Sony Xperia XZ1 is an elegant and concrete smartphone from several points of view. Fans of Sony will enjoy this phone. That is not to say that Sony Xperia XZ1 is a perfect smartphone. The design of the phone is vintage style, as can be seen from the pictures. Instead of adapting to the latest trends, Sony seems to be sticking to its old ways. Is that a good approach? Let’s find out in the review of Sony Xperia XZ1!
Sony Xperia XZ1 Review
This is a top of the range phone from Sony. The hardware is pretty good. The processor is Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 with 64 GB of UFS internal memory and 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM. It also has Bluetooth 5.0, Wifi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, and LTE up to 1GBps download. It is interesting to note that 6GB of RAM is not there. The LTE and WiFi are within the average range of the top phones of 2017. The audio capsule is impressive. The sound quality is crystal-like. The handsfree sound quality is also good.
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The performance of Sony Xperia XZ1 is really good. The phone is very enjoyable to use. It is also fast. In fact, it can be said to be one of the fastest phones of 2017. Most top of the range phones of 2017 are not as fast as it. The phone does not slow down even with intense and continuous use. It was a wise choice by Sony to focus on a lightweight software instead of 6GB of RAM.
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A lot of people find the design of this phone outdated. Vintage designs are not something everyone likes. Sony seems to have missed the mark here. AT first glance, this phone is beautiful and elegant. The phone has a cushioned body which the aluminum wraps. Details like the antennae on the edges give the phone an aesthetic touch. The design seems to be unrecognizable. THis phone is classy and refined. The thing is, your perspective of the phone will depend on your taste. Sony Xperia XZ1 seems to look like a phone from two years ago in terms of design. It has a 16:9 display and frames at the top and the bottom. The bottom bar seems quite wasted. It’s only utility seems to be the second speaker. Sony might want to change this.
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In spite of being a little-optimized phone for frames, it’s only 7.4mm and weighs 156 grams. The phone is lightweight and very easy to use. The square width and design make it easy to use handwritten or standard keyboard writing. You can also use the phone safely without a cover. The grip of the phone is good and it does not slip.
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All the buttons of Sony Xperia XZ1 are one its right side. There is one button for camera’s shutter release and opening. The standby and power button is hollow and has the fingerprint sensor too. Unlocking the phone is very easy and light. A sensor on the front would have been a lot more comfortable and would have made a lot more sense, but surprisingly this one seems more natural. If you unlock the phone by keeping the device between your hands, it’s even faster. The volume bar is way too small and very close to the ignition key. Sometimes it becomes difficult to find it.
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The display of the phone is 5.2 inches with FullHD resolution, HDR IPS LCD Triluminos and 424 ppi definition. The glass covering the panel is a very oleophobic. The phone also 2.5d gorilla glass 5, the dots are pretty rare and go away easily. The display quality is great. This is the top of the IPS category. The visibility under the sun is not that good. The display has a minor defect, which is hardly noticeable. You need a very observant eye to notice it on a white screen! There is a diagonal matrix. Most people will not notice it. It is not something that will affect the usability of the phone in any way.
The phone has two front speakers. Although the audio is not that powerful, the sound quality is great. Headphones can count on the hi-res and noise reduction technology. From the multimedia point of view, nothing is missing on the phone.
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The camera of Sony Xperia XZ2 is 19MP with aperture f2.0 and EXMOR RS lenses, electronic stabilization and laser autofocus. It takes great pictures during the day. Due to the resolution, the pictures are very detailed. The light management is good and color reproduction is great. You can count on Sony Xperia XZ1 to take good pictures. However, the performance of the camera degrades a bit in the evening. The light captured is a little less because of the opening. The definition of the objects is the real distinctive feature. When the light decrease, the high resolution becomes a problem for the software. When you zoom in the picture for details you realize the difference in the playback of details. Maybe Sony should look for a less-megapixel camera and better software management to make evening pictures better. The camera does not have a dynamic range.
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The front camera of the phone is 13MP with f2.0. The quality of the pictures is good. When the light is good, you get good pictures. When it is very low, you may need to activate the flash with the screen. In intermediate conditions, the flash will not turn on and the quality is noisy. Video recording is good. Color reproduction is great in videos too. The focus is very fast and stabilization is also great.
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The 960fps recording is peculiar. For nearly a second the phone is capable of recording 960 frames, expanding them and then getting a fantastic slow motion. There are many applications, but they might seem useless. Sony has called the camera ‘Motion Eye’. This is because it has predictive capturing capabilities. It can help you capture unexpected motion. This will happen if there is unexpected motion while you are taking pictures.
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The battery of the phone is 2700mA. This is a little disappointing. With constant use, the phone can last you 3 to 4 hours. This is comparable to some of the top phones of 2017 and is totally unexpected. The standby power consumption is almost nil. So, if you use the device moderately, it may even last you more than a day. The reduced standby consumption might be because of Sony’s software and Oreo, the new operating system version. So, the autonomy of the phone is good.
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The phone comes with Android 8.0 Oreo. This is the first phone to have the latest version of Android in the market. This brings with itself all novelties of Oreo. You can drag pixel launcher shortcuts to home. You can put reminders on notifications. You can use the picture in picture support apps. Sony has done a good job of combining stock features with interesting features such as themes, display-related deployments, and some customization options. Some apps have been left out to make the software complete. You can also recreate cute 3D avatars of your friends and family, dress them up, and send them like chat stickers. This seems like a stupid and useless feature, though some people might find it fun.
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The Sony Xperia XZ1 is a concrete and complete phone in most aspects. The design could have been better. You might want to give this device a miss if you are a fan of phones with a good screen to display ratio. The phone is available for 826 USD. The hardware, software, materials, audio, and user experience are all great. The camera, display, ergonomics, and quality-price ratio are also good.
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What do you think about Sony Xperia XZ1? Is the vintage design off-putting? Share your views with us in the comments below!
