Scented with Sony's passion for gaming and its persistent push for connectivity between its devices, the Xperia Z3 smartphone builds upon its predecessor's hardware with Remote Play support for PlayStation consoles and a port for a DualShock controller.
Alongside Xperia Z3, Sony revealed the Z3 Compact at IFA 2014 in Berlin. The Z3 Compact has undergone a couple of compromises to shrink down its price and form factor, but the Z3 moves the series forward.
The 5.2-inch, 1080p display returns in the Z3, as does its 20.7-MP rear camera -- the 2.2-MP chat camera is back as well. It offers a new 25mm wide-angle Sony G Lens, takes low-light videos and offers stabilzation with Sony's SteadyShot technology. With a Snapdragon quad-core processor clocked at 2.5 GHz, the Z3 gets a slight buff over its predecessor's 2.3-Ghz processing unit.
The Z3 is roughly 10 grams lighter than its predecessor and promises two days of battery life with moderate usage, but it's the smartphone's Remote Play support and game controller port that really sets its apart from previous entries into the series and helps its shine among the assortment of other products Sony debuted at IFA 2014. After the PlayStation App has connected PlayStation Network accounts with either the Z3 or Z3 Compact, users can cede control over the big screen and continue gaming elsewhere.
"The only smartphones with PS4 Remote Play, you can now use your Xperia Z3 or Xperia Z3 Compact as a remote screen to connect to and control your games on PS4," says Sony in a press release. "For those times when the TV is being used, simply connect your Xperia smartphone to your PS4 via home Wi-Fi and use the DualShock®4 Wireless Controller with the GCM10 Game Control Mount to continue playing games anywhere at home on Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact."
The Z3 Compact delivers a 720p resolution across a 4.6-inch display. The compact offers 1 GB less ram than the 3-GB Z3, but it's still armed with a 20.7-MP rear camera and the same Snapdragon processor as its big sister.
Kunimasa Suzuki, president and CEO of Sony Mobile Communications, says the Z3 and Z3 Compact redefines what "flagship" means for Sony, as there are now two smartphones that embody the best of what the brand has to offer.
"Consumers demand and deserve greatness from their smartphone -- in design, camera and battery life," says Suzuki. "That's precisely what we aim to deliver with Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact, at the same time as delivering leading innovations such as unique Sony camera experiences and, for the first time, PS4 Remote Play in two beautifully designed, fully waterproof smartphones." It's waterproof and dustproof rating is IP 65/68, making it dustproof and good at 1.5-m for 30 minutes level of water resistance.
Take a look at the Z3's Remote Play feature in action:
