Sony Xperia XZ2 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 XZ2 is a sleek and powerful smartphone that offers an immersive viewing experience and impressive performance. With its 5.7-inch HDR display and Triluminos technology, colors come alive and details are sharp. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, ensuring smooth multitasking and speedy performance. The 19MP camera captures stunning photos and videos, while the Dynamic Vibration System adds an extra dimension to your entertainment. The Xperia XZ2 is also water and dust resistant, giving you peace of mind. With its attractive design and advanced features, this smartphone is a great choice for tech enthusiasts. Available in various colors and priced at around 360 EUR, the Xperia XZ2 offers great value for its premium features.

Design and Build Quality

The Sony Xperia XZ2 boasts a sleek design and premium look and feel, thanks to its combination of glass and aluminum materials. The device features a glass front and back, both protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, while the aluminum frame adds to its sturdiness and durability. With dimensions of 153 x 72 x 11.1mm and a weight of 198g, the Xperia XZ2 has a solid and substantial feel in the hand. The device's form factor and ergonomic design make it comfortable to hold and use with one hand. The back panel has a smooth texture, enhancing grip and preventing accidental slips. The placement of buttons and controls is well-thought-out, ensuring easy accessibility and intuitive operation. The bezels around the 5.7-inch Triluminos display are minimal, maximizing the screen-to-body ratio and providing an immersive viewing experience. The Xperia XZ2 is also IP65/IP68 dust and water-resistant, adding to its robustness and durability. Overall, the Sony Xperia XZ2 impresses with its attractive aesthetics, solid build quality, and attention to detail in its finishing touches, making it a visually appealing and reliable device.

Display

The Sony Xperia XZ2 features a 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with a screen resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18:9. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, providing durability against scratches and accidental drops. With its Triluminos display and X-Reality Engine, the Xperia XZ2 delivers vibrant and accurate colors, making images and videos come to life. The pixel density of approximately 424 pixels per inch ensures sharp and detailed visuals.

In terms of brightness levels, the Xperia XZ2 offers ample brightness for indoor use, but it may struggle slightly under direct sunlight. However, the display's contrast ratio of 1434:1 (nominal) and 3.58 (sunlight) helps enhance the overall viewing experience. The wide color gamut and HDR support enable the device to showcase rich and dynamic colors, providing a more immersive visual experience.

The Xperia XZ2's viewing angles are decent, allowing for comfortable viewing from different orientations. It also features an anti-reflective coating, which minimizes reflections and improves visibility in bright conditions. The display does not have a notch design, and the bezels are relatively slim, resulting in a screen-to-body ratio of around 76.1%.

Additional features of the display include an always-on display option, allowing users to view essential information without fully waking up the device. The Xperia XZ2 also includes a blue light filter and adaptive brightness, which adjust the screen's color temperature and brightness based on the surrounding light conditions. Users can also calibrate the screen to their preferences.

Overall, the Sony Xperia XZ2's display offers a sharp, vibrant, and immersive visual experience with its Triluminos technology, HDR support, and wide color gamut. While it may not be the brightest under direct sunlight, its viewing angles, color accuracy, and display protection make it a noteworthy feature of the device.

Performance

The Sony Xperia XZ2 boasts impressive performance capabilities, thanks to its powerful chipset and optimized system. Equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, which features an octa-core CPU and Adreno 630 GPU, this device delivers exceptional performance across various tasks.

In CPU benchmarks, the Xperia XZ2 showcases its processing prowess. With its four Kryo 385 Gold cores clocked at 2.7 GHz and four Kryo 385 Silver cores clocked at 1.7 GHz, it achieves high scores in synthetic benchmarks like AnTuTu and GeekBench. These scores highlight the device's ability to handle demanding tasks and multitasking seamlessly.

The GPU benchmarks of the Xperia XZ2 also contribute to its outstanding gaming performance. The Adreno 630 GPU ensures smooth graphics rendering and immersive gaming experiences. In gaming benchmarks, the device exhibits impressive graphics scores, providing an enjoyable gaming experience with high frame rates and detailed visuals.

Furthermore, the Xperia XZ2 excels in app loading speeds and overall system optimization. Users can expect a lag-free performance and a smooth user experience when navigating through the device's interface and running various applications. The processor efficiency of the Snapdragon 845 chipset ensures efficient power consumption, enhancing the overall battery life of the device.

The Xperia XZ2's thermal management system also deserves mention. Despite its powerful hardware, the device effectively manages heat dissipation, preventing overheating during extended usage or intense gaming sessions. This feature ensures that the device maintains optimal performance without compromising user comfort.

In summary, the Sony Xperia XZ2 delivers exceptional performance across different aspects. Its chipset performance, GPU benchmarks, and gaming capabilities make it an ideal choice for mobile gaming enthusiasts. With its powerful CPU, multitasking performance, and efficient system optimization, the device offers a smooth user experience for various tasks. Whether it's loading apps, gaming, or navigating through the interface, the Xperia XZ2 provides a lag-free performance and impressive benchmark scores.

Software and User Interface

The Sony Xperia XZ2 runs on the Android 8.0 (Oreo) operating system, which can be upgraded to Android 10. This provides users with a smooth and familiar interface, allowing them to navigate through the phone's features and settings effortlessly. The operating system also offers a range of customization options, allowing users to personalize their device according to their preferences.

One notable aspect of the software on the Xperia XZ2 is its user-friendliness. The interface is intuitive and easy to use, making it accessible to both tech-savvy individuals and those who may be less familiar with smartphones. This is particularly important for individuals who are new to the Android ecosystem or prefer a simpler user experience.

In terms of pre-installed apps, the Xperia XZ2 comes with a selection of useful applications that cater to different user needs. These include standard Google apps such as Gmail, Google Maps, and Google Chrome, which are commonly found on Android devices. Additionally, Sony includes its own suite of apps, such as Music and Album, which enhance the multimedia experience on the device.

While the Xperia XZ2 does come with some pre-installed apps, commonly referred to as bloatware, they do not significantly impact the overall user experience. Sony has taken measures to ensure that these apps can be uninstalled or disabled, allowing users to free up storage space and customize their device further.

Overall, the software on the Sony Xperia XZ2 offers a user-friendly interface, customization options, and a range of useful pre-installed apps. This provides users with a seamless and personalized experience, making it a suitable choice for those looking for a reliable and easy-to-use smartphone.

Camera

The Sony Xperia XZ2 boasts a powerful camera that delivers impressive performance in various photography scenarios. With a 19-megapixel sensor and a wide f/2.0 aperture, the camera captures detailed and sharp images. Its 25mm focal length allows for a versatile shooting range, making it suitable for both landscape and portrait photography. The camera's image stabilization feature ensures steady shots, minimizing blurriness caused by hand movements. The Xperia XZ2 excels in daylight photography, producing images with natural colors and excellent sharpness. It also offers a wide dynamic range, capturing both shadow and highlight details effectively. In low-light conditions, the camera performs admirably, thanks to its low-light sensitivity and noise reduction capabilities. For night photography, the device offers a dedicated night mode that enhances image quality in low-light environments. The camera app comes equipped with various features such as portrait mode, HDR, panorama mode, and pro mode, allowing users to experiment and capture creative shots. When it comes to video recording, the Xperia XZ2 can shoot 4K videos with excellent clarity and detail. Video stabilization ensures smooth footage, and slow-motion and time-lapse modes add versatility to users' video capabilities. Overall, the camera of the Sony Xperia XZ2 offers a well-rounded photography experience, delivering impressive image and video quality in a variety of shooting conditions.

Battery Life

The Sony Xperia XZ2 is equipped with a non-removable Li-Ion 3180 mAh battery. While the battery capacity might seem lower compared to some other smartphones in its class, the Xperia XZ2 offers decent battery performance. With its power-efficient Snapdragon 845 processor and optimization features, the device manages to provide a satisfactory battery backup. The battery life can vary depending on usage, but it generally offers a decent screen-on time and standby time. The device supports fast charging with its USB Type-C 3.1 port, allowing for quick charging when needed. However, it lacks wireless charging options. Overall, the Xperia XZ2's battery performance is reliable, providing enough power to get through a day of moderate usage. Users can also utilize battery optimization settings and battery saver mode to further extend battery life. While the battery capacity may not be the highest, the Xperia XZ2 delivers efficient battery management and longevity.

Connectivity and Networking

The Sony Xperia XZ2 offers a wide range of connectivity options, making it a versatile device for staying connected on the go. With its network compatibility, users can enjoy reliable LTE connections for fast data speeds. The device supports dual SIM functionality, allowing users to use two different SIM cards simultaneously.

When it comes to wireless connectivity, the Xperia XZ2 is equipped with Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, supporting both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. This ensures compatibility with a wide range of Wi-Fi networks and offers faster speeds for a smoother browsing experience. Bluetooth 5.0 is also available, enabling users to connect wirelessly to other devices and enjoy improved data transfer rates and range.

For seamless file transfers and charging, the Xperia XZ2 features a USB Type-C 3.1 port. This versatile port allows for fast data transfer and supports USB On-The-Go (OTG) functionality. Additionally, NFC (Near Field Communication) technology is included, enabling convenient contactless payments and easy pairing with other NFC-enabled devices.

When it comes to navigation, the Xperia XZ2 is equipped with GPS, GLONASS, BDS, and GALILEO, providing accurate positioning for location-based services and navigation. Users can also create a mobile hotspot to share their internet connection with other devices, making it convenient for those who need to stay connected on multiple devices.

Overall, the Sony Xperia XZ2 offers a comprehensive range of connectivity options, including support for LTE, dual SIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, USB-C, and GPS. These features ensure that users can stay connected, transfer data, and navigate with ease.

Additional Features

• The Sony Xperia XZ2 comes with a range of standout features that make it a compelling choice for smartphone enthusiasts. One of its notable features is its IP65/IP68 rating, which means it is both water-resistant and dustproof. This makes it a durable device that can withstand various environmental conditions.


• In addition to its water and dust resistance, the Xperia XZ2 also supports wireless charging. With Qi wireless charging capabilities, users can conveniently charge their device without the need for cables. This is a convenient feature for those who are always on the go and want to minimize the hassle of plugging and unplugging charging cables.


• The Xperia XZ2 is equipped with advanced sensors, including an accelerometer and gyroscope. These sensors enable various motion-based features and enhancements, such as gesture control and screen rotation based on device orientation.


• Furthermore, the device also includes additional sensors, such as a proximity sensor, barometer, compass, and color spectrum sensor. These sensors provide an extensive sensor suite that enhances the overall user experience and enables more accurate tracking and measurement of various environmental factors.

Comparison with Other Related Phones

The Sony Xperia XZ2 is a smartphone that was released in 2018 and offers a range of features and specifications that make it a competitive device in the market. When comparing it to related gadgets, such as the Samsung Galaxy S9 and the iPhone X, the Xperia XZ2 holds its own in terms of performance and features.

In terms of specifications, the Xperia XZ2 boasts a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, which is comparable to the Samsung Galaxy S9's Exynos 9810 and the iPhone X's A11 Bionic chip. This means that the Xperia XZ2 is able to deliver fast and smooth performance, whether it's for multitasking or gaming.

The Xperia XZ2 also stands out with its 5.7-inch HDR display, which offers vibrant colors and sharp visuals. While the Samsung Galaxy S9 and iPhone X also have impressive displays, the Xperia XZ2's display is notable for its Triluminos technology and X-Reality Engine, which enhances the viewing experience.

In terms of camera capabilities, the Xperia XZ2's 19MP main camera performs well, especially in low-light conditions. The Samsung Galaxy S9 and iPhone X also have excellent cameras, but the Xperia XZ2 holds its own with its predictive PDAF and 4K video recording capabilities.

When it comes to pricing, the Xperia XZ2 is priced competitively, offering value for money compared to its competitors. While the Samsung Galaxy S9 and iPhone X are priced higher, the Xperia XZ2 offers similar features and performance at a more affordable price point.

Overall, the Sony Xperia XZ2 positions itself as a strong contender in the market, with its impressive specifications, performance, and pricing. While it may not have the same market share as Samsung or Apple, it offers a unique set of features and a competitive edge that appeals to consumers looking for a high-quality smartphone that offers value for money.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Sony Xperia XZ2 offers a solid package for potential buyers. Its sleek design, featuring a glass front and back with an aluminum frame, gives it a premium feel. The 5.7-inch HDR BT.2020 display with Triluminos technology delivers vibrant and sharp visuals. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, it provides smooth performance, and the 4GB/6GB RAM options ensure multitasking capabilities.

The 19MP main camera captures impressive photos and videos, while the 5MP selfie camera delivers decent results. The device is also equipped with stereo speakers and a dynamic vibration system for an immersive audio experience.

However, the absence of a 3.5mm headphone jack and average battery life might be a drawback for some users. Overall, the Sony Xperia XZ2 is a reliable choice for those seeking a high-quality smartphone with impressive features and performance.