Sony’s efforts to make the next flagship better is fairly tempting, we saw the best performing smartphone from Sony, the Xperia XZ Premium tops out in most things, and perhaps the Xperia XZ1 is no exception if we look the features and specifications on paper. It replicates most things from the Xperia XZ Premium itself. We got the Sony Xperia XZ1 and it looks like Sony has done a great job this time. It has super slow motion camera, 3D modeling feature, HDR display, Android Oreo out of the box, and highly compact design, the package is simply undeniable. Here’s our hands-on with Sony Xperia XZ1 below.
Sony Xperia XZ1 Specifications
- Display: 5.2-inch Full-HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) HDR TRILUMINOS display with X-Reality for mobile picture engine and Gorilla Glass 5
- Software: Android 8.0 Oreo
- Protection: IP68 Certified, dust and water resistant
- Fingerprint Scanner: Yes, side-mounted on Power key
- CPU: Up to 2.45 GHz octa-core Kyro 280 processor, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (MSM8998) SoC
- GPU: Adreno 540
- Memory: 4 GB RAM, LPDDR4X
- Storage: 64 GB internal, expandable up to 256 GB via microSD card
- Main Camera: 19 MP Motion Eye with 1/ 2.3” Exmor RS™ memory stacked image sensor, 960 FPS Super Slow-Mo, Predictive Capture, Predictive Hybrid Autofocus, SteadyShot and LED flash
- Selfie Camera: 13 MP with 1/3.06” Exmor RS™ for mobile image sensor, 22 mm wide-angle lens and f/2.0 aperture
- Cellular: 4G LTE, 2x nano SIM (GSM), microSD on SIM2
- Connectivity: USB type-C, 3.5 mm headphones jack, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS
- Other: Stereo Speaker S-Force Surround Sound, Qualcomm® aptX™ HD audio, High-Resolution Audio (LPCM, FLAC, ALAC, DSD), DSEE HX™, LDAC, Digital Noise Cancelling, Clear Audio+
- Colors: Moonlit Blue, Venus Pink, Warm Silver
- Battery: 2,700 mAh with Qnovo Adaptive Charging, Quick Charge 3.0 and Smart STAMINA Mode
- Price: ₹44,990
The Sony Xperia XZ1 is slim, light in weight, the entire design and much more refined and pleasing than before if you take a look the previous Sony Xperia devices. No more plastics and frosted glass, it’s all covered in a sleek aluminum body, the upper and lower ends seem to be made from good quality plastics. It certainly feels solid in terms of design, plus, it is IP68 dust and water resistant.
The only thing Sony needs to work on is the large top and bottom bezels especially when things are going bezel-less these days, but Sony wants to stick to the infamous old school design.
About the screen and the cameras on the phone, Sony does it best with its 19 MP Motion Eye camera and HDR display. The display is a 5.2-inch Full HD HDR TRILUMINOUS with X-Reality for mobile protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
Sony has a lot of innovations in the camera, the Motion Eye technology that takes images before you press the shutter key, and the super slow motion feature that takes 960 frames per second video recording. The front camera is of 13 MP with wide angle lens. Aside from the camera, the Sony Xperia XZ1 differentiates itself by an app that creates three-dimensional models.
Xperia XZ1 has an amazing 3D feature but requires patience to make it. When we talk about its unique 3D modeling feature, the Xperia XZ1 comes with a 3D scanning feature that creates three-dimensional models for 3D printing or using in augmented reality apps. It does sound like Sony has a great start with this new feature.
The top and bottom bezels hold the stereo speakers, navigation controls are underneath the display, no touch keys as usual. The rear side has a 19 MP camera and LED flash and NFC sits right beside the camera. The camera doesn’t come with the popular bokeh effect feature that most dual camera phones are capable of, rather Sony focuses on the quality images and the result might look great based on our past experiences with Sony Xperia devices.
What’s more interesting than a smartphone that comes with Android Oreo out of the box, the Sony Xperia boasts stock Android 8.0 operating system underneath. More or less, the Xperia XZ1 meets the enthusiastic specifications making a significant improvement over its predecessor.
For the internals the Xperia XZ1 equips, there’s a powerful octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC inside along with 4 G LPDDR4X RAM and fast 64 GB storage that expands via microSD card. It is powered by a 2,700 mAH battery with QuickCharge 3.0 technology.
The bottom has a USB type-C connection and that’s good since it’s now widely adopted by manufacturers. The right side has a fingerprint sensor embedded in the power key. The volume keys and a dedicated camera key are provided on the right side, the left side comes with a hybrid SIM tray meaning either two 4G SIM cards work without a microSD or single SIM with microSD extension.
The Xperia XZ1 still falls short on design, otherwise can compete with the Samsung Galaxy S8 and other similar flagships. So far, the Xperia XZ1 is impressive. We will hold out judgements until we are done with the review. Stay tuned.
