Sony Xperia XZ Premium Review: A Solid Contender

Sony Xperia XZ Premium was launched last week in India with the price tag of Rs 59,990 and going by the specifications, it is definitely the next flagship by the Japanese Manufacturer in India. However, on 25 May, OnePlus proudly announced that they are going to launch the first Snapdragon 835 powered smartphone in India and while everything was going well for the company, Sony silently launched one of its solid contender with the subjected SoC named Sony Xperia XZ Premium and by all means, it is a solid contender in the race of best premium smartphones.

Moreover, while usual benchmarks in this industry are batteries, hardware, cameras, performance, and displays, brand recognition also plays a part in the premium segment due to the asking price. For example, what drives a consumer to go for an iPhone or Samsung’s flagship? Brand Value.

Sony also has a fanbase as well as a brand value of its own and Sony Xperia XZ Premium into the consideration, the company is doing everything in its power to regain the short-lived glory of the yesteryears.

Yes, that is how great a smartphone Sony Xperia XZ Premium is but it still has to go against the likes of Samsung Galaxy S8, iPhone 7 Plus, Google Pixel XL and even the upcoming OnePlus 5. Does the Sony Xperia XZ Premium have everything it needs to do this? Let’s see!!

Sony Xperia XZ Premium Specifications

• 5.5-inch (2160 x 3840) 4K HDR TRILUMINOS display with 2.5D curved glass, Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5 protection, and 807 ppi
• 2.45GHz 64-bit Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor with Adreno 540 GPU
• 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage, expandable up to 256 GB via MicroSD
• Android 7.1 Nougat Out Of The Box
• 19MP Motion Eye rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, dual LED flash, 1.22μm, 1/ 2.3-inch Exmor RS sensor, 960 fps for slow mo, 5-axis stabilization, 4K video recording and predictive hybrid autofocus.
• 13MP front camera with f/2.0 aperture, 22mm wide-angle lens, 1/3.06” Exmor RS for mobile image sensor and 5-axis stabilization.
• IP68 rating and fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button
• 3230 mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support
• Dual SIM, 4G VoLTE, USB 3.1 Type-C, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, Dual-band 11ac Wi-Fi, A-GNSS (GPS + GLONASS)

Verdict

Barring the ‘glass loop surface’ that can literally be used a mirror but tends to attract smudges and fingerprints, there is nothing wrong with Sony Xperia XZ Premium. Everything from the display quality, camera performance (not the best under low lighting though) to multitasking, gaming, build quality and battery, everything is up to the mark and it will not be wrong if we say that Samsung Galaxy S8, iPhone 7 Plus, Google Pixel XL and LG G6 has a solid competitor in the line of premium smartphone glory. However, it still remains to see how Xiaomi Mi 6 and OnePlus 5, both of which are going to feature SD 835, are priced once they are launched in India and what kind of package they will be offering.

Other than that, if ‘premium looks’ is what you are looking for and performance is what you have always cherished, Sony Xperia XZ Premium at Rs 59,990 is certainly one of the best options you have got in the market.

7th June 2017
Rohan Jaitly