On paper, the $699.99 Sony Xperia XZ is almost identical to the Xperia X Performance released a bit earlier this year. Aside from some minor design changes and a few improvements to the camera sensor, you're essentially looking at the same phone. Priced on par with flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S7, the Xperia XZ lacks features you'd expect, like a fingerprint scanner or a Quad HD display. It also has mediocre battery life, and suffered from overheating issues in testing, just like the X Performance. That means our assessment hasn't changed much: There are more capable unlocked phones out there.
Design, Features, and Display
With its distinct rectangular shape and sleek metal build (available in black, blue, pink, and platinum), the Xperia XZ is immediately recognizable as a Sony phone. Measuring 5.7 by 2.8 by 0.3 inches (HWD) and weighing 5.6 ounces, it's roughly the same size as the Galaxy S7 (5.6 by 2.7 by 0.3 inches, 5.4 ounces), and smaller than the phablet-sized ZTE Axon 7 (6 by 3.0 by 0.3 inches, 6.2 ounces). One-handed use is possible, but slightly unwieldy due to the hefty bezel at the top and bottom. If a palm-sized fit is what you want, you're better off with the Xperia X Compact.
There's a headphone jack up top, a USB-C charging port on the bottom, and a flap on the left that opens to give you access to a SIM microSD card slot that worked with a 256GB Samsung Evo+ card. The right side houses all the buttons, including a power button, a volume rocker, and a camera shutter key. There's no fingerprint scanner, which is becoming an increasingly large omission in a market where even budget phones like the ZTE Zmax Pro have one.
Like the X Performance, the XZ is rated IP68 waterproof, meaning it can survive being submerged in up to six feet of water for 30 minutes. I gave it a thorough run under a running sink tap and dropped it in a bowl of water without any issues.
Similar Products
Samsung Galaxy S7
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
ZTE Axon 7
Sony Xperia X Performance
Sony Xperia X Compact
Huawei Honor 8
Motorola Moto G4 Plus
The XZ has a 5.2-inch, 1,920-by-1,080 IPS LCD. That works out to 424 pixels per inch, making it less sharp than the Quad HD panels on the Galaxy S7 (577ppi) and the Axon 7 (538ppi). But the display produces colors that look rich and vibrant, and it's hard to see a difference in resolution once you're past the 400ppi mark. Viewing angles are good, and the screen gets very bright, making it easy to use in direct sunlight.
Network Performance and Connectivity
Like all recent Sony phones, the XZ is available unlocked and supports GSM carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile. It has a comprehensive set of LTE bands (1/2/3/4/5/7/12/13/17/20/25/26/29/30/41) that give it strong network connectivity. I tested the phone on T-Mobile in midtown Manhattan and saw a top download speed of 24Mbps outdoors. Dual-band Wi-Fi and NFC are also present.
Voice calls on the XZ are good, but noise cancellation could be better. Transmissions are clear and earpiece volume is loud, but the phone struggled to blot out background noises like the distant blaring of a siren and the honking of car horns.
Processor and Battery
The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, the same chipset you'll find in most high-end Android phones. The phone performed well in our benchmark tests, scoring 130,426 in AnTuTu, which measures overall system performance. That's higher than the S7 (123,993), but less than the Axon 7 (141,989) despite its less-demanding display.
With 3GB of RAM, the XZ is capable of multitasking, though I couldn't push it to the same limits as phones with 4GB of RAM like the S7 and the Axon 7. In terms of graphics performance, gameplay in GTA: San Andreas and Asphalt 8 was smooth and responsive.
Battery life is a weak point. The phone clocked just 3 hours and 57 minutes in our rundown test, which streams full-screen video over LTE with screen brightness set to maximum. That's less than the 6 hours we got on the Axon 7, and significantly less than the 9 hours we clocked with the Galaxy S7. It's also a bit lower than the X Performance (4 hours, 5 minutes), despite having a slightly larger 2,900mAh battery.
The phone supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, but it only comes with a standard power adapter. Two battery-saving modes are built in: Stamina and Ultra Stamina. Both prolong runtime by disabling functionality like background data and app refreshing, and tamping down screen brightness.
Camera
Though the XZ has the same 23-megapixel rear camera sensor as the X Performance, it has some additions that make it better. There's laser autofocus to improve the speed and accuracy of low-light shooting, an RGB color sensor to improve color reproduction, and Predictive Hybrid Autofocus with five-axis image stabilization to improve video recording.
Overall, the XZ performs nearly identically to the X Compact. Focus locks on quickly and pictures come out crisp and accurate. The camera does well at capturing moving objects with limited blur and distortion. It's not as good as the S7, especially when it comes to low-light shooting, but it takes better shots than the Axon 7.
The problems come with video recording. When recording 4K video at 30fps, the camera app preemptively warns you that overheating may occur and that it may need to shut down some functions if the temperature rises. The same issue crops up when recording 1080p video at 60fps. After several minutes of recording, the camera app reported a problem with overheating and shut down completely. I couldn't open it again until the phone cooled down. This is the same problem we encountered with the Xperia X Performance, but not the X Compact. The Compact is only capable of recording in 1080p at 30fps, which might explain the difference.
The 13-megapixel camera on the front takes clear and detailed shots. The camera app itself supports manual controls, allowing for adjustment to ISO, white balance, focus, and other settings.
Software
The XZ runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, but with a fairly heavy custom skin over it. You'll find a custom lock screen, app icons, app drawer interface, and a whole host of new settings in the menu. Sony has promised an update to Android 7.0 Nougat in the future.
There's a built-in Smart Cleaner that automatically optimizes storage and memory by cleaning cache and closing background apps. ClearAudio+ optimizes sound settings, while DSEE HX upgrades the quality of compressed music files when using wired headphones; I didn't notice a significant difference in sound quality with these settings enabled, though. There's also a Gloves mode that increases touch-screen sensitivity, and a Smart Backlight Control that detects when you're holding the phone in your hand and keeps the screen awake.
You'll also find a ton of pre-installed apps like Amazon Shopping, AR Effect, AVG Protection, Facebook, Lifelog, Movie Creator, PlayStation, Sketch, Spotify, Sticker Creator, SwiftKey Keyboard, TrackID, Video & TV SideView, What's New, and Xperia Lounge. They can only be disabled, not deleted. That leaves you with 21.47GB of available storage out of 32GB total. A microSD card can be used for music, photos, and video, but you can't move apps to it.
Conclusions
At $700, the Sony Xperia XZ is priced like a flagship phone, but it can't match the premium experience of devices like the Samsung Galaxy S7. It lacks a fingerprint sensor, has a lower-resolution display, and mediocre battery life. The unlocked Galaxy S7 is a better pick all around. If you're looking to save some money, the ZTE Axon 7 gets you a sharper display than the Xperia XZ and otherwise similar hardware for $300 less. Most importantly, neither of these phones overheat when shooting video.
Sony's Xperia XZ phone has promising hardware, but lags behind the unlocked Android competition in features and polish.
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