2017年09月20日
Sony Xperia XZ hands on review
The Sony Xperia XZ may be the brand's fourth flagship in the last two years, but it's been a whole year since it released the Xperia Z5 to critical acclaim at IFA 2015.
In the meantime Sony has released the Xperia X, which we believed to be its latest flagship handset at the time – but it wasn't. The Xperia XZ is that phone.
The Xperia Z line is now dead. Every Sony cell phone screen replacement will now be part of the Xperia X line, whether it's a budget, mid-range or high-end device, and will sit under the top-dog Xperia XZ – at least until we see the Xperia XZ 2.
It's the best of the best of Sony's mobile tech in one full package. It features all the highlights of Sony phones we've seen the past, put into a melting pot and blended to create something familiar, yet different.
If this was an iPhone, it would be an S iteration. There are small improvements to the design, camera and battery tech – but there's no big, headline feature or major difference when you compare it to the Xperia Z5.
On the iPhone 7, for example, the headline feature was the introduction of a water-resistant build – but Sony has been there and done that, waterproofing its flagships since the Xperia Z back in 2012.
Instead it's a reworking of the highlights from the last few years – and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Sony Xperia XZ price and release date
Sony's Xperia XZ is out in both the US and UK but there's no sign of a launch for Australia.
When the flagship launched it cost $699.99 (£549, about AU$939) which is similar to what the Xperia Z5 cost when that first phone came out. Now Sony has announced the newer Xperia XZs so the price of the Xperia XZ has dropped too.
In the UK you can now buy the Xperia XZ for around £499.99, while those in the US can get the phone for only $399.99 from certain retailers. The UK once saw the price drop as low as £399.99, but we now can't find the ETS from any popular retailers for that low anymore.
