Sony Xperia Z2 Review
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Highlights
Sony Xperia Z2 is the latest flagship device by the Japanese manufacturer and competes with the likes of Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One (M8) and LG G Pro 2. With this, Sony has put forward a well built device bundled with powerful specifications enabling it to deliver good results.
• Impressive Display
• Smooth Performance
• Powerful Camera
• Smooth Performance
• Powerful Camera
• A bit slippery
• Monotonous Design
• Heats up
• Monotonous Design
• Heats up
Introduction
Sony added yet another member to its Xperia family with the launch of Xperia Z2. The smartphone comes out as a rugged and a stylish offering by the firm that has already won a millions of heart.
The powerful Sony Xperia Z2 might not be very different with its looks but it sure attracts a large user base with its features and robust built quality. The device looks very much like its predecessor but with improved specifications and better performance. Like the other Xperia flagships, this too is waterproof and dust proof, which means one more Xperia is here to take the dip. The smartphones gives a tough fight to the other flagships available in the market and proves to be better in many areas. This slick device has a pleasing display and a great camera. Xperia Z2 comes bundled with some excellent features, read on to know what these features are.
Looks and Appearance
Sony seems be in awe with its omni-balance design and has stuck with it for quite a long time now. All the phones since 2013 in the Xperia series have started looking similar to each other and sadly, the Xperia Z2 comes out as no exception. The look and feel of the device is very much like its counterpart, Xperia Z1, a flat sleek device sandwiched between two glass slabs on either sides and aluminium chassis to hold it all together. Having glass layers on both the sides makes the device slippery and a little heavier but nonetheless smartphone still manages to hog the limelight with its elegant looks.
Sony has appropriately decided on the size of Xperia Z2 with a 5.2-inch display that does not feel too big in hands unlike some of the other flagships in the market that come along with a humongous display. This one too houses the radial power button and volume rocker on the right and above them is a slot for microSD card. Sony has also fitted in a dedicated camera button on the same side to make the photography experience on Xperia Z2 a delightful affair.
On lifting the small waterproof flap to the left brink, one can spot micro SIM slot and the micro USB slot. On the top side stays the audio jack (remains waterproof) and speakers at the front on either sides of the display and at the bottom. On flipping the device, you’ll see a flat glass surface with a 20.7-megapixel camera integrated on the top left corner and a tiny flash beneath it. The Sony logo shines in the centre and Xperia branding at the bottom.
With the Xperia Z2, Sony has put forward a device that is 8.1-mm thick and a bit on the heavy side. The firm crammed in a lot of features in the sleek device to make it what is expected out of it.
Impressive Display
Featuring a 5.2-inch display with a resolution size of 1920x1080 pixels, Xperia Z2 outshines many of its competitors. It has the same screen resolution size as its previous version and the IPS display comes out as very sharp and crisp, with even tiny details being noticed, thanks to Sony’s Bravia Engine display with ‘Triluminus’ technology, X-realty engine and live colour LEDs.
These technologies provide the user with better viewing angles allowing you flexibility to use the phone in your comfort zone.
Xperia Z2 also has advanced colours and deep blacks to highlight the sharpness of the content. It doesn’t give you unnatural results like the AMOLED display and keeps it real.
Undoubtedly, Sony has come out with its best display in the Xperia Z2 which gives you excellent results. One can watch a movie, play games, click pictures, and shoot videos with super rich colours and clarity on this 5.2-inch IPS display.
Despite all this, there is one major drawback, when used the device in the direct sunlight, it reflects back hindering the visibility.
Software and UI
The Xperia Z2 comes loaded with the Google’s latest operating system, Android 4.4.2 KitKat. And give it the Sony effect; the firm has tweaked the OS a bit, so that it suits the Sony branding and personalises it for the audience. It has a set of themes in the settings option that let you customise your phone. With the Fifa fever catching up everyone, we downloaded the Fifa theme and it gripped the device with the football frenzy.
Other than that, Sony has brought some apps that replace the stock Android ones, like the Sony’s ‘album’ that replaces the gallery option, Android’s ‘Play music’ app is traded with the Sony’s beloved Walkman app and along with the Google play Sony has attempted to pitch in its ‘Sony select store’ that suggests a wide number of apps in various categories.
Even the stock Android camera has been entirely revamped and a lot of creative and innovative features have been added in order to make it more interesting and catchy. Once you deep in the interface, you’ll find other minor tweaks here and there.
Hardware and Performance
On the hardware front, the Sony Xperia Z2 comes powered by a 2.3 GHz Qualcomm MSM8974AB Quad-core processor. We performed the AnTuTu Benchmark test where the device scored 33214 points. It stood above the LG G2 but it is followed by the HTC One (M8), Samsung Galaxy S5 and Samsung Galaxy Note 3.
It stated that CPU was good enough and supports large apps with multi-tasking, RAM, 2D and 3D graphics were reported as excellent.
Further testing the device on NenaMark 2.4, we found the device to be good with 60 FPS rating.
Coming back to the other hardware features, we found the Xperia Z2 incorporated with a 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory which can be expanded to up to 128GB using a microSD card. The smartphone is a host to multiple connectivity options like Wi-Fi, Hotspot, microUSB, HSDPA, GPS, NFC and more. Ticking the device is a 3,200 mAh battery that runs for a day on an average.
Splendid Camera
Camera has become an integral part of smart devices these days and realising their importance, Sony has installed a 20.7-megapixel camera in the Xperia Z2 which is the same as the one we saw in its predecessor. But, like we mentioned, there are a few minor tweaks and changes that a camera enthusiast might notice and like.
It shoots some very sharp images with rich colours and the results are beautiful. Photographs came out pretty well in various lightening conditions, be it indoor, outdoor or in the dark. The front camera was however not that impressive as the image seemed a bit scattered due to low pixel density.
There are a number of features that Sony has stocked with its powerful rear camera. One can explore through these options and find the ‘Defocus’ feature that allows you to highlight the subject and blur out the rest, the AR effect feature creates virtual scenes and characters. Apart from that there are various other modes like- Superior auto, Manual, Creative effect, Info-eye, Timeshift burst, and the Sweep Panorama.
In comparison to the flagships by other brands like Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One (M8), the Xperia Z2 stands out with its camera giving better image quality and camera experience. It allows everybody from an amateur to a professional to create some beautiful pictures using various features and can even control the camera settings manually.
Sony Apps
The device is stuffed with plethora of apps that are exclusively available for selected Sony smart devices. One can find apps like Sony Music that lets you download and stream latest hits, Sony Select that suggests you apps under various categories, Sony LIV which has a plethora of shows and programmes that one can watch, Walkman app for listening music, Wisepilot for Xperia lets you navigate, X4 Video Player allows you to play four videos simultaneously on a single screen with a playback control of every individual video, Xperia Lounge for challenges & offers and Socialife for latest news in and around the world.
There is also a Smart Connect feature that allows you to shift your phone mode to night, music on the go and music at home. All apps come pre-loaded with the phone and one can enjoy them on day to day basis.
Multimedia
With its high resolution screen and sharp image quality, playing games and watching movies or videos on the Xperia Z2 is a complete delight. While reviewing the smartphone we realised that it played all the high quality videos with ease and ran most of the phone heavy games like the Asphalt 8, Angry Bird Epic and Fifa 2014 without any lags or hassle.
The only problem we encountered was that when a heavy game was played or when the camera was used for more than 5 minutes the device heated up and in some cases it also shut down saying that it happened due to excessive heat-up.
Apart from that, it performed some of the critical tasks with ease and efficiency. Audio quality also stands at a decent level, both on earplugs and loudspeaker, though the earbuds were quite ordinary. The experience is sure to enhance if one uses earphones from other audio brands.
Photo Gallery
Final Verdict
With the Xperia Z2, Sony has tried to move a step ahead and has been successful doing that, there would be nothing wrong saying that the device competes with the likes of Samsung Galaxy S5, Nokia Lumia 1520, HTC One (M8), etc. Sony created a niche in the market with its Xperia series and the Xperia Z2 has only raised the bar and set the standards even higher. The device has a great display clubbed with a powerful camera, which is capable of clicking some very good pictures.
Sony seems to have been learning from its mistakes and with the Xperia Z2 we can see the improvements. On the design front, though the device looked all classy but its slipperiness is a matter of concern as nobody would want to accidently drop such an expensive phone. Though, that can be worked around with skins and cases.
The smartphones incorporates a 3,200 mAh removable battery which is about average and could run for a day with just the basic features being used. Its UI also adds onto the device, especially for someone who loves to have more to Android’s stock features. The USP for this smartphones remains the same that it is both water and dust proof which is actually a triggering factor for many. So, all in all, we give Xperia Z2 thumbs up!
Sony seems to have been learning from its mistakes and with the Xperia Z2 we can see the improvements. On the design front, though the device looked all classy but its slipperiness is a matter of concern as nobody would want to accidently drop such an expensive phone. Though, that can be worked around with skins and cases.
The smartphones incorporates a 3,200 mAh removable battery which is about average and could run for a day with just the basic features being used. Its UI also adds onto the device, especially for someone who loves to have more to Android’s stock features. The USP for this smartphones remains the same that it is both water and dust proof which is actually a triggering factor for many. So, all in all, we give Xperia Z2 thumbs up!
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