Sony's latest Xperia XZ2, unveiled at MWC 2018, maybe the flagship that fans have been waiting for, finally doing away with the clunky bezels in favor of a full-screen design.
While it still doesn't eliminate bezels altogether, it does minimize them for a taller, sleeker display similar to Samsung's flagships. In addition to a considerably improved design, the new Sony Xperia flagship also packs high-end specs and features, aiming to compete at the top end of the smartphone market.
Xperia XZ2 Series Upgrades
Sony designed its latest Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact with entertainment in mind, aiming to deliver an immersive experience with notable improvements all around. Compared to their predecessors, the Xperia XZ2 duo sport great upgrades in terms of camera, design, audio technology, and specs.
"If entertainment is your priority, then our new Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact are your smartphones," says Hideyuki Furumi, Sony Mobile's EVP of Global Sales and Marketing. "From what's inside - world-class technology, to a new sleek, sophisticated design, these smartphones are everything you need and probably a lot more. We have pushed Sony's boundaries even further with our new products for movie recording, viewing, and music listening - offering entertainment to the extreme."
Both the Sony Xperia XZ2 and the Xperia XZ2 Compact pack the latest and greatest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and are set to hit the market this spring, with more pricing and availability details to surface later on. In the meantime, take a closer look at the larger Xperia XZ2 and see what it has to offer.
Sony Xperia XZ2 Design
The Xperia XZ2 sports a new design language referred to as "Ambient Flow," combining metal and curved glass in a sleek construction that looks and feels premium.
The flagship Xperia XZ2 comes with a 5.7-inch display with a full HD+ resolution of 2,160 x 1,440 pixels, thin bezels, and an 18:9 aspect ratio. It's not exactly an edge-to-edge display, but it's nonetheless a huge step forward compared to other Sony smartphones.
Xperia XZ2 Specs
Under the hood, the Xperia XZ2 packs the powerful Snapdragon 845 processor, paired with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of native storage space, expandable via microSD up to 400 GB.
Notable features include IP68 certification for dust and water resistance, wireless charging (Qi standard), dual SIM support, a USB Type-C port, and a 3,180 mAh battery.
Xperia XZ2 Headphone Jack Missing
The Sony Xperia XZ2 also joins other recent smartphones in a controversial trend, ditching the 3.5mm headphone jack. Users will either have to get wireless headphones, USB Type-C ones or use a USB Type-C adapter to fit their regular 3.5mm headphones.
The smartphone further boasts stereo speakers that are 20 percent louder than the Xperia XZ1, while a new "Dynamic Vibration System" will reportedly make the audio experience even more immersive.
Xperia XZ2 Cameras And HDR Trick
In the camera department, the 19-megapixel main shooter can now capture 4K HDR video, super slow-motion video in full HD resolution, and higher-resolution 3D head scanning, among the highlights. On the front, the handset features an unexciting 5-megapixel selfie cam.
Another notable highlight, however, is that the Xperia XZ2's HDR-ready display can spice up regular standard dynamic range video and turn it into high dynamic range. Converting from SDR to HDR basically means making videos more vibrant and color-rich.
The smartphone also features a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner that now works for U.S. version as well (the side-mounted fingerprint scanner was disabled for U.S. models of previous Xperia smartphones) and runs Google's latest Android Oreo mobile operating system, with Sony's own UI on top.
The Xperia XZ2 will come in black, silver, and green color options, but Sony will announce exact pricing and availability details at a later date.
