I’m a Samsung man. I used to be an iPhone man. My first ever brand-new smartphone was a HTC. But, back in the day, my first love was a Sony Ericsson K750i. I’m not sure what happened after that or why I never had a Sony again a question I’m asking myself ever more since I got to review the Sony Xperia XZ Premium.
Why Pick The Sony Xperia XZ Premium?
Picking a smartphone has become incredibly difficult these days. There’s a wide range of smartphones on the market from a load of different manufacturers, but that’s not the real problem. The real problem is that a lot of these phones are really similar. For that reason, I’m going to look at why you should pick the Xperia XZ Premium over any other phone on the market.
The Xperia Premium XZ Is Really Well Designed
Flagship smartphones are generally really well designed. The bigger the phones get, the harder it is to maintain great design. Personally, I’m a fan of big smartphones but even still, looking at the Xperia XZ Premium, I thought it was going to be too big. The rounded edges mean it sits really nicely in the hand and it’s got a lovely balance too.
Still, with so many smartphones on the market, manufacturers need to do better than balance. Sony implemented on stroke of genius with their mega-flagship phone. The power button, which more importantly doubles as a fingerprint scanner, is beautifully positioned on the side of the phone. Unlocking one-handed is incredibly natural. You might think this sounds like a minor feature, but this is the attention to detail that shows Sony has thought long and hard about the minor details.
Unlocking one-handed is incredibly natural. You might think this sounds like a minor feature, but this is the attention to detail that shows Sony has thought long and hard about the minor details.
In a new world of phones trying to reduce bezel sizes around the screen, Sony built a beautiful lump of a phone. The button positioning and rounded edges ensure the phone is still comfortable to hold.
The only questionable element of the XZ Premium I tested was the mirror style design. Paw prints everywhere.
Sony Delivers Yet Another Stunning Camera
Like I said, I’m a Samsung man. I love the camera on my Galaxy S7 Edge. Even when I went to the park to take some test shots, I had a quick look and thought the two cameras were great. Then, I did a side-by-side comparison of the shots:
You can view a hi-res comparison over on Imgur, but the difference is incredible. The Galaxy S7 Edge 12MP Camera, which remember is a year older, appears washed out and doesn’t capture the same depth of colour. The Xperia XZ Premium captures vivid colours with a 19MP camera. Sony has always been known for stunning cameras, but it’s only now I really see it.
I took selfies of my lovely face but the difference between the Sony and the Samsung was negligible. Definitely not stunning enough to justify my face in glorious HD.
And The Other Bits
Remember I said there were certain bits that all smartphones just do now? Well the Sony Xperia XZ Premium packs an above-average battery that easily lasted me a day. That means it’ll last most people a day and a half to two days. It’s also water resistant for 30 minutes up to 1.5 meters and packs plenty of processing power. Like I said, all typical stuff these days.
But don’t let some of the mundane tick boxing take away from what I mentioned earlier. The Xperia XZ Premium is brilliantly designed and packs what is an amazing camera.
All in all, my couple of days with the Xperia XZ Premium was really enjoyable. That might sound a bit underwhelming but I can’t emphasise enough how much Sony had to do to impress me. A couple of years ago, when I was selling phones, some Sony phones were a nightmare. I’d sell one and it’d come straight back. The reason I mention this is because it’ll add to my final statement. Not only would I buy the Sony Xperia XZ Premium, I actually miss it.
