But that's really a problem of the Amerikcan telecom industry, isn't it? Of course America is a huge market and one should work within the concerning paradigms. But I can also understand why Sony doesn't work with American providers getting locked down and having to accept a lower retail price instead of holding the control themselves.
+L.GH. Djoetma sure it's a problem with our system, I was just stating this phone is going to do poorly in the US for this reason. Sony obviously doesn't seem to care about selling phones here anyway as you mentioned so it doesn't matter much.
Why did you know one one would by it? Do you have any sale statistics of Sony phones that showed Sony couldn't have sold even one xperia xz? Please provide the statistics.
Saut Moeun You can just Google it. It's true; Sony phones don't do well in terms of sales. Lots of analysts actually expected Sony to leave the industry, but apparently Sony holds value to it. The provider contract-thing makes sense as well since most people get a new phone on contract and don't spend 700 dollars or more on a phone at once. So if the Xperia isn't available on contract, it's not going to sell well. The telecomproviders are the biggest market for phone manufacturers anyway.
I've just ordered for one. I have had LG's flagships for 5 years, but the bootlooping in the LG G4 and more recently my LG V10 have made me shift to this Sony XZ. I already have the Sony Xperia Z tab and it's as tough as rock! Hopefully I find joy in the Xperia XZ too. Thanks for your review.
well I saw the Note 7 vs the Xperia XZ and xperia beats the hell out of Note 7 in almost each and everything.. app opening, web browsing, multitasking etc ... after the s6 edge being a shitty phone for me, was not even close to my 2 years old xperia Z3 i am back to sony and thank God.. i am alive again..
Chohan I have the same issue my girlfriend thought she blend in having a s6e like the rest and me been with Sony for years she has laughed thinking Sony is rubbish not did she realise she woudnt have a camera if it weren't for Sony.. my 2 year old z3 laughs at it and she was shocked so I had last laugh now bribed her to get the xz in pink I'm going to do the same in December happy days haha
The only thing which made sony looks like a total loser is their marketing strategy. I don't know why they keep getting bad statistic when their phones are mostly amazingly good.
My first true experience with sony was Xperia ZL. Bought it 4 years ago ang guess what, I replaced the battery recently and gave it to my sister. She's impressed with it even though she was using a samsung device which is 1 year younger that ZL. I can't wait to spend money on Sony device again.
I'm a bit of a Sony fan, never had any problems with any of there phones, iv had the Z, Z1, Z3 and currently the Z5, I will be getting the XZ next month as I'm due a upgrade with my network
Jeff Springer agree. Sony makes great products but they don't sell much because of poor marketing. Especially in the TV industry. Their flagship TVs outperform every Samsung TV or OLED but few people know this.
Watching this from the 1 week old Xperia XZ, and that's the best phone i've ever had! Completely satisfied with everything about thus piece of tech, a huge improvement since my last Xperia z3!
About a year ago and up to this summer (2016), there was a hype over the Sony Xperia line for w.e reason. That's when several of my friends each got one. Just like the Apple dynamic where a product can draw attention with or without competitive features included. The theory is that word must have gotten out from fanatical users of the time and then the Xperia line's initial price rose.
+Yunsheng Qi (齐云生) that's good to hear I dunno whats wrong with this one I will have a check for an update soon. Been messing with the Pixel and V20 this weekend so haven't checked since Friday.
FWIW, I had the XZ for 10 days & returned it. I live in the US & am on AT&T. Here are my thoughts: My reasons for having a phone are: - Call quality - Camera - Easy to hold & navigate the screen with one hand - Fingerprint scanner I had to go back to my S7E, which I detest due to these reasons: - There was no fingerprint scanner functionality from the box. I had to download the EU ROM & it works. - But I noticed a drop in call quality for whatever reason. (I"m with AT&T). The drop was just a shade & noticeable from pre-ROM to post-ROM update. Not a show stopper by itself imo. - Lack of voice commands for the camera. Yes, I could download another camera app, but what's the point then. - Slippery as ice. Again, a case could prevent this; but try finding cases @ retail stores. (Yes I can find them online for cheap.) - The best & the worst part about this camera is its design. LOL. Since the camera is offset to a corner, digging the phone from your pocket or reaching out for it in the dark, does take time to figure out which is the back side & which side is up. - Cost: I paid $425/-. That was close to a premium price, imo, for a phone. And I could not justify keeping it. (Since I had the S7E on contract.). This is an accident waiting to happen. - Lack of wireless charging. I have several of them in my home & it makes charging the Samsung devices easier. - USB C charging - again a small thing; but my whole house & cars are covered with micro usb chargers. I did buy adapters - but they don't work well from what I can see. Could not see investing in a bunch of cables due to the above points. - There were a couple more things that I cannot remember now. Loved this phone for: - Design. Absolutely LOVE that. Its simple. Clean. Minimalistic. Great to hold in the hands. Just a bit small for me; but that's fine. - Call quality: Even though the quality dropped a shade (see above), the calls very still crystal & folks could hear me great. Plus I did not have to put with that nonsense on my S7E where the call will go on hold since my face will touch that area on the screen!!! - Screen: Loved the screen; layout; the notifications; etc. Much much better that S7E (Even with Nova, which i have for 2 years, the XZ screen notification & the sounds was refreshing.) - Camera: The app SUCKS imho. Its not user friendly. And the inability to take pix with voice commands was one of the major reasons to return. - USB C type: Looking forward to this in the next year or so when I don't have to worry about which side the cable goes. - Samsung Pay: I rely on this extensively. I have stopped carrying my wallet for the past 1+ year & rely on the wallet. Carrying my wallet with the phone seems redundant. In conclusion, if this phone was priced @ around say $300/-, this would have been ideal for me. I could have justified it. But with the lack of camera functionality, the phone constantly slipping away, lack of qi charging, samsung pay & finally the cost, I had to return it with regret. I MISS the phone even now. And every time I use my S7E, I feel the need to create a fund for the XZ. (Dont' take me wrong: I loved my SGN4 & SGN5. But detest the S7E.)
Z5P here. if they release a 5.5 inch version I'd consider it. That, waterproofing and stereo speakers... after having them it's hard to consider any phone that doesn't.
I've got an old experia compact, I got it because it was waterproof, after about 3-4 years of use and lots of drops on the floor it's never broke my screen. I'm now a Sony fan boy. going to save up now get this phone next month can't wait.
With regards to the themes, the built-in themes only change the wallpaper and backround and window colours visible in settings and SMS messages interface. Also menu highlight colour changed
So I got my XZ a week ago. Before that I had Z which I had bought 4 years ago. I haven't had any major issues with my Z other than water damage due to weak seals at the back. But I got it fixed for free (didn't have any parts changed though) and never had any problems whatsoever since. Until the last day it went through a whole day without charging. When I got bored of my Z, I got my eyes on Z5 premium but I wanted something different. I considered Iphone 7 and I almost got one. But then I saw a deal on the internet on Xperia XZ and I bought it almost instantly. And I am glad I did. For one, Sony makes the most sturdiest phones on the market. I have never seen a Sony phone with a cracked screen or failed lock button. Yes it isn't as fancy as other major brands'phones (don't get me wrong, I think they are sexy as hell) but it gets the work done as good as the others. Plus you don't have to worry about your battery life and cracked screen you'd get if you dropped it. Anyone who has an Iphone can't leave their room without their charger or a power bank. Oh, by the way, I got my XZ with finger print and a pair of Sony earphones right out of the box so it may have something to do with the market you got yourself from.
Laura Victoria Vega do buy it. I am really happy with it. Don't buy mainstream phones. Samsung Galaxy S8 will be sold for more than twice than this phone. Ridiculous!
I also had an Xperia Z from 2013, the only way I managed to damage it was by falling while skiing (the sharp end of the ski shattered the back glass) but the phone remained fully functional until I decided to change about a month ago. Was about to get a G6 when I saw a deal on the XZs (with the new 19mpx sensor that can shoot 960fps) so I got it without second thoughts, so far I'm loving it.
I've been seriously let down by the X Performance and the rest of the X-line earlier in the year. The XZ is better than those and could be a sign of better things to come, but I hope Sony bucks it up in the future because they can do better. Way better. If they make a phone as great as the Z3, consider me hyped. We'll see in 2017. Don't let me down again, Sony.
D13H4RD2L1V3 im using xz right now for almost 2 weeks and I can say, sony did a very well come back this time with this phone, so far it doesnt have any overheating issue, battery life is great, speed and multitasking are on par with s7 but since it's only 3gb ram on this phone so it's quite impressive for me and did I mention about the camera? this time sony did it so damn good on the camera, im not biased but u certainly can check out some camera comparison between xz and s7 and trust me, sony wins this time.
Dan Van I used one as well. It's nice but I still firmly believe that Sony can still do better. Also stunned that the one I used is somehow susceptible to heating issues. Maybe it's this one unit, but idk. Perhaps it being a pre-release unit could explain.
D13H4RD2L1V3 I have the phone for a week now. Trust me, the phone is supper snappy. Sony is all about simplicity, the company gives what the customers needs the most, not a bundle of features those barely can be used. The camera is awesome. I've taken more selfies due to its 13mp front camera and its image processing. The photos come out naturally, not dreamy like my old G4. About the heating. I am very impressed about the XZ. I check my phone very time it's charging, gaming (Pokemon Go), or camera, and notice not much heat. For the design, it looks very unique compared to many other out there. If I can find a skin would make it look like a chocolate bar, I would definitely purchase it. Sony has put a great effort on the XZ. I know Sony could have done better, but we all can say that to every phone from every other companies at any point of time.
Trung Hua Thanks for your input. The XZ was one of the phones I considered but I went with the Moto Z because I find it more appealing for the same price point. Just IMO. The XZ is definitely better than the X Performance. I hope they make a killer phone in 2017. I know they can. They just seem to not be going full-throttle for a while.
D13H4RD2L1V3 the Moto z is a good phone solid build. Its look is not something would fit my style. I mean different people have different taste. I always love Sony design language as well as their simplicity and humbleness. There company like to things that work not flashy imo. I decide to get the XZ bc my previous phone died on me in less than 18 month of usage... while my Z ultra stills work well. That has proven how quality Sony phones can be. Plus XZ design is something I already want. I would wait for the XZ, but I need a replace one. Hope that you will enjoy the Moto Z. And keep sharing your experience to others.
Yes! Please do a tutorial when you are to flash the new firmware for this phone! It'll be much appreciated for those who are not very comfortable on doing these kind of things :) And no, the themes engine is not faulty.. That is actually the extention of the changes made by the pre installed themes.. They don't change the icons, but previous themes of older Xperia devices did change the colour of the system's toggles, for example.. Maybe now these new pre installed ones don't do that anymore.. But you can find many on the play store that do more extensive changes to the UI ;) Also, one last thing.. Please do use, or at least consider using the camera at it's default 8Mp resolution.. It is the best resolution to work with when shooting in low light conditions, as Sony uses some pixel sampling techniques similar to the one used by the Lumia 1020, to provide better results on those conditions. And the software is better optimised in that resolution in general as it has more controls unlocked, like the "Scene" toggle in manual and also the full ISO range of the phone (40/12800) is only accessible in the default resolution.. You can confirm this with the Antutu app which even recognises the camera as being an 8Mp one, even though the sensor has more pixels.. same thing with the Z5 Premium's screen; it recognises it as being a 1080p screen instead of a 4k one.. For you to see the differences between the 8Mp and 23Mp shots in low light (both phones share the same sensor): th-cam.com/video/IV9zVcxi_HU/w-d-xo.html
+Aníbal Évora Yeah I'm aware of the camera peculiarities. I'll talk a bit more about it in my full review didn't want to draw this video out any longer. I still think something is wrong with the theme engine though. When you click on more info for the themes it shows clearly that the navigation UI and settings menu should be changed, in all of the default Sony themes. The only thing that changes in actuality is the wallpaper and lock screen clock...not much of a theme really.
Jeff Springer | Great! Not many take those peculiarities into consideration, so thank you! :) Hmm.. That is a shame 😶 Well, not that I personally care if the colours of the system change, but for the ones that do care and expect deeper changes with the stock themes, they might be disappointed like you are, though 😓
I have a s7 edge but sold it and bought xperia xz and really happy that I have replaced s7 edge.. very good phone with good specs and very cool design.
The themes in Sony phones are just changing the wallpaper and the color scheme on the phone. No icon changes, which I like and prefer actually. There are plenty of options where you can customize it with themes still. And btw, I just heard a review of the phone, not much experience with it.
Jeff Springer another thing holding back in getting phones that are not the "In" phone at the time of launch is the limited number of accessories like cases. sounds dumb I know but I like to have nice cases that only add to the look and style.
This phone is a lot better than people give it credit for. It is far from being the best of Sony, but I'm sort of convinced they did the X line for a very strategic reason, I can just imagine that something beastly from Sony is in store for us!
+reza rizer personally I like the Moro Z Force a bit more. Better battery life, moto mod possibilities, and many other extras. Both are good but I'd lean toward the Force.
Jeff I see you went the way I did totally turned off after the whole recall Debacle as I did and went with something totally different from Samsung. I went with Axon 7 until Samsung comes out with the Note line that I like but still a fan of Samsung don't get me wrong Love Samsung but not having the phone I want very bummed. I was going to go with Pixel but not sure about that as well because I'm done with making the jump until I know more.But I definitely want to get to know the Home part of the Google line up but after this mess I feel I need to get information and Review's to how the rest of their products are.So I figured I wait to some new stuff comes out before I pick my next Flagship and I did not want to go with the other Samsung phones until they come out with the line I had everyone of Note 2,3,5,7 so you see I will check out something completely different like yourself.Thanks for the Helpful information and Review look forward to seeing more Thanks again Deb.
"Nothing special inside the box" Yeah, including the phone. Had the Z3, ran the Nougat preview. Seems like they haven't improved much in the past year and a half. Too little too late.
But overall, I feel that Sony is better than what Samsung had. If anything, Samsung is trying to make your phone the toolkit of everything. Because of that, it's full of bloat. Tried out a S7 and the impressions I have wasn't great.
why did they disable the finger print sensor? isnt that suppose to be a selling point? pretty lame that u have to jump through a few hoops just to enable a feature that is already available.
+James Lamb apparently due to some licensing fees they would have to pay by using it here, they didn't want to. I will have a tutorial on how to enable it by flashing UK firmware soon.
if you could test camera for video heat problem that seems to plague some sony phones that would be great too mate , i`m thinking maybe shoot 5 minutes of video outside with the screen on high brightness and stabilization on ? in some reviews its seems only 30 seconds of video is taken and thats the test ? or the video heat test is done on a table with a static image in a dark room ...... hardly a test imo. if every other smart phone can do at least 5 minutes of 4k video , then that should be the minimum the sony can do.
beavertown2006 The camera sucks in low light but that's due to software, not hardware. I feel like the camera is brilliant but Sony just doesn't know how to utilize their own camera with their own software.
Vmt16 Very from a consumer point of view haha but from a business point they have to keep a balance so they'd intentionally leave things out like RAW for example in the Xperias because, 'hey, our cameras can do it, so go buy it!'
InitialDreamer yeah the Sony Alpha are the best cameras for low light In the market, I hope they support the RAW (cuz Sony RAW are one of the best too)In the futute, but the picture's size would be huge
how about overheat issues? i own z5 and overheat as hell. and now i just concidering to take xz. but if still overheat i should switch to another brand
Bayu Mukti dude it kinda the same with special wise but just more polished just like the z2 to z3... Same specs but just more polished with camera aspects mostly.
I think the priceing is very good, I mean 23mp camera whit laser autofocus, 5-axis image stabilization, and irgb sensor. Waterproofing, metal construction, carved glass,USB type c, snapdragon 820, 3gigs of ram, a headphone jack i mean all this things come at a price, it is normal to be like this and 700$ is a very good price
It looks ok mate , but still seems a bit on the pricey side to me and a bit on the basic side , the 5 axis stabilization is software apparently .... but as long as it works , adequate sized battery , 1080 p screen which is ok , but its a far cry from the 4k screen on the Z5, and not a 2k screen amoled . Fm radio enabled .... no , wireless charging ..... no , questionable button placement imo , fairly uninspiring form factor imo ..
Marvin Lastimado correctamoondo my good friend , but my brother has one , and i have looked at sony phones with a view to buy , as generally i like sony stuff , i have it in my home , but their phones particularly later ones look lack lustre , and in depth reviews seem to point that way when comparing to other brands .. # sonyfanboys
+pop l.o.v.e meh it's missing many things other devices have for the price. 23 MP doesn't mean better camera and the S7 Edge easily bests the camera on this phone in most situations.
Sorry, but that doesn't make sense. It's like saying that my electric company is nice because they convert some electricity to a good quality light before sending it to my light bulbs. The phone can make use of DSP to process the sound before sending it over bluetooth but the DAC needs to be outside the phone to be of any use.
Even as an engineer I still didnt get your point but if you have by any chance used the Axon 7 it should be more clear. The HI FI DAC CAN BE ENABLED OR DISABLED at the options menu in order to save battery. ZTE for example allows a user to enable HIFI DAC during bluetooth earphone experience improving the quality and intensity of the music considerably allowing even a non experienced user to notice the difference. On the contrary SAMSUNG and LG and most chinese brands DO NOT ALLOW you to activate HIFI DAC unless a wired headphone is present. ZTE clearly stated that they have a dedicated chip for this purpose. Please note that I do not refer to any US models since I see these being downgraded in most cases. I refer to national versions in each case. Chinese ZTE and Korean Lgs and Samsung.
Even as an engineer I still didnt get your point but if you have by any chance used the Axon 7 it should be more clear. The HI FI DAC CAN BE ENABLED OR DISABLED at the options menu in order to save battery. ZTE for example allows a user to enable HIFI DAC during bluetooth earphone experience improving the quality and intensity of the music considerably allowing even a non experienced user to notice the difference. On the contrary SAMSUNG and LG and most chinese brands DO NOT ALLOW you to activate HIFI DAC unless a wired headphone is present. ZTE clearly stated that they have a dedicated chip for this purpose. Please note that I do not refer to any US models since I see these being downgraded in most cases. I refer to national versions in each case. Chinese ZTE and Korean Lgs and Samsung.
George Karaolis It can be turned off but when I connected my Bluetooth headphones, the audio quality improvements were not available. I had to use the DAC within the headphones.
i was the sony fone fan but i got distributed from z5.. i purchased every z series and following up.. m planning too to buy this fone xz. actually the x or z series doesn't have any battery backup though its getting overheated or battery draining while using or keeping idle... idk guys whether its help you but i seriously after z5 and throwing big money on this and not even get battery backup... means it sucks.. finally i bought V20 yeah a LG phone happy with the battery backup.. thumbs up V20 and thumbs down to z5/xz.. no more Sony fan...
4 and a half hours of battery is impressive? wtf that is poor!! my s7 last 7 hours if I use it heavy! hopefully the xz premiums battery is better then 4 and a half hours or ama give it a pass.
I like it man! Looks nice. Always liked Sony Phones.
+Danny Winget yeah it's nice just too damn expensive, no one really buying this for $700 when they could finance a Pixel or V20 at their carrier.
But that's really a problem of the Amerikcan telecom industry, isn't it? Of course America is a huge market and one should work within the concerning paradigms. But I can also understand why Sony doesn't work with American providers getting locked down and having to accept a lower retail price instead of holding the control themselves.
+L.GH. Djoetma sure it's a problem with our system, I was just stating this phone is going to do poorly in the US for this reason. Sony obviously doesn't seem to care about selling phones here anyway as you mentioned so it doesn't matter much.
Why did you know one one would by it? Do you have any sale statistics of Sony phones that showed Sony couldn't have sold even one xperia xz? Please provide the statistics.
Saut Moeun You can just Google it. It's true; Sony phones don't do well in terms of sales. Lots of analysts actually expected Sony to leave the industry, but apparently Sony holds value to it. The provider contract-thing makes sense as well since most people get a new phone on contract and don't spend 700 dollars or more on a phone at once. So if the Xperia isn't available on contract, it's not going to sell well. The telecomproviders are the biggest market for phone manufacturers anyway.
this phone is an absolute beauy, sony currently the only one that kept there original design language..
Guys I bought the phone last week and its amazing.. Recommend it!
+Baha'a Hussein glad to hear you're liking it!
How is the outdoor visibility? Z5P failed me dearly. Thanks.
am loving it :)
I think this phone will make u happy :)
I adore this phone but I like X appearance more :/ this phone has only one minus for me and it is squares
I've just ordered for one. I have had LG's flagships for 5 years, but the bootlooping in the LG G4 and more recently my LG V10 have made me shift to this Sony XZ. I already have the Sony Xperia Z tab and it's as tough as rock! Hopefully I find joy in the Xperia XZ too.
Thanks for your review.
Triluminos still better display than Amoled in color range and true to life RGB tones
Definitely
Samsung displays are really not in RGB balance, ad the colors are way too overpowered
well I saw the Note 7 vs the Xperia XZ and xperia beats the hell out of Note 7 in almost each and everything.. app opening, web browsing, multitasking etc ... after the s6 edge being a shitty phone for me, was not even close to my 2 years old xperia Z3 i am back to sony and thank God.. i am alive again..
Chohan I have the same issue my girlfriend thought she blend in having a s6e like the rest and me been with Sony for years she has laughed thinking Sony is rubbish not did she realise she woudnt have a camera if it weren't for Sony.. my 2 year old z3 laughs at it and she was shocked so I had last laugh now bribed her to get the xz in pink I'm going to do the same in December happy days haha
The only thing which made sony looks like a total loser is their marketing strategy. I don't know why they keep getting bad statistic when their phones are mostly amazingly good.
Hale Ir. Zaee this is actually so true man preach that Bro 👌
My first true experience with sony was Xperia ZL. Bought it 4 years ago ang guess what, I replaced the battery recently and gave it to my sister. She's impressed with it even though she was using a samsung device which is 1 year younger that ZL. I can't wait to spend money on Sony device again.
Chohan don't forget, its 3gb ram vs 4gb ram of samsung
I'm a bit of a Sony fan, never had any problems with any of there phones, iv had the Z, Z1, Z3 and currently the Z5, I will be getting the XZ next month as I'm due a upgrade with my network
+David Ambrosio I like their devices but their marketing and pricing strategy will prevent them from ever selling volume in US.
Jeff Springer agree. Sony makes great products but they don't sell much because of poor marketing. Especially in the TV industry. Their flagship TVs outperform every Samsung TV or OLED but few people know this.
jimmydice2 You're right, I agree. The Sony BRAVIA Z9D,, X900E,, and X940E are the Best TVs available !! better than oled too ! 👍 👍 👍
please do a tutorial for enabling the fingerprint sensor!! Thank you.
Chen Peng Necessary
Chen Peng just go to setting >security >lock>choose fingerprints >set up urs fingerprints
Chen Peng easy just buy EU version or JP version.
go on Ada developers plenty guides using flash tool
+Carbon cricket FX I also did make a video tutorial it's on my channel
Nice Video Bro. Still using my Sony Xperia XA Ultra, outside of my other devices and totally digging it. Peace👍
+myproject13 I still have XA Ultra too, been using it mainly for watching videos!
Sweet! my media experience on the XA is awesome Peace my Friend.👍
Watching this from the 1 week old Xperia XZ, and that's the best phone i've ever had! Completely satisfied with everything about thus piece of tech, a huge improvement since my last Xperia z3!
did your phone bend? lay it on a flat surface and press each corner to find out
About a year ago and up to this summer (2016), there was a hype over the Sony Xperia line for w.e reason. That's when several of my friends each got one.
Just like the Apple dynamic where a product can draw attention with or without competitive features included.
The theory is that word must have gotten out from fanatical users of the time and then the Xperia line's initial price rose.
I brought XZ from UK and the theme function works fine for me. Icons are changed as expected.
+Yunsheng Qi (齐云生) that's good to hear I dunno whats wrong with this one I will have a check for an update soon. Been messing with the Pixel and V20 this weekend so haven't checked since Friday.
FWIW, I had the XZ for 10 days & returned it. I live in the US & am on AT&T. Here are my thoughts:
My reasons for having a phone are:
- Call quality
- Camera
- Easy to hold & navigate the screen with one hand
- Fingerprint scanner
I had to go back to my S7E, which I detest due to these reasons:
- There was no fingerprint scanner functionality from the box. I had to download the EU ROM & it works.
- But I noticed a drop in call quality for whatever reason. (I"m with AT&T). The drop was just a shade & noticeable from pre-ROM to post-ROM update. Not a show stopper by itself imo.
- Lack of voice commands for the camera. Yes, I could download another camera app, but what's the point then.
- Slippery as ice. Again, a case could prevent this; but try finding cases @ retail stores. (Yes I can find them online for cheap.)
- The best & the worst part about this camera is its design. LOL. Since the camera is offset to a corner, digging the phone from your pocket or reaching out for it in the dark, does take time to figure out which is the back side & which side is up.
- Cost: I paid $425/-. That was close to a premium price, imo, for a phone. And I could not justify keeping it. (Since I had the S7E on contract.). This is an accident waiting to happen.
- Lack of wireless charging. I have several of them in my home & it makes charging the Samsung devices easier.
- USB C charging - again a small thing; but my whole house & cars are covered with micro usb chargers. I did buy adapters - but they don't work well from what I can see. Could not see investing in a bunch of cables due to the above points.
- There were a couple more things that I cannot remember now.
Loved this phone for:
- Design. Absolutely LOVE that. Its simple. Clean. Minimalistic. Great to hold in the hands. Just a bit small for me; but that's fine.
- Call quality: Even though the quality dropped a shade (see above), the calls very still crystal & folks could hear me great. Plus I did not have to put with that nonsense on my S7E where the call will go on hold since my face will touch that area on the screen!!!
- Screen: Loved the screen; layout; the notifications; etc. Much much better that S7E (Even with Nova, which i have for 2 years, the XZ screen notification & the sounds was refreshing.)
- Camera: The app SUCKS imho. Its not user friendly. And the inability to take pix with voice commands was one of the major reasons to return.
- USB C type: Looking forward to this in the next year or so when I don't have to worry about which side the cable goes.
- Samsung Pay: I rely on this extensively. I have stopped carrying my wallet for the past 1+ year & rely on the wallet. Carrying my wallet with the phone seems redundant.
In conclusion, if this phone was priced @ around say $300/-, this would have been ideal for me. I could have justified it. But with the lack of camera functionality, the phone constantly slipping away, lack of qi charging, samsung pay & finally the cost, I had to return it with regret. I MISS the phone even now. And every time I use my S7E, I feel the need to create a fund for the XZ. (Dont' take me wrong: I loved my SGN4 & SGN5. But detest the S7E.)
Z5P here. if they release a 5.5 inch version I'd consider it. That, waterproofing and stereo speakers... after having them it's hard to consider any phone that doesn't.
I've got an old experia compact, I got it because it was waterproof, after about 3-4 years of use and lots of drops on the floor it's never broke my screen. I'm now a Sony fan boy. going to save up now get this phone next month can't wait.
Kat Odonnell
I have an m2 and I also had many drops and it is still working
With regards to the themes, the built-in themes only change the wallpaper and backround and window colours visible in settings and SMS messages interface. Also menu highlight colour changed
Please do a tutorial! I'm very interested in buying this phone and really want to use the fingerprint sensor.
😢Im still sad about the Note 7 and I didnt even have one. Its probably the first Sony phone Id consider buying. Nice work Jeff
+Jamie S thanks man, at least you didn't blow up!
So I got my XZ a week ago. Before that I had Z which I had bought 4 years ago. I haven't had any major issues with my Z other than water damage due to weak seals at the back. But I got it fixed for free (didn't have any parts changed though) and never had any problems whatsoever since. Until the last day it went through a whole day without charging. When I got bored of my Z, I got my eyes on Z5 premium but I wanted something different. I considered Iphone 7 and I almost got one. But then I saw a deal on the internet on Xperia XZ and I bought it almost instantly. And I am glad I did. For one, Sony makes the most sturdiest phones on the market. I have never seen a Sony phone with a cracked screen or failed lock button. Yes it isn't as fancy as other major brands'phones (don't get me wrong, I think they are sexy as hell) but it gets the work done as good as the others. Plus you don't have to worry about your battery life and cracked screen you'd get if you dropped it. Anyone who has an Iphone can't leave their room without their charger or a power bank.
Oh, by the way, I got my XZ with finger print and a pair of Sony earphones right out of the box so it may have something to do with the market you got yourself from.
Laura Victoria Vega do buy it. I am really happy with it. Don't buy mainstream phones. Samsung Galaxy S8 will be sold for more than twice than this phone. Ridiculous!
I also had an Xperia Z from 2013, the only way I managed to damage it was by falling while skiing (the sharp end of the ski shattered the back glass) but the phone remained fully functional until I decided to change about a month ago. Was about to get a G6 when I saw a deal on the XZs (with the new 19mpx sensor that can shoot 960fps) so I got it without second thoughts, so far I'm loving it.
Really wish Sony would have made the Pixels
+DrGanja99 that would be interesting as Sony never made a Nexus.
DrGanja99 yeah, the quality of Sony build would be nice
DrGanja99 oh hell no. Sony has the most boring phone design. they've looked like the same boring rectangle for years now.
Garth St. Omer true
+Garth St. Omer I like a sober design.
I've been seriously let down by the X Performance and the rest of the X-line earlier in the year.
The XZ is better than those and could be a sign of better things to come, but I hope Sony bucks it up in the future because they can do better. Way better. If they make a phone as great as the Z3, consider me hyped.
We'll see in 2017. Don't let me down again, Sony.
D13H4RD2L1V3 im using xz right now for almost 2 weeks and I can say, sony did a very well come back this time with this phone, so far it doesnt have any overheating issue, battery life is great, speed and multitasking are on par with s7 but since it's only 3gb ram on this phone so it's quite impressive for me and did I mention about the camera? this time sony did it so damn good on the camera, im not biased but u certainly can check out some camera comparison between xz and s7 and trust me, sony wins this time.
Dan Van I used one as well.
It's nice but I still firmly believe that Sony can still do better.
Also stunned that the one I used is somehow susceptible to heating issues. Maybe it's this one unit, but idk. Perhaps it being a pre-release unit could explain.
D13H4RD2L1V3 I have the phone for a week now. Trust me, the phone is supper snappy. Sony is all about simplicity, the company gives what the customers needs the most, not a bundle of features those barely can be used. The camera is awesome. I've taken more selfies due to its 13mp front camera and its image processing. The photos come out naturally, not dreamy like my old G4.
About the heating. I am very impressed about the XZ. I check my phone very time it's charging, gaming (Pokemon Go), or camera, and notice not much heat.
For the design, it looks very unique compared to many other out there. If I can find a skin would make it look like a chocolate bar, I would definitely purchase it.
Sony has put a great effort on the XZ. I know Sony could have done better, but we all can say that to every phone from every other companies at any point of time.
Trung Hua Thanks for your input.
The XZ was one of the phones I considered but I went with the Moto Z because I find it more appealing for the same price point. Just IMO.
The XZ is definitely better than the X Performance. I hope they make a killer phone in 2017. I know they can. They just seem to not be going full-throttle for a while.
D13H4RD2L1V3 the Moto z is a good phone solid build. Its look is not something would fit my style. I mean different people have different taste. I always love Sony design language as well as their simplicity and humbleness. There company like to things that work not flashy imo. I decide to get the XZ bc my previous phone died on me in less than 18 month of usage... while my Z ultra stills work well. That has proven how quality Sony phones can be. Plus XZ design is something I already want. I would wait for the XZ, but I need a replace one. Hope that you will enjoy the Moto Z. And keep sharing your experience to others.
Shit. When I had my OnePlus One...I had the exact same lock pattern. LMAO...I'm brilliant on security. Nice video!
+kimkishineegirl lol security experts we are!
kimkishineegirl
Yes! Please do a tutorial when you are to flash the new firmware for this phone! It'll be much appreciated for those who are not very comfortable on doing these kind of things :)
And no, the themes engine is not faulty.. That is actually the extention of the changes made by the pre installed themes.. They don't change the icons, but previous themes of older Xperia devices did change the colour of the system's toggles, for example.. Maybe now these new pre installed ones don't do that anymore.. But you can find many on the play store that do more extensive changes to the UI ;)
Also, one last thing.. Please do use, or at least consider using the camera at it's default 8Mp resolution.. It is the best resolution to work with when shooting in low light conditions, as Sony uses some pixel sampling techniques similar to the one used by the Lumia 1020, to provide better results on those conditions. And the software is better optimised in that resolution in general as it has more controls unlocked, like the "Scene" toggle in manual and also the full ISO range of the phone (40/12800) is only accessible in the default resolution.. You can confirm this with the Antutu app which even recognises the camera as being an 8Mp one, even though the sensor has more pixels.. same thing with the Z5 Premium's screen; it recognises it as being a 1080p screen instead of a 4k one..
For you to see the differences between the 8Mp and 23Mp shots in low light (both phones share the same sensor):
th-cam.com/video/IV9zVcxi_HU/w-d-xo.html
+Aníbal Évora Yeah I'm aware of the camera peculiarities. I'll talk a bit more about it in my full review didn't want to draw this video out any longer. I still think something is wrong with the theme engine though. When you click on more info for the themes it shows clearly that the navigation UI and settings menu should be changed, in all of the default Sony themes. The only thing that changes in actuality is the wallpaper and lock screen clock...not much of a theme really.
Jeff Springer | Great! Not many take those peculiarities into consideration, so thank you! :)
Hmm.. That is a shame 😶
Well, not that I personally care if the colours of the system change, but for the ones that do care and expect deeper changes with the stock themes, they might be disappointed like you are, though 😓
+Aníbal Évora I'm not too disappointed as I'll put Action Launcher 3 on the phone when I'm done reviewing. But figured I'd point it out to others.
Jeff Springer 😉
I have a s7 edge but sold it and bought xperia xz and really happy that I have replaced s7 edge.. very good phone with good specs and very cool design.
Roger Caalim you know everyone told me just bad things about this phone and i don't know really what to do
i like my sony z2, and i will buy new mobile on 2017, maybe sony xz2, or honor 9, or samsung s8, or axon 8
XZ!!
go for sony bro. no useless features ever
ii love my xperia z2 but my daily use is xperia z still working and in perfect condition
Just go for sony!!!
Dimitrije Dk
You can go - to me samsung is same as apple - 0 innovations trying to be top one while doing fu*k all
Just ordered this. Had it narrowed down between this and the LG v20.
I made the same move. But I got ear phones in my box. Not sure why you didn't get one.
I have a feeling he was tricked
The themes in Sony phones are just changing the wallpaper and the color scheme on the phone. No icon changes, which I like and prefer actually. There are plenty of options where you can customize it with themes still. And btw, I just heard a review of the phone, not much experience with it.
there are themes which change the icons. search on playstore. material x theme is one for instance
I was talking about the ones that are built in. Sure you can have different themes doing whatever you want.
slavevBG the one's built in are Sony themes. those icons are patented to Sony, why would they change them?
slavevBG Sony's themes can change thr system ui, wallpapers, icons, lockscreen, keyboard, and 3rd party apps
Yes, only wallpapers change between the stock themes. It's no bug.😁
Great Video, Like the look of the phone but need a larger one.
+Rsmin yeah me too wish this had come in a 5.5" phone
Video tutorials for the flashing would be awesome.
Nice. Sadly in NZ we are only getting the Black colour though. Hate it when they do that.
Travelling Light Photography Paint it in Blue or Silver lol
I been wanting to go back to Sony. has a nice clean look
+carlos martinez it does have a nice clean look it's just a bit smaller than id like
Jeff Springer another thing holding back in getting phones that are not the "In" phone at the time of launch is the limited number of accessories like cases. sounds dumb I know but I like to have nice cases that only add to the look and style.
+carlos martinez definitely true. I can't find a single case I like for this phone.
How's your experience with the new phone?
I also had a Note 7 and ordered a platinum XZ today.
Thanks this is a great review,I have the dual slam 64 gig International one and it's one heck of a phone
Looks like a solid device bro
+nikkalee817 thanks
This phone is a lot better than people give it credit for. It is far from being the best of Sony, but I'm sort of convinced they did the X line for a very strategic reason, I can just imagine that something beastly from Sony is in store for us!
gorgeous gorgeous XZ
MrPixlas
another great vid mate
+Tom Garry thanks!
On Sony phones, the themes only work for the colour theme. Doesn't really change anything else. Based on my experience with the Xperia Z3.
there are themes which change the icons. search on playstore. material x theme is one for instance
Hows the selfie Cam in low light? What are the main drawbacks if I get this one? Also how long does it take to fully charge?
jeff nice video👌 hmm jeff should i get the moto z force instead of this sony xz?
+reza rizer personally I like the Moro Z Force a bit more. Better battery life, moto mod possibilities, and many other extras. Both are good but I'd lean toward the Force.
this phone looks soooo amazing classy phone ever
+Smart Guy it's a good looking phone
Jeff I see you went the way I did totally turned off after the whole recall Debacle as I did and went with something totally different from Samsung. I went with Axon 7 until Samsung comes out with the Note line that I like but still a fan of Samsung don't get me wrong Love Samsung but not having the phone I want very bummed. I was going to go with Pixel but not sure about that as well because I'm done with making the jump until I know more.But I definitely want to get to know the Home part of the Google line up but after this mess I feel I need to get information and Review's to how the rest of their products are.So I figured I wait to some new stuff comes out before I pick my next Flagship and I did not want to go with the other Samsung phones until they come out with the line I had everyone of Note 2,3,5,7 so you see I will check out something completely different like yourself.Thanks for the Helpful information and Review look forward to seeing more Thanks again Deb.
I still got it with headphones. But is the XZ worth that much more than the X?
I don't know which to pick. Platinum or Forest blue?
+tidus1ph I like the blue a lot in person. Only see platinum in pictures but looks like it may get even more fingerprints
Jeff Springer forest blue or black one
How are night scenes? Previous Sony phone cameras are horrendous despite all the hooha about 20+ mega pixels etc
+Derek Goh the low light at night outside isn't that great at 23 MP, much better at the 8 MP resolution.
"Nothing special inside the box"
Yeah, including the phone.
Had the Z3, ran the Nougat preview. Seems like they haven't improved much in the past year and a half. Too little too late.
I had a simple in ear headphones and the MDR-XB950BT bluetooth headphones in my box ..
postimg.org/image/eaullvcx9/
But overall, I feel that Sony is better than what Samsung had. If anything, Samsung is trying to make your phone the toolkit of everything. Because of that, it's full of bloat. Tried out a S7 and the impressions I have wasn't great.
where is the best store online to get this phone, I want the international version, I will like to have the fingerprint sensor enable :)
Please do the tutorial
Pepper mix uniform testify settlement appropriate.
Volume is low for the camera zoom.
hey! nice vid! what kind of wallet was it?!
The XZ has two things that the Pixel and the V20 don't have: Dust and wetar resistance (totally waterproof and dustproof) and stereo speakers.
+Liion B yeah that's true, if those things matter more to you than 2K screen and more ram it might be a good choice.
Jeff Springer I can't really see the difference between 2K and full HD, and talking about RAM, Sony optimized it very well.
I'm so getting this! In forest blue or platinum.
Any way to add that FM radio app back in?
+Jeffrey Roodenburg I think forest blue looks best of the colors. I'll check into the fm radio.
Jeff Springer Cool! Hope XDA will find a way.
its on sale on ebay deals today for 620 . thinking to get it...
Scott M Did you get it?
Sony Xperia XZ Dual F8332 (64GB, Forest Blue) unlocked edition, get yours now:www.expansys-usa.com/sony-xperia-xz-dual-f8332-64gb-forest-blue-294030/
definitely do. its the best phone.
well u must get it...... . .
Dario Lindner i ordered it. Should be getting it this weekend.
why did they disable the finger print sensor? isnt that suppose to be a selling point? pretty lame that u have to jump through a few hoops just to enable a feature that is already available.
good day mr.jeff
is the sony xperia xz gets hot when your playing online games..???
Nope
tnx for the info sir..
Uh - what? Did I hear you right? They've disabled the finger print scanner on the US model? Why on earth did they do that?
+James Lamb apparently due to some licensing fees they would have to pay by using it here, they didn't want to. I will have a tutorial on how to enable it by flashing UK firmware soon.
One word - patents.
nice video .
can you make a gaming test on this phone .
+AMN sure will do!
if you could test camera for video heat problem that seems to plague some sony phones that would be great too mate , i`m thinking maybe shoot 5 minutes of video outside with the screen on high brightness and stabilization on ?
in some reviews its seems only 30 seconds of video is taken and thats the test ? or the video heat test is done on a table with a static image in a dark room ...... hardly a test imo.
if every other smart phone can do at least 5 minutes of 4k video , then that should be the minimum the sony can do.
Has does it work on AT&T's network, any issues with LTE?
What about the 5 something image stabilization in low light situation, does it produce less blurry photos?
beavertown2006 The camera sucks in low light but that's due to software, not hardware. I feel like the camera is brilliant but Sony just doesn't know how to utilize their own camera with their own software.
Vmt16 they do but it would compete with their camera market so they have to intentionally dumb it down
InitialDreamer That's just idiotic. They'd sell more phones if the camera was better.
Vmt16 Very from a consumer point of view haha but from a business point they have to keep a balance so they'd intentionally leave things out like RAW for example in the Xperias because, 'hey, our cameras can do it, so go buy it!'
InitialDreamer yeah the Sony Alpha are the best cameras for low light In the market, I hope they support the RAW (cuz Sony RAW are one of the best too)In the futute, but the picture's size would be huge
Does it scratch easily? like when you put it in your pocket with something will the screen have small scratches and the back
+Joshua Cabauatan it does scratch I have used without a case for a week and have surface scratches on the back.
I used it over 1 week with no case, no scratches yet.
mine i bought 3 months ago came with wired headphones good quality
This phone does not have quick charging out of the box. You have to buy that charger separately.
hello.. dont forget to change the camera resolution...
How about overheating issues? Because it's a Snapdragon 820, my HTC 10 have some overheating issue
There's no overheat during normal usage. it gets warm when you do a 4k video though.
Only 4k vid heats it up a bit, Sony seems to have sorted out their previous minor heating problems
Louie Fajardo 820 doesn't overheat
Mine stays cool and only warms up slightly when using the camera
Yeh i love the Xz premium
im waiting for the premium version that's coming in few months
Can you get the phone at T-mobile?
Heather and Joshua they don't sell it
I hear ya dang that's sucks.
You CAN use on it on their network. You just need to buy it outright from Amazon or Best Buy.
Stevie V I gotcha.
Please is there any touchscreen problem with this phone
I am interested in the fingerprint sensor
+Aj Tucker cool I'll try to get the tutorial up tomorrow!
how about overheat issues? i own z5 and overheat as hell.
and now i just concidering to take xz. but if still overheat i should switch to another brand
If your phone overheats, that sucks. However, if it just gets really hot without shutting down, then it's not overheating.
hi, if this phone cost $700 and sony x performance also cost $700, which one do you recommend? in terms of benchmarks, camera, and sound
Bayu Mukti Of course this phone. This phone is better than the X Performance in most cases
please tell me the details
Bayu Mukti dude it kinda the same with special wise but just more polished just like the z2 to z3... Same specs but just more polished with camera aspects mostly.
Bayu Mukti now almost cost $600
the zx or the xp?
I think the priceing is very good, I mean 23mp camera whit laser autofocus, 5-axis image stabilization, and irgb sensor. Waterproofing, metal construction, carved glass,USB type c, snapdragon 820, 3gigs of ram, a headphone jack i mean all this things come at a price, it is normal to be like this and 700$ is a very good price
It looks ok mate , but still seems a bit on the pricey side to me and a bit on the basic side , the 5 axis stabilization is software apparently .... but as long as it works , adequate sized battery , 1080 p screen which is ok , but its a far cry from the 4k screen on the Z5, and not a 2k screen amoled .
Fm radio enabled .... no ,
wireless charging ..... no ,
questionable button placement imo , fairly uninspiring form factor imo ..
mikldude obviously you not having any xperia phone.,
#hypocrisy
Marvin Lastimado correctamoondo my good friend , but my brother has one , and i have looked at sony phones with a view to buy , as generally i like sony stuff , i have it in my home , but their phones particularly later ones look lack lustre , and in depth reviews seem to point that way when comparing to other brands ..
# sonyfanboys
+pop l.o.v.e meh it's missing many things other devices have for the price. 23 MP doesn't mean better camera and the S7 Edge easily bests the camera on this phone in most situations.
the camera on the xz is better, but pls dont begin whit arguing about it. im not going to change my mind...... pls tell me what its missing!!?
how good is the antenna strength for Wifi and Phone signal ?
+100rabh I've gotten LTE everywhere in Phoenix, AZ on both T-Mobile and ATT. No wifi issues with my Google OnHub router at home either.
Jeff Springer thanks
+jeff springer did you get the chance of having xperia z5? which you think is a better deal? z5 or xz? thanks!
Harly Quinn XZ for sure. Much better than the Z5 during this time
Harly Quinn yes I have the xperia z5 007 spectre and I will buy the xperia xz platinum at the end of the year
Xperia phones look so good. Shame they aren't worth the price.
Still using my Xperia Z running 4.2 :)
KRALTAIR47 same. but mine is on 5.1
No earphones? Mine did came with a pair in Mexico
mine have earphones, maybe it's just the US market?
Syafeeq Said in mx importante did have it
Syafeeq Said same
Please does this phone have any problems ?
can it work for sprint?
Does bluetooth headphones take advantage of any audio chip on board or flat as a nerd.?
Its a pity because Axon 7 hifi DAC works with bluetooth as well. Its just amazing.
Sorry, but that doesn't make sense. It's like saying that my electric company is nice because they convert some electricity to a good quality light before sending it to my light bulbs. The phone can make use of DSP to process the sound before sending it over bluetooth but the DAC needs to be outside the phone to be of any use.
Even as an engineer I still didnt get your point but if you have by any chance used the Axon 7 it should be more clear. The HI FI DAC CAN BE ENABLED OR DISABLED at the options menu in order to save battery. ZTE for example allows a user to enable HIFI DAC during bluetooth earphone experience improving the quality and intensity of the music considerably allowing even a non experienced user to notice the difference. On the contrary SAMSUNG and LG and most chinese brands DO NOT ALLOW you to activate HIFI DAC unless a wired headphone is present. ZTE clearly stated that they have a dedicated chip for this purpose. Please note that I do not refer to any US models since I see these being downgraded in most cases. I refer to national versions in each case. Chinese ZTE and Korean Lgs and Samsung.
Even as an engineer I still didnt get your point but if you have by any chance used the Axon 7 it should be more clear. The HI FI DAC CAN BE ENABLED OR DISABLED at the options menu in order to save battery. ZTE for example allows a user to enable HIFI DAC during bluetooth earphone experience improving the quality and intensity of the music considerably allowing even a non experienced user to notice the difference. On the contrary SAMSUNG and LG and most chinese brands DO NOT ALLOW you to activate HIFI DAC unless a wired headphone is present. ZTE clearly stated that they have a dedicated chip for this purpose. Please note that I do not refer to any US models since I see these being downgraded in most cases. I refer to national versions in each case. Chinese ZTE and Korean Lgs and Samsung.
George Karaolis It can be turned off but when I connected my Bluetooth headphones, the audio quality improvements were not available. I had to use the DAC within the headphones.
i was the sony fone fan but i got distributed from z5.. i purchased every z series and following up.. m planning too to buy this fone xz. actually the x or z series doesn't have any battery backup though its getting overheated or battery draining while using or keeping idle... idk guys whether its help you but i seriously after z5 and throwing big money on this and not even get battery backup... means it sucks.. finally i bought V20 yeah a LG phone happy with the battery backup.. thumbs up V20 and thumbs down to z5/xz.. no more Sony fan...
...still very happy with my Z5
sameer samy lg v20 with zerolemon battery case 😂 all 2 days battery
I like that phone.
+JackPlaysOfficial me too!
I got headphones in my box?
i really hate when sony put the volume rocker and the power button on the same place
The LG V20 Review Please.
+Angelo Joseph Vargas Vibal IV sure when I actually get the phone in, LG has taken forever to release it and I buy all my phones myself.
+Jeff Springer Can you give me a smartphone and a laptop that you don't use anymore?
I got the headphones along. Pity you.
+Trishna Das it's not a big deal, I've got 100s of pairs of headphones
isn't it amoled?
pro tip: the recommended section in the app-drawer can be turned off.
I own it. It came with mh70 headphone
please do a tutorial!!!
this phone is alot better than n7 and has much better display
Really? Pixel and LG V20 much better? Maybe better for you but that really depends what a person wants from their phone.
I got headphones with my XZ. Maybe because I got the UK version
TheMagical in europe they come with headphones because sony cares much more about the European market.
That's what I thought.
no earphone include??
4 and a half hours of battery is impressive? wtf that is poor!! my s7 last 7 hours if I use it heavy! hopefully the xz premiums battery is better then 4 and a half hours or ama give it a pass.
I am thinking about this one to mess with.
+MrReyRomantico it's not a bad second phone.
Please do the tutorial.
+Sully Mems will do I'll try to have it up tomorrow!
What a bro!