Sony Xperia XZ1 Review

• Overview
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Software and User Interface
• Camera
• Battery Life
• Connectivity and Networking
• Additional Features
• Comparison with Other Related Phones
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Overview

The Sony Xperia XZ1 is a mesmerizing smartphone that combines style, power, and innovation. With its sleek glass front and aluminum frame, this device exudes elegance and durability. The 5.2-inch HDR10 display delivers stunning visuals, while the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor ensures smooth performance. Capture your precious moments with the 19MP main camera, capable of recording 4K videos, and take breathtaking selfies with the 13MP front camera. The Xperia XZ1 also boasts impressive features like IP68 water resistance, stereo speakers, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. Available in various colors, this device is a true masterpiece. With an affordable price tag, the Xperia XZ1 offers exceptional value for money.

Design and Build Quality

The Sony Xperia XZ1 showcases a sleek design with its glass front and aluminum back and frame, giving it a premium look and feel. The device measures 148 x 73.4 x 7.4 mm (5.83 x 2.89 x 0.29 in) and weighs 155 g (5.47 oz), making it compact and lightweight for easy portability. The Gorilla Glass 5 protection enhances durability, while the IP68 rating ensures resistance against dust and water up to 1.5m for 30 minutes, adding to its robustness. The device features a 5.2-inch IPS LCD display with HDR10 support, providing vivid and immersive visuals. The slim bezels and aluminum frame contribute to its aesthetics and sleek design. The back panel offers a smooth texture, enhancing grip and one-handed usability. The placement of buttons and controls on the side-mounted fingerprint sensor adds to the ergonomic design. Overall, the Sony Xperia XZ1 showcases a sturdy build quality and construction, combining premium materials with thoughtful finishing touches.

Display

The Sony Xperia XZ1 features a 5.2-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of approximately 424 ppi. The display offers a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is a more traditional widescreen format. It is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, ensuring durability and resistance to scratches.

The XZ1's display boasts Triluminos technology and X-Reality Engine, which enhance color accuracy and vibrancy, providing a visually pleasing experience. The screen also supports HDR10, enabling a wider dynamic range for more vivid and lifelike visuals.

In terms of brightness levels, the Xperia XZ1 offers good outdoor visibility, making it easy to view content even in bright sunlight. The display is also responsive to touch, ensuring smooth and accurate interactions.

Additionally, the XZ1's display has wide viewing angles, allowing for comfortable viewing from various angles without significant color distortion. It does not feature a notch design and has noticeable bezels, resulting in a slightly lower screen-to-body ratio compared to some newer smartphones.

Other notable features include an anti-reflective coating, which helps reduce glare, and the option for an always-on display, providing quick access to notifications and information without fully waking up the phone. The device also includes a blue light filter and adaptive brightness, which optimize the display for comfortable viewing in different lighting conditions. Users can also calibrate the screen according to their preferences.

Overall, the Sony Xperia XZ1's display offers a sharp and vibrant visual experience, with good color accuracy, outdoor visibility, and touch responsiveness. Its HDR capabilities and wide color gamut further enhance the viewing experience, making it a suitable choice for multimedia consumption and everyday use.

Performance

The Sony Xperia XZ1 is powered by the Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 chipset, which offers impressive performance capabilities. The octa-core processor consists of four cores clocked at 2.45 GHz and four cores clocked at 1.9 GHz, ensuring smooth multitasking and efficient app loading speeds. This powerful CPU, combined with the Adreno 540 GPU, delivers excellent gaming performance and graphics scores.

In benchmark tests, the Sony Xperia XZ1 performs admirably. It achieves a GeekBench score of 6541 in version 4.4 and 1527 in version 5.1, highlighting its processing prowess. The GPU performance is also commendable, with the device scoring 25fps in the GFXBench ES 3.1 onscreen test. These synthetic benchmarks indicate that the Xperia XZ1 can handle demanding tasks and provide a smooth user experience.

The Xperia XZ1's system optimization and thermal management further enhance its performance. Users can expect a lag-free experience even when running resource-intensive applications or playing graphics-intensive games. The device efficiently utilizes its processing power and GPU capabilities, ensuring that the phone remains cool during extended gaming sessions.

When it comes to gaming capabilities, the Xperia XZ1 excels. Its powerful chipset and GPU allow for an immersive gaming experience with high frame rates and stunning graphics. The device handles popular games with ease, offering a smooth and enjoyable gameplay experience. Whether it's casual gaming or intense gaming sessions, the Xperia XZ1 provides a reliable and efficient performance.

Overall, the performance of the Sony Xperia XZ1 is impressive. With its Snapdragon 835 chipset, powerful CPU, and efficient GPU, the device delivers a smooth user experience, lag-free performance, and excellent gaming capabilities. The benchmark scores and synthetic benchmarks further validate its performance capabilities, making it a reliable choice for users who prioritize performance and multitasking efficiency.

Software and User Interface

The Sony Xperia XZ1 runs on Android 8.0 Oreo operating system, which is upgradable to Android 9.0 Pie. This allows users to enjoy the latest features and enhancements that come with the newer version of Android. The software is relatively clean and user-friendly, with Sony's minimalistic approach to customization. It offers a near-stock Android experience, which means there is no heavy overlay or bloatware that can impact performance or clutter the interface.

One of the advantages of the Xperia XZ1's software is the absence of excessive pre-installed apps or bloatware. This allows users to have more control over their device and choose the apps they want to install, without being overwhelmed by unnecessary apps taking up storage space. Sony has also made efforts to optimize the software for better performance and stability.

The user interface of the Xperia XZ1 is intuitive and easy to navigate. It features Sony's signature design elements, such as clean lines and minimalistic icons. The overall layout is simple and organized, making it easy for users to find and access their desired apps and settings. The inclusion of a side-mounted fingerprint sensor adds convenience and enhances the overall user experience.

Additionally, the Xperia XZ1 offers several useful features and functionalities. These include the ability to customize the device's appearance with different themes, as well as the inclusion of advanced camera features like predictive phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and laser autofocus. The device also supports high-quality audio playback, with 24-bit/192kHz audio support.

Overall, the software of the Sony Xperia XZ1 provides a smooth and user-friendly experience. It offers a near-stock Android interface, minimal bloatware, and useful features that enhance the overall usability of the device.

Camera

The Sony Xperia XZ1 boasts an impressive camera setup that captures stunning images in various lighting conditions. With its 19-megapixel rear camera and f/2.0 aperture, the device allows for detailed and sharp photos. The 25mm wide focal length ensures a wide field of view, perfect for capturing landscapes or group shots. The camera's large 1/2.3" sensor size contributes to excellent image quality, especially in daylight photography where colors appear natural and vibrant. The Xperia XZ1 also excels in low-light performance, thanks to its low-light sensitivity and advanced noise reduction capabilities. Night photography becomes a breeze with the device's dedicated night mode, which enhances image quality in low-light conditions. Additionally, the camera offers features such as portrait mode for stunning bokeh effects, HDR for increased dynamic range, and panorama mode for capturing breathtaking wide-angle shots. For video enthusiasts, the Xperia XZ1 supports 4K video recording with excellent video stabilization, ensuring smooth and steady footage. Slow-motion video and time-lapse features are also available, allowing users to unleash their creativity. Overall, the camera of the Sony Xperia XZ1 delivers impressive results with its advanced features, making it a great choice for photography and videography enthusiasts.

Battery Life

The Sony Xperia XZ1 is equipped with a non-removable Li-Ion 2700 mAh battery, which offers decent battery life. The phone supports 18W wired charging with Quick Charge 3 technology, allowing for faster charging times. It does not support wireless charging, which may be a downside for some users. In terms of battery performance, the XZ1 provides a good balance between power efficiency and optimization features, ensuring that the battery lasts throughout the day with moderate usage. The device also comes with battery optimization features, allowing users to manage their battery usage and reduce unnecessary drain. The standby time of the XZ1 is satisfactory, and the screen-on time is decent as well. Overall, while the battery capacity may not be the largest in the market, the XZ1 offers reliable battery performance and efficient charging options.

Connectivity and Networking

The Sony Xperia XZ1 offers a wide range of connectivity options to keep you connected wherever you go. It supports 4G LTE network compatibility, ensuring fast and reliable data speeds for browsing, streaming, and downloading. The device also features Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, allowing you to connect to both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi networks for a stable and speedy internet connection. The Bluetooth 5.0 version enables seamless wireless connections with other Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as headphones and speakers, for convenient audio streaming. NFC technology is also present, enabling easy and quick pairing with compatible devices and facilitating contactless payments. The Xperia XZ1 comes with a USB Type-C 3.1 port, providing fast data transfer and charging capabilities. Additionally, the device supports dual SIM functionality, allowing you to use two SIM cards simultaneously for better convenience and flexibility. With GPS, GLONASS, BDS, and GALILEO support, you can enjoy accurate navigation and location services. Overall, the Sony Xperia XZ1 offers a comprehensive range of connectivity features, ensuring you stay connected and have access to various connectivity options for your daily needs.

Additional Features

- The Sony Xperia XZ1 boasts standout features such as water and dust resistance, making it both waterproof and dustproof. With an IP68 rating, it can withstand being submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes.

- In terms of charging, the XZ1 supports wireless charging, specifically Qi wireless charging. This allows for convenient and cable-free charging of the device.

- The smartphone is equipped with an accelerometer and gyroscope, along with additional sensors that make up its sensor suite. These advanced motion and environmental sensors enable various features and functionalities.

Overall, the Sony Xperia XZ1 offers a range of additional features that enhance its durability, convenience, and functionality. From its water and dust resistance to wireless charging and advanced sensors, the XZ1 is designed to provide a reliable and versatile user experience.

Comparison with Other Related Phones

The Sony Xperia XZ1 is a smartphone that was released in 2017. When comparing it to other related gadgets in the market, it is important to consider its specifications, features, and performance. One of its competitors is the Samsung Galaxy S8, which was also released in 2017.

In terms of specifications, the Xperia XZ1 features a 5.2-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It also has a 19MP main camera and a 13MP front-facing camera. The device runs on Android 8.0 Oreo, with an upgradable option to Android 9.0 Pie.

When comparing it to the Samsung Galaxy S8, the Xperia XZ1 has a slightly smaller display and less internal storage. However, both devices are powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and have similar camera capabilities. The Galaxy S8 runs on Android 7.0 Nougat, with an upgradable option to Android 9.0 Pie.

In terms of performance, benchmark tests have shown that the Xperia XZ1 performs well, with a GeekBench score of 6541 and a GFXBench score of 25fps. The Galaxy S8 has similar benchmark scores, indicating that both devices offer smooth and efficient performance.

When considering pricing, the Xperia XZ1 was priced at around 260 EUR at its release. The Galaxy S8, on the other hand, was priced higher at its release. This makes the Xperia XZ1 a more cost-effective option for those looking for a high-performing smartphone.

In terms of market competition, both Sony and Samsung are well-established brands in the smartphone industry. They have a competitive advantage in terms of brand recognition and customer loyalty. However, Sony's Xperia XZ1 offers unique features such as its Triluminos display and X-Reality Engine, which enhance the visual experience for users.

Overall, the Sony Xperia XZ1 is a competitive smartphone in the market, offering a balance of performance and affordability. While it may have some specification limitations compared to its competitors, it still provides a value-for-money option for users who prioritize a smooth performance and unique features.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Sony Xperia XZ1 is a solid smartphone with impressive features. Its sleek design, featuring a glass front and aluminum frame, gives it a premium feel. The 5.2-inch Triluminos display with HDR10 support offers vibrant and sharp visuals. The Snapdragon 835 processor ensures smooth performance, and the 4GB of RAM provides ample multitasking capabilities. The 19MP main camera captures stunning photos and videos, while the 13MP front camera is perfect for selfies. The device also boasts IP68 water and dust resistance, stereo speakers, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. However, the relatively small 2700mAh battery may not provide all-day usage for power users. Overall, the Sony Xperia XZ1 is a reliable choice for those seeking a well-rounded smartphone experience.