It’s hard being one of the best, but Sony does it anyway with their top Android offering, the Sony Xperia XZ Premium. This device claims to offer a solid, top-shelf experience that only Sony can provide. Today, we’ll check out and unbox the Xperia XZ Premium and see if its tried and tested, classic Sony design and powerful specs is worthy of a purchase.
Every purchase of the Sony Xperia XZ Premium comes with:
- Sony Xperia XZ Premium (1 pc.)
- Startup Guide (1 pc)
- Sony Warranty Certificate (1 pc, Customer’s Copy and SPH Copy)
- SAR Information (1 pc)
- Sony Premium Services + VIP Card (1 pc)
- Travel Charger (1 pc)
- Earbuds (1 pair)
- USB Type-C Cord (1 pc)
My experience with the Xperia XZ Premium design can be summed up in a sentence: it’s huge, it’s hefty, it’s smooth, and I love it. As with all Xperia phones, this device takes the design of the prior Xperia XZ model. In fact, critics might point out that Sony never really changes their handset design mantra. Honestly though, the uniformity looks good, and I’m already used to Sony smartphones carrying the same design and build. It just feels appropriate for the Xperia family.
We can see the 5.5-inch 4K display on the front of this phone, although it also touts audible stereo speakers, which sounded great in practice. Meanwhile, the 13-megapixel selfie shooter can be found on the top bezel of the device, along with the earpiece and the sensors. Speaking of the bezels, some may strongly dislike the thick bezels, resulting in a 68.4 percent screen-to-body ratio. However, the high-definition 4k of the screen itself makes up for it.
Not only that, but it also touts the physical buttons of the device itself on the right side. Notably, it includes the volume buttons, the lock button, and the dedicated shutter key. Lastly, much like its other closer siblings, the lock button also houses the fingerprint scanner. On the left is the easy-to-access hybrid card tray, which restarts the phone every time the card gets pulled out. Meanwhile, the headphone jack and secondary noise-cancelling microphone can be found on the top. Finally, the bottom part contains the main microphone, accompanied by the USB Type-C Port.
Personally, my favorite part of the build was the Gorilla Glass 5 rear panel, which shined beautifully, and featured the 19-megapixel rear camera with sensors and LED flash. My only piece of advice though, is to make sure to clean the back of the phone as its finish is susceptible to smudges. Overall, the design mantra is dated, but this phone makes up for it by being sizable and heavy enough for users.
The Xperia XZ Premium comes with Android 7.1.1 Nougat onboard, with minimal additions from Sony. Make no mistake, though, this device is as close to stock as possible. Furthermore, most of the customization is cosmetic, to fit the overall Sony design feel.
Pre-installed apps include the usual Google and Sony fare, plus AVG Protection, Facebook, Spotify, Amazon Shopping, and Amazon Prime Video. Unfortunately, these pre-installed apps cannot be uninstalled. This would leave the device with about 50GB in internal storage available, which is a sizeable amount and wouldn’t immediately require users to buy a microSD card. Other notable features include split-screen apps, an improved notification panel, and better layouts for Settings. All in all, the OS looked and worked great.
One of the more advanced features of the Xperia XZ Premium is its camera touting multiple technologies implemented in its design. It contains the G Lens, Exmor RS sensor, and BIONZ image processor, just to name a few. Most importantly though, it features the Motion Eye which features predictive capture and super-slow video at 960fps. To be specific, the rear camera touts a 19-megapixel lens with a hybrid autofocus system. In addition, it also features a 5-axis electronic image stabilization (EIS) that uses a gyro sensor.
In terms of results, the stills looked very sharp, and the saturation of the colors looked great. The autofocus also acted quickly, making sure that it locked on to the photo subject within a few moments, almost every time. At the same time, the front camera also makes use of this effective autofocus, ensuring sharp selfies too.
The real question here is if its next biggest selling point, the super slow mo features, will wow the consumer base. Watch out for our upcoming full review to find out!
