to recommend the device. With a bright screen, superb battery life (for this class of smartphone), and a comfortable feel in the hand, there is little to complain about in the package. With the Xperia Z3, Sony’s vision of the best Android phone just became a little clearer, a little closer, and a little bit more affordable.
Source:Forbes.com
