What happens when you run out of ideas for names of your new smartphones? Why you salvage bits of the name from previous smartphones you’ve made. Or that’s what Sony is propagating with their new Sony Xperia XZ. Borrowing the titular letters of the Xperia X and the Xperia Z, Sony’s latest flagship smartphone features a metallic design that’s new for Sony, highlighting its curved edges. Sony also unveiled the X Compact, a smaller phone that still packs a punch.
The Sony Xperia XZ features a 5.2-inch FHD LCD display, which while have a 1080p resolution, does fall behind when compared to other flagship phones in terms of pixel density. The Sony Xperia XZ has a PPI of 424 making me wish it had a higher resolution like my LG G5. On the other hand, the X Compact is a step down to 720p resolution, but despite its smaller size, 4.6 inches across, the PPI is a measly 319. So far the displays on these devices aren’t great, but Sony is utilised their own software technologies to boost brightness and colour so it may not be a total loss.
Under the hood, the Xperia XZ is powered by a Snapdragon 820 processor with 3GB of RAM and users have the option of purchasing a 32 or 64GB version when it comes to storage. The battery powering the Sony Xperia XZ features 2,900 mAh, which is a step down from 3,000 mAh batteries found in other smartphones such as the Huawei P9, but Sony isn’t boasting that it can run for two days or anything nonsensical. Instead, Sony is touting its new charging method, where it aims to have the final 10% of battery charged just before you unplug your phone. It’ll do this by analysing patterns as to when the phone gets unplugged. For instance, if you plug your phone in every night and unplug it in the morning, it will charge to 90% and stay there till just before you unplug it. The Xperia X also features a fingerprint scanner on the side-mounted power button.
Meanwhile, the X Compact features a Snapdragon 650, 32GB of storage and a 2,700 mAh battery. Both smartphones will come with Android Marshmallow.
Both smartphones features the same 23-megapixel sensor for the camera we’ve seen on the Xperia X and the previous Z5, with a bright f/2.0 aperture, laser and Phase Detection autofocus, a color spectrum sensor, and the ability to shoot 4K videos. However, it’s also the first camera around with 5-axis stabilization that helps in low-light shots. The front facing camera touts a 13-megapixel camera with a f/2.0 lens and a 1/3-inch sensor. The X Compact features the same rear facing camera and a 5 megapixel selfie camera.
Both phones don’t wow when it comes to flagship devices specifications but it’s nice to see Sony innovating with the 5-axis stabilisation. Sony says the X Compact will go on sale globally in September, while the XZ will be available in October.
