Sony Xperia XZ Premium camera review

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium smartphone has not only a modern appearance, but also a powerful filling. The new generation Snapdragon 835 processor, which currently has no competitors, is responsible for performance. In addition, the new product has a 5.5-inch screen with excellent 4K resolution and highly sensitive cameras, capable of replacing a camera in many cases. Below is a review in which we will try to figure out whether the gadget is worth its price.

• Read also a review of a Sony smartphone for 12,500 rubles.

What's included in the Sony Xperia XZ Premium package

In the compact box, along with the smartphone, there is an AC adapter that is used to charge the gadget, and a USB cable that is used to connect the product to a computer. There is also a miniature device for removing memory cards from the tray and stereo headphones. Like all the company's products, the smartphone comes with a user manual and a warranty card.

Design Sony Xperia XZ Premium

The screen occupies 69.65% of the front side area. No under display mechanical buttons, interface keys are used to control device functions. The auxiliary camera lens, notification LED and speaker, which, in tandem with the main one, participates in the reproduction of music and forms surround sound. On the left side there is a hybrid slot for SIM cards and microSD, protected from dust and moisture by a plastic plug. The tray is designed to connect two nanoSim cards or one SIM card and a memory card.

On the right side there is an oblong power activation button with an integrated fingerprint sensor, a volume rocker and a key with which you can take photos or videos. At the bottom there is a USB port for connecting to a computer and charger, and a microphone. At the top there is a 3.5 mm jack for connecting a headset. In the upper left part of the rear surface the manufacturer installed:

• the main camera lens, protected around the perimeter by a steel ring to protect the lens from minor mechanical damage;
• photo flash;
• laser autofocus sensors;
• IR remote control emitter.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium: specifications

• aspect ratio - 16:9;
• color depth - 24 bits;
• The color palette according to the sRGB standard is 138%.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium hardware

• microSD;
• microSDHC;
• microSDXC.

According to Google statistics, as of May 2017, the number of devices running AndroidNougat is 7.7% of all Android devices in the world and their number continues to grow by an average of 2.2% per month. Due to the peculiarities of the OS, it is possible to use a large number of paid and free applications that can be downloaded from PlayMarket.

Cameras and multimedia Sony Xperia XZ Premium

The module uses a 6-lens GLens lens with a minimum focal length of 4 mm, capable of macro photography from a distance of 12 cm. For high-quality camera operation, the manufacturer has provided laser autofocus and an IR-RGB sensor located next to the flash. Laser focusing is used for objects located in close proximity to the lens. Phase detection autofocus is used for long distance shooting. The IR-RGB system optimally sets the white balance when different power artificial light sources, resulting in photographs with excellent color rendition.

Among other hardware features, I would like to note the unique shutter mechanism, which allows you to clearly photograph moving objects, and an additional button located on the right side of the smartphone body. If you hold the button for a long time, the camera is activated even when the screen is off; if you press it briefly, the shutter is released. In the settings you can set the volume control as zoom.

The camera can shoot in automatic or manual mode. With the first method, you need to press a button, and the electronics will do the rest. In the second mode, it is possible to set the required shutter speed in the range from 0.0002 to 1 second, change the white balance, perform exposure compensation, and smoothly adjust the focus.

Photos in daylight are clear, without blurring in the corners. When shooting at night, the noise reduction system is activated and at 100% zoom, small details are “eaten up”. One of the advantages of the camera is the function of shooting video in slow motion, while the image quality is reduced to HD and the sound is turned off. In return, it becomes possible to see the grace of movement inaccessible to the human eye under normal conditions. The flash operates in four modes:

• filling;
• automatic;
• eliminating the “red eye” effect;
• flashlight.

For selfies and video calls, Skype has a widescreen 13 MP camera. The sensitivity of the module is enough to take photographs with a resolution of 4160x3120 pixels and create videos in FullHD quality. The secondary camera is equipped with a number of functions, including a filter that smooths out wrinkles on the skin, a smile detection option and a self-timer mode that responds to gestures.

The model is equipped with stereo speakers that provide loud and rich sound. As befits the flagship of the XPERIA line, the smartphone uses S-Force Front Surround technology, providing three-dimensional virtual sound. The presence of the ANO function allows you to determine the type of connected headset and automatic mode set the necessary sound settings. Many users consider the lack of an FM tuner to be a disadvantage. Built-in video and audio players support AAC, MP3, MP4, MPEG and many other file formats.

Communication Sony Xperia XZ Premium

• A-GPS;
• BriDou;
• Glonass.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium battery review

To increase duration battery life The manufacturer has provided a special economical STAMINA mode, which reduces the performance of the gadget and reduces the speed of information transfer in the background. The Qnovo Adapting Charging technology used significantly increases battery life.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium: price and release date

After reviewing the technical specifications and functionality gadget, you can highlight the positive and negative sides of the model. The advantages definitely include a modern, powerful new generation processor, a sensitive fingerprint scanner, a high degree of protection that allows you to safely use your smartphone on the beach or in the shower, as well as a unique screen resolution. Considering that the model is positioned as the flagship of the XPERIA series, there are a number of shortcomings that spoil the overall impression of the gadget:

• despite the use of a new generation camera, the quality of shooting leaves much to be desired;
• the price of the Sony Xperia XZ Premium smartphone, although it meets the specifications, is too high;
• for a device of this class, the battery used has a low capacity;
• soiling of the case;
• heating of the device at long work with energy-intensive applications;
• no QuickCharge included in the package.

Review of the Xperia XZ Premium camera - the most advanced camera among the current premium smartphones of 2017.

Before full review Xperia XZ Premium does not hurt to talk about the camera of Sony's flagship in a separate article.

The fact is that the Xperia XZ Premium camera is significantly different from the previous generation of Sony Xperia cameras. This is a real breakthrough for the Japanese company, a triumph of technological superiority.

• Image sensor: Sony IMX400,
• Resolution and physical dimensions: 19 MP, 1/2.3″, pixel size 1.22 microns
• Lens: 25mm G Lens, F2.0 aperture
• Features: Motion Eye technology, three-layer image sensor with built-in DRAM memory, 960 fps slow-mo video recording, predictive shooting, HDR, hybrid autofocus (phase + laser), RGB sensor, tracking autofocus.

Interface design and usability

We will have to start our review of the Xperia XZ Premium camera with harsh but justified criticism.

Why the hell is a camera app from 2014 still being used in 2017?! Is it really with the exit? new camera IMX400 is it so difficult and expensive to write a new application or at least give an old application a good look?!

The camera app is objectively outdated. Apart from scrolling through shooting modes by swiping up/down and the virtual shutter button, I can’t name any other convenient moments.

The settings are poorly implemented, there are a lot of items that are incomprehensible to an untrained user, and “Touch to configure” alone is worth it. But behind this nonsense hides the “Exposure by tap” function, which is turned off by default on the Xperia XZ Premium camera. Therefore, many reviewers who do not understand the issue well think that there is no tap exposure, there is only tracking autofocus.

And there are enough such “nice” little things in the Xperia XZ Premium camera application. For example, shooting 4K video in a separate mini-application with its own interface is a relic of the past. Only one question - WHY?! It really hurts me to see such absurdities.

Why am I having so much pain with the camera app interface? It's simple - I've been using Huawei Mate 9 () with its dual camera and Leica software for a long time. The camera app there is simply a reference one, and as you know, you get used to good things quickly.

However, if you abstract from the quality UI and honestly ask yourself the question “will I be able to use the Xperia camera application?”, the answer will be positive. You can figure out the Xperia XZ Premium camera and, once you get the hang of it, use it without any serious inconvenience.

In many situations, the mechanical two-position shutter button on the phone body saves the day. IN hiking conditions and when shooting on the go, this is the best solution you can come up with.

Functionality

Fortunately, the Xperia XZ Premium's camera capabilities almost entirely make up for its interface, which lags behind the competition. Let's look at all the functions in order.

Photo

Super Auto mode. This photo mode is the minimum feature in the Xperia XZ Premium camera app. Everything is very ascetic, almost like an iPhone camera.

You can turn the flash on/off, switch to the front camera and open settings.

Manually (manual mode). At first glance, everything is the same, but an icon with sliders appears under the shutter button. This is the control of manual mode, which, unfortunately, is very scant on the Xperia XZ Premium and other premium Sony smartphones. You can only change the exposure compensation from -2.0 to +2.0, choose from 4 color temperature presets, focusing distance and shutter speed.

Moreover, the maximum shutter speed for the Xperia XZ Premium is only 1 second, while the same Huawei flagships You can set up to 30 seconds. It seems like a small thing, but when shooting at night on a tripod, the same Mate 9 will show best result than XZ Premium.

Video

Except normal mode Sony Mobile developers have added video shooting in different resolutions and different frame rates new button above the shutter release. By clicking on it, we enter the slow motion mode.

Super slow motion. This mode was created specifically for shooting slow-motion videos at 960 fps.

When the mode is activated, the image is seriously cropped, the resolution is reduced to HD (1280×720), the noise becomes much greater, so such shooting is only possible in sufficient lighting.

The process can be configured as follows:

• Super slow motion. The shooting begins in HD resolution and 30 fps, and we select excerpts of the slow-mo video ourselves by pressing the shutter button. Pressed - the phone filmed an excerpt, transferred it from the camera’s memory to the phone’s memory and is ready to make the next excerpt. The clips are only 0.18 seconds long, but at 30 fps they turn into 6-second clips.
• Super slow(one excerpt). Pressing the shutter button only takes one super-slow-motion shot.
• Slow Motion. Video recording at 120 fps.

Camera apps

Built-in camera apps include:

• AR Effect
• Art
• Sound Photo
• Panorama
• Video 4K

All these applications are well known from premium Sony Xperia smartphones over the past 3-4 years. Nothing much has changed in the Xperia XZ Premium, except that they added the latest AR effects and the h.265 codec appeared in 4K mode.

Settings

The settings in the Xperia XZ Premium camera app are quite confusing and not always clear. Sony uses strange names for well-known parameters, but it’s unclear why.

For example, in the photo settings there is an item “Touch to adjust”, behind which a banal exposure by tap is hidden. By the way, it is turned off by default, instead it is set to “Object tracking” (autofocus tracking).

Because of this, untrained users think that the cameras latest Xperia no tapa exposure. It exists, but for some reason Sony Mobile engineers believe that it is more important for the user to use autofocus tracking than exposure.

How the Sony Xperia XZ Premium camera shoots

Interface design and settings are of course important, but much more important is how the Xperia XZ Premium camera shoots. At this point, I collected all kinds of tests with the Sony flagship camera.

Photography

The most important parameter when choosing a camera phone, because most users take photographs.

Test shots of Xperia XZ Premium.

Autofocus speed test when taking photographs:

I was forced to conduct an autofocus test by Sasha Zhuravlev’s video, where he scolded the Xperia XZ Premium camera for its inability to focus normally when shooting indoors. In that video, everything is really very bad with focusing, so I just couldn’t help but run a couple of similar tests.

It turned out that Sasha did something weird in the settings, because... In my tests, the Xperia XZ Premium camera focuses quickly and flawlessly. The focus of the Xperia XZ Premium camera is tenacious and smart, it is easy to follow even objects in motion, not like when shooting statically.

Video shooting

A less important parameter for most users, but very important for those who like to shoot video on a smartphone. Such people are ready to sacrifice quality in terms of photos, just so that video shooting is at the maximum level. Therefore, here I have collected all possible tests:

FHD 30 fps video recording test in a still state:

FHD 30 fps video recording test in motion (stabilization check):

FHD 60 fps recording test while still:

FHD 60 fps recording test in motion (stabilization check):

Still 4K 30 fps video recording test:

The best stabilization quality can only be achieved when recording FHD 30 fps. In this mode, active smart SteadyShot works, like in Sony action cameras. At 60 fps the quality of stabilization drops significantly.

Slow-mo video

Shooting slow-motion video at 960 fps is the main feature of the Xperia XZ Premium camera. And this is a really cool thing.

I would even say that this is fantastic for modern phones. Who would have thought that phones would so soon learn to shoot the same slow-mo as expensive professional cameras? And Sony was the first here.

It’s worth mentioning right away that you can use this shooting mode only in clear weather with a normal amount of light, otherwise there will be an indecent amount of noise. They are also enough in the sun, but this is not important, considering what cool things can be done at a speed of 960 fps.

Here's an example of what I managed to capture during my time with the Xperia XZ Premium. Not a masterpiece, but interesting:

Comparison of Xperia XZ Premium and Xperia X cameras

I think many Xperia fans will be interested to know how much the quality of the new Xperia XZ Premium camera based on the IMX400 sensor has improved compared to previous Sony Xperia flagships based on the IMX300 (Xperia XZ, Xperia X, Xperia Z5 and others).

Especially for those who are curious, I made a series of comparative photographs on the Xperia XZ Premium and Xperia X. All pictures were taken in Super Auto mode with a resolution of 19 megapixels and 23 megapixels, respectively.

The comparison goes in series (1,2,3, etc.), in each series first the photo belongs to Xperia X, and second Xperia XZ Premium.

In my opinion, the Xperia XZ Premium displays colors better and does not make mistakes with white balance. Write in the comments which photos you like best.

Conclusion

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium camera is not ideal, but it is a real breakthrough in the stagnant smartphone market. The Japanese company showed not just an advanced image sensor, but real innovation. Built-in memory right in the camera and super slow-motion video at 960 fps are much cooler than banal dual cameras.

But there is something to criticize the Xperia XZ Premium camera for. Sony Mobile was in a hurry and stuffed the functionality of the new camera into an outdated interface.

In fact, the Xperia camera app hasn't really changed in over 3 years. Something needs to be done about this, and the sooner the better. Let's hope that with the release Android updates 8.0 Sony developers will not forget about the new camera application.

Otherwise, the Xperia XZ Premium's camera definitely deserves respect. This is a top tool for photo creativity, with good video capabilities. Excellent electronic stabilization, slow-mo 960 fps - what more do you need?

At MWC 2018, Sony boasted of its new gadgets. Xperia models The XZ2 and XZ2 Compact are a breath of fresh air in the Japanese smartphone family.

While competitors were constantly reducing the bezels around the display in their smartphones, Sony still, with manic persistence, offered solutions that have been used in gadgets of this brand for many years. And finally a miracle happened - of course, the Sony Xperia XZ2 cannot be called Bezel-Less, but it is probably the most advanced model in the history of the Japanese, judging by the size of the frames around the screen.

Frames around Xperia screen The XZ2 is significantly thinner compared to previous Sony phones. This is a big step forward and fans of this brand will be pleased. The new design is called Ambient Flow and it looks like Sony is moving away from angular shapes in favor of a more rounded body. The Xperia XZ2 fits well and confidently in the hand, even despite the shell made of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Smartphones will be available in the following colors: black, silver, green and pink. Of course, there would be an IP65/IP68 certificate.

The new Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact smartphone has a 5.7-inch screen, HDR Full HD+ in 18:9 aspect ratio. The display is sharp, the colors feel natural, and the viewing angles are really good. Interestingly, the device not only reproduces existing materials in the HDR format, but thanks to special algorithms, it improves the quality of the created materials by converting them to the HDR format. Also worth mentioning is Sony's new technology - Dynamic Vibration System. It is useful mainly during games, when the smartphone itself is the controller. The Dynamic Vibration system works in the same way as the vibrations in the DualShock 4 gamepad. Algorithms analyze data and audio provide special feedback vibrations directly to your fingers.

But probably the most important thing about the Xperia XZ2 is its photo features. Thanks to the camera with Motion Eye, you can now record 4K HDR video - a world first! Thanks to the HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) format, the smartphone records reality with all the details, in real colors and shades. The device also received improved video recording quality in Super Slow Motion mode at 960 frames per second in Full HD format (as in the Samsung Galaxy and Galaxy S9 Plus). In fact, the model received one of the most powerful cameras in smartphones available on the market today.

In addition to the Sony Xperia XZ2, you could also admire a model at the MWC 2018 exhibition. XZ2 Compact - a smaller version with a 5-inch screen. The Compact body is not glass, although it also fits comfortably in the hand. The model also has high-quality optics.

New items will go on sale starting in mid-March. How much the manufacturer valued the Sony Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact is not yet known.

Top Japanese smartphone with moisture protection

Last fall, during the annual IFA exhibition in Berlin, Sony officially presented its next flagship smartphone, which came (rather quickly) to replace the Xperia X Performance, which was released in the spring. The new product, called Sony Xperia XZ, received an improved camera, which added a new stabilization system and laser autofocus. And in general, judging by the name, the latest flagship has absorbed all the best from both generations of the company’s smartphones: the past Xperia Z and the new Xperia X, which also managed to acquire several models. In general, the new representative of the Sony Xperia family will become the face of the entire series of smartphones from the Japanese manufacturer, and we will find out whether he is ready for this from a detailed review of this extraordinary mobile device.

Main characteristics of Sony Xperia XZ (F8332)

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (MSM8996), 4 Kryo cores @1.6/2.2 GHz
• GPU Adreno 530 @624 MHz
• operating room Android system 6.0.1
• Touch display IPS 5.2″, 1920×1080, 423 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 3 GB, internal memory 32/64 GB
• Nano-SIM support (2 pcs.)
• MicroSD support up to 2 TB
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
• WCDMA/HSPA+ networks (850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz)
• LTE Cat.9 Band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 26, 28, 29, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41 networks
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz)
• Bluetooth
• GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, BDS
• USB Type-C, USB OTG
• Camera Sony Exmor RS 23 MP, autofocus, f/2.0, 4K video
• Front camera Sony Exmor RS 13 MP, f/2.0, fixed. focus
• Proximity sensor, light sensor, magnetic field sensor, fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, step counter
• Battery 2900 mAh, Quick Charge 3.0
• Dimensions 146×72×8.1 mm
• Weight 161 g

Appearance and ease of use

Sony Xperia XZ received, according to the developers, a new design, which even has its own name - Loop Surface. We are talking about a side frame, which, bending, with its curved edges extends onto all panels - front, back and end. The frame is made not of metal, but of plastic, and in general the shape of the body with these clearly defined sharp corners remains similar to previous models from the Japanese manufacturer.

There are actually no fundamental changes here; Sony's design still remains recognizable, and not everyone likes it. But there are also those who like a specific shape with sharp corners more than “remnants” streamlined on all sides. All this is purely a matter of taste, and it is useless to defend any of the points of view. Although, undoubtedly, the design of Sony smartphones now stands out quite strongly against the background of countless iPhone clones.

The case is not easily soiled, since all surfaces are matte, although smooth to the touch. The back cover (and only one) is made of metal. The creators use metal processed using the patented Alkaleido technology (Kobe Steel trademark). However, with all this, the body of the Sony Xperia XZ is quite slippery, and it is not that light.

The smartphone received moisture protection according to the IP65/IP68 standard. It is assumed that he can spend up to half an hour under water, but recently Sony time places greater emphasis on protection from rain splashes or accidental spills, but prohibits complete immersion. In general, it is better not to overuse swimming with a smartphone, especially in salty sea water.

The card slot here is the usual hybrid one: you can install two Nano-SIM SIM cards or replace one of them with a memory card. Sony usually releases two variants of each model - single and dual SIM, and the Xperia XZ is no exception. All Sony smartphones automatically reboot as soon as the slide is removed from the case, regardless of the user's wishes and whether there are cards in the slot. So there is no need to talk about hot swapping here in any case.

On the opposite side, a flat power key with a fingerprint sensor inscribed in it, as well as volume and camera control buttons, are customarily installed.

There are no complaints about the response speed and clarity of recognition of the fingerprint scanner, but still this side option of its location is not the most convenient. However, you can get used to everything.

The front panel is equipped with an LED event indicator, a set of sensors, a front camera without flash, and two speakers symmetrically located at the top and bottom. There are no buttons below the screen.

The rear panel is usually given over to a camera with a laser pointer for autofocus and a flash. The camera module does not protrude beyond the surface, but is not recessed either, which is good, since there is no place for dirt to accumulate here.

For charging and communication with a computer, the Xperia XZ uses a modern USB Type-C connector; it supports connecting external devices, including flash drives USB mode OTG. Near this connector at the bottom there are neither the usual beautiful speaker grilles, nor screws, nor anything else. The upper and lower end panels generally look too simple by modern standards, and because of this alone, the design of the new Sony flagship can hardly be called attractive. Sony goes its own way, it and the connector of the new Type-C type installed for the first time.

The top end is given over to a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and the small lines in the photographs are the slot holes for the main and auxiliary microphones (also a rather dubious design option).

Sony Xperia XZ is available in three color options: light silver (“Noble Platinum”), black (“Black Mineral”) and dark blue (“Night Sky”). Dark colors The device probably suits it better. It’s also nice that the front panel began to be painted in the same color as the body.

Screen

Sony Xperia XZ is equipped with touch display IPS with protective 2.5D Gorilla Glass with sloping edges - however, they are sloping only in the direction of the side edges, and the glass at the top and bottom is straight at the edges. The physical dimensions of the screen are 64x114 mm, diagonal - 5.2 inches, resolution - 1920x1080, pixel density is approximately 424 ppi. The frame around the screen is ordinary, it can’t be called particularly narrow: about 3.5 mm on the sides and about 16 mm on the top and bottom. Considering that the smartphone does not have a curved body when moving from the front surface to the sides, these indentations look even wider.

You can manually adjust the display brightness or set automatic settings based on the ambient light sensor. The AnTuTu test diagnoses support for 10 simultaneous multi-touch touches. It is possible to manually adjust the color tone. The screen is compatible with gloves.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are better than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photograph in which a white surface is reflected in the switched off screens of both devices (Sony Xperia XZ, as it is not difficult to determine, is on the right; then they can be distinguished by size):

Both screens are dark, but the Sony screen is still darker (its brightness in the photo is 97 versus 107 for the Nexus 7). The tripling of reflected objects in the Sony Xperia XZ screen is very weak, this indicates that there is no air gap between the outer glass (also known as the touch sensor) and the surface of the matrix (OGS - One Glass Solution type screen). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of intense external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (very effective, even better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a lower speed than with regular glass.

At manual control brightness and when displaying the white field in full screen, its maximum value was about 490 cd/m², and the minimum was 5 cd/m². Maximum value high, and, given the excellent anti-glare properties, in bright daylight and even in direct sun the image on the screen should be clearly visible. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. Works automatic adjustment brightness by the light sensor (it is located to the right and below the front speaker slot). In automatic mode, when external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment, with which the user can try to set the desired brightness level in the current conditions. If you don’t change anything, then in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 5 cd/m² (a bit dark), in an office illuminated by artificial light (approximately 550 lux) it sets it to 180 cd/m² (normal), in a very bright environment (corresponds to the lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) increases to 580 cd/m² (which is even higher than the maximum with manual adjustment). Attempts to achieve a satisfactory result from this function were not successful, since even if in the dark we slightly increase the brightness to an acceptable level, then it still drops down and the screen becomes too dark. But other users will probably have a different opinion. Only at very low brightness levels does significant backlight modulation appear, but its frequency is high, about 2.3 kHz, so there is no visible screen flicker and can hardly be detected in a test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect.

This screen uses a matrix IPS type. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The screen has good viewing angles without inverting shades and without significant color shifts, even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen. For comparison, here are photographs in which the same images are displayed on the screens of the Nexus 7 and Sony Xperia XZ, while the screen brightness is initially set to approximately 200 cd/m² (over a white field in the entire screen), and the color balance on the camera is forcibly switched to 6500 K .

White field perpendicular to the plane of the screens:

Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field.

And a test picture:

The colors on the Sony Xperia XZ screen are oversaturated, skin tones are heavily red-shifted, and the color balance is noticeably different from the standard. Of course, you need to be very careful when assessing the color rendition of a screen from a photograph, but the trend is conveyed correctly.

Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens, and on the Sony Xperia XZ the contrast has decreased insignificantly.

And a white field:

The brightness at an angle for both screens decreased noticeably, but in the case of the Sony Xperia XZ the drop in brightness is much less. When deviated diagonally, the black field is lightened slightly (like the Nexus 7) and acquires a purple tint. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is the same for the screens!):

And from another angle:

When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is good, although not ideal:

The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is high - about 900:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 32 ms (19 ms on + 13 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 46 ms. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals according to the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal a blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows, and the indicator of the approximating power function the result was 2.13, which is slightly lower than the standard value of 2.2, but in this case this doesn't mean anything - see below. In this case, the real gamma curve practically does not deviate from the power-law dependence:

Due to the dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness in accordance with the nature of the displayed image (in dark areas the brightness decreases), the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve) does not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential output of shades of gray on almost the entire screen . For this reason, we carried out a number of tests - determining contrast and response time, comparing black illumination at angles - when displaying special templates with a constant average brightness, and not monochromatic fields in the entire screen. In general, non-disabled brightness correction does nothing but harm, since in the case of dark images it reduces the visibility of gradations in shadows and the readability of the screen in bright light, and constant changes in screen brightness can cause discomfort for the user.

The color gamut is noticeably wider than sRGB:

Let's look at the spectra:

They are very atypical for top mobile phones Sony devices(and more). Apparently, this screen uses LEDs with a blue emitter and green and red phosphors (usually a blue emitter and a yellow phosphor), which, in combination with special matrix filters, allows for a wide color gamut. Yes, and the red phosphor apparently uses so-called quantum dots. Unfortunately, as a result, the colors of images - drawings, photographs and films - oriented to the sRGB space (and these are the vast majority) have an unnatural saturation. This is especially noticeable on recognizable shades, such as skin tones. The result is shown in the photo above.

The balance of shades on the gray scale is average, since the color temperature is significantly higher than the standard 6500 K, but the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is less than 10 units, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, the variation in color temperature and ΔE is not very large - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (Dark areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the measurement error color characteristics at low brightness it is larger.)

This smartphone has the ability to adjust the color balance by adjusting the intensities of the three primary colors.

That's what we tried to do: the result is data signed as Corr. in the graphs above. As a result, we adjusted the color temperature, and even ΔE became lower on average. However, the brightness (as well as the contrast) was greatly reduced. This correction, of course, did not reduce the oversaturation of colors. Enabling proprietary mode helps a little X-Reality for mobile.

The result is shown below:

Excessively bright colors slightly muffled, although not enough. Color gamut for this mode:

There is an attempt to reduce the coverage to the sRGB boundaries, but the developers failed to cope with such a simple task; the triangle turned out to be crooked. In addition, this correction only works in Sony applications- when viewing images and, apparently, in the video player, and in third-party programs, the colors remain the same too saturated. There are also Extreme brightness mode, in which color contrast and saturation compared to mode X-Reality for mobile slightly enlarged. Here's what we got:

Nothing good. The color gamut graph for this mode also shows a crumpled triangle:

Let's summarize. The brightness adjustment range of this screen is wide, the anti-glare properties are excellent, which allows you to comfortably use the smartphone both on a sunny day and in complete darkness. It is acceptable, but in bright light it is simply necessary to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, although, from our point of view, it does not work quite adequately. The advantages include a very effective oleophobic coating, the absence of air gaps in the layers of the screen and flickering, high contrast, which does not decrease much even when viewed at an angle to the screen plane. The disadvantages are, first of all, oversaturated colors (skin tones are especially affected), as well as the non-switchable dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness. Nevertheless, taking into account the importance of characteristics for this particular class of devices (and the most important thing is the visibility of information in a wide range of external conditions), the quality of the screen can be considered high.

Camera

Sony Xperia XZ received a front camera module with a 13-megapixel Sony Exmor RS sensor for mobile devices and a wide-angle lens (90°, 22 mm, up to ISO 6400) with f/2.0 aperture and fixed focus, without its own flash. You can initiate shooting with an open palm gesture or a smile; there is a mode for decorating pictures - “Soft Skin”. The shooting quality is good for selfie level; there are no complaints about sharpness and detail, as well as color rendition.

The main camera received a 23-megapixel Sony Exmor RS sensor for mobile devices, a lens with an f/2.0 aperture and a proprietary five-axis Sony SteadyShot image stabilization system with Intelligent Active Mode, which are used in Sony Handycam camcorders. The sensor itself is not new; it has already been used in Xperia smartphones last generation; the control menu with all capabilities, automatic and manual, as well as additional modes, also remains the same. But auxiliary elements were added to the already well-known Sony Exmor RS matrix.

The first element of the three-sensor interaction technology is predictive hybrid autofocus, which predicts the movement of the subjects being photographed. The second is laser autofocus, which measures the distance to the objects being photographed even in low light conditions. The third element is an RGBC-IR sensor with color detection technology, which is responsible for obtaining natural colors in the image. It is designed to accurately select white balance depending on the light source when shooting. You can transfer control of camera settings to third-party applications using the Camera2 API, but there is no possibility of recording in RAW.

The camera can shoot video in 4K and 60 fps modes. The stabilization function is present and works adequately; there are no complaints about the smoothness of video shooting, as well as the quality; it is one of the best for modern smartphones. The sound is also recorded clearly and cleanly, and the noise reduction system copes with its tasks.

• Video No. 1 (89 MB, 2560×1440@30 fps, H.264, AAC)
• Video No. 2 (52 MB, 1920×1080@60 fps, H.264, AAC)

	Sharpness drops noticeably towards the edges of the frame.
	The license plates of nearby cars are distinguishable.
	Good sharpness and detail in mid-grounds.
	The camera copes well with indoor shooting.
	Noticeable strong work noise reduction
	Good sharpness in the central part of the frame.

The camera turned out to be good, except for the large areas of blur at the edges of the frame. However, as we already know, in Sony smartphones this is often treated by setting the image resolution to a lower one. In addition, in this case the noise will be hidden, and the picture will take up much less space. The detailing is quite good in 22-megapixel images, but in this mode the camera can only be recommended for documentary shooting. But in 8 megapixel mode it will cope well with many different scenes.

Telephone and communications

The smartphone has rich communication capabilities: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 has an X12 LTE Cat.12/13 modem, and the manufacturer took care of supporting a large number of frequency bands, including 3 bands FDD LTE band 3, 7, 20. In practice, the device behaves in city ​​limits: the connection is reliable, the quality of signal reception is not satisfactory, the speed in LTE networks is high.

In addition, Bluetooth 4.2 is supported, both Wi-Fi bands (2.4 and 5 GHz) MU-MIMO, WiDi and NFC with support for Mifare Classic. There are no complaints about the sensitivity of the Wi-Fi module. You can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels. The USB Type-C connector supports connecting external devices in USB OTG mode.

The navigation module works with both GPS (with A-GPS) and the domestic Glonass, and sees satellites of the Chinese Beidou network. The first satellites during a cold start in the absence of a wireless network for data transmission are detected within the first tens of seconds. The smartphone is equipped with a magnetic field sensor, on the basis of which the digital compass of navigation programs usually operates.

In conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor remains recognizable, although the sound is somewhat muffled, like all sounds emanating from speakers protected from water by special membranes. The main speaker, accordingly, is also not one of the loudest, overall the sound is at an average level, although it is more than enough for voicing a call. Naturally, the sound is much more interesting with headphones. The vibration alert here is average in power.

The smartphone in one of its modifications supports work with two SIM cards. The standard interface allows you to select a specific card for each function in advance or directly during the connection. Work with two SIM cards is organized according to the familiar Dual standard SIM Dual Standby, when both cards can be in active mode waiting, but cannot work at the same time - there is only one radio module.

Software and multimedia

As software platform used in Sony Xperia XZ operating system Google Android 6.0.1 with an interface that becomes closer to stock with each new update Android versions, and there is less and less individuality in him. The once-present pull-out side panel in the launcher program menu has disappeared, mini-applications have disappeared, and the notification shade and the menu of open programs began to look and function the same as in pure Android. However, the external design of the interface in Sony smartphones remains recognizable and differs from Material Design.

Also familiar is the set of pre-installed programs that has been moving from model to model over the past few years, but it has also been reduced over time. All that's left is Movie Creator, Sketch, AVG antivirus and its own audio player with the usual set of settings. Xperia Tips takes into account user habits to offer personalized recommendations, Smart Cleaner automatically clears the cache of some applications based on their usage. There is no file manager, which is not very convenient. It is worth noting that the Sony Xperia XZ has already begun to receive new firmware based on Android 7.0 as an over-the-air update.

Performance

The Sony Xperia XZ hardware platform is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (MSM8996) SoC, although smartphones with an improved version of the Snapdragon 821 are already being sold (top model Xiaomi Mi 5s, for example). The Snapdragon 820 configuration includes four Kryo processor cores in two clusters with maximum frequency from 1.6 to 2.2 GHz. The Adreno 530 video accelerator is responsible for processing graphics. The RAM capacity is 3 GB, which is no longer fully comparable to the level of top-end devices, but it is more than enough for comfortable work. The built-in memory is 32 or 64 GB depending on the configuration. About 50 GB remains free in the 64 GB flash model, with approximately 890 MB of the 2.7 GB RAM free after clearing memory and closing all applications.

Qualcomm claims that the Snapdragon 821 SoC is about 10% faster than its predecessor Snapdragon 820, and benchmark results in comparative tables clearly prove this. However, the Snapdragon 820 platform still remains at the top level in terms of processor performance and especially in graphics; it is difficult to find equal Qualcomm SoCs.

The platform provides the highest numbers in benchmarks, and in real use scenarios it confidently copes with any tasks, including the most demanding games. All the games we tested, including Dead Trigger 2, Modern Combat 5, Real Racing 3 and others, run without the slightest slowdown. maximum settings, not to mention less demanding games like World of Tanks. Sony Xperia XZ is very powerful smartphone, it has significant headroom for future updates.

Testing in the latest versions of comprehensive tests AnTuTu and GeekBench:

For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark, the most powerful smartphones now have the ability to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowance for the fact that their results significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this is possible during testing not always. For Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

AndroBench memory speed test results:

Thermal photographs

Below is a thermal image of the rear surface obtained after 10 minutes of running the battery test in the GFXBenchmark program:

The entire metal “back” of the smartphone heats up well, but you can also localize the location of the SoC chip in the upper part of the device. According to the heat camera, the maximum heating was 40 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), this is the average heating in this test for modern smartphones.

Playing video

To test omnivorousness when playing video (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, for example subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Web. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, don't expect mobile device decoding everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a table.

According to the test results, the test subject was not equipped with all the necessary decoders that are needed to fully play most of the most common multimedia files on the network, in this case, audio files. To successfully play them, you will have to resort to the help of a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, it is also necessary to change the settings and manually install additional custom codecs, because now this player does not officially support the AC3 sound format.

Further testing of video playback was performed Alexey Kudryavtsev.

We were unable to check the theoretically possible support for adapters for outputting images to an external device due to the lack of an adapter option that connects to the USB Type-C port, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files to the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see "

Note: If in both columns Uniformity And Passes green ratings are given, this means that, most likely, when watching films, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and frame skipping will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with playback of the corresponding files.

According to the criterion of frame output, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can (but are not required) be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p), the image of the video file itself is displayed one-to-one pixel by pixel, exactly along the edge of the screen and in true Full HD resolution. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - in the shadows, only a couple of shades of gray do not differ in brightness from black, and in the highlights all gradations of shades are displayed.

Battery life

Fixed battery, installed in the Sony Xperia XZ, has a small capacity of 2900 mAh by modern standards, although the device is neither small nor too light. The smartphone, as expected, did not show miracles of longevity; in terms of autonomy, everything is at an average level. He can hold out until evening exercises, but in an eventful day he can live even less. The developers themselves promise up to 590 hours of standby time, up to 700 minutes of talk time and up to 11 hours of video playback - these data look, as always, a little embellished.

Testing has traditionally been carried out at normal power consumption levels without using power saving features, although there is, of course, the proprietary Stamina mode.

Continuous reading in the Moon+ Reader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) with auto-scrolling lasted 17 hours until the battery was completely discharged, and when continuously watching videos in high quality (720p) with same brightness level through home Wi-Fi network The device operates for no more than 9 hours. In 3D gaming mode, the smartphone can work for up to 6 hours, although here, of course, everything will depend on the specific games and their settings.

The device supports the Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging function, and should, in theory, charge quickly from the included AC adapter. However, the test sample arrived to us without a complete charger, and from a regular adapter with an output current of 2 A, the device is charged in approximately 2 hours 50 minutes with a current of 1.5 A at a voltage of 5 V. The smartphone does not support wireless charging.

Bottom line

In Russian retail, the cost of the basic version of the Sony Xperia XZ smartphone with 32 GB of flash memory now ranges from 40 to 50 thousand rubles. It is curious that prices for modifications with support for two SIM cards and 64 GB of flash memory start at 30 thousand. In any case, the amount is very decent; not everyone is willing to pay that much for a smartphone. Naturally, everything must be perfect for products in this price range, because competitors are the most powerful and popular models of our time, such as the Apple iPhone 7 and Samsung Galaxy S7. What does the hero of this review have in his assets? Sony Xperia XZ great cameras, a very powerful, expensive and productive hardware platform, one of the best in its class, plus the broadest communication capabilities. An absolute advantage is the presence of moisture protection, although in reality few people need it. The screen is very good, but not the best, as is the sound - in this parameter, the top-end Sony smartphone is inferior to its competitors. The design is controversial - in our opinion, even quite controversial. Autonomy is far from record-breaking; flagship Samsung devices certainly do better with this. As a result, it turns out that in some ways the hero of the review is inferior to his competitors, and in some ways he is on the same level with them, but the Sony Xperia XZ smartphone has nothing in which it is the best. However, while there are still users who love and respect the Japanese brand, this product will definitely not be a disappointment for them.

The main characteristics of the display of Sony's flagship smartphone remain the same: we still have 1920 × 1080 pixels placed on a 5.2-inch matrix. The pixel density is high - 423.6 ppi, the effect of "pixelation" on the Z5 display is completely absent.

The device uses an IPS matrix with decent viewing angles: yes, if you look at it from a very sharp angle, the black color loses its saturation slightly, but these are minor things. The screen is responsive and responds quickly and accurately to touches. The device supports up to ten simultaneous clicks and correctly detects gestures. If necessary, the user can activate the corresponding item in the screen settings menu and operate the device with loose gloves - it will detect touches correctly.

Sony Xperia Z5 - AnTuTu MultiTouch Test results

As expected, Sony equipped the Z5 screen with a number of software image “enhancers” so that the user can adjust the color rendition to suit his tastes. The smartphone display can operate in three modes:

• standard: without software interference in color reproduction. It was in this mode that we carried out all the screen tests, without the intervention of cunning “improvers”;
• X-Reality for mobile: software enhancement of the quality of photos and videos (standard filter for mobile displays from Sony Mobile, correcting color reproduction depending on the type of content displayed);
• extreme brightness mode: Maximum color quality to ensure bright and vibrant images (artificially over-saturates colors, making the picture look “cartoonish”, as on many AMOLED screens).

The smartphone has a bright screen: the maximum luminosity of the white field is 656 cd/m2. This is a lot even by modern standards. Since the display has a quite effective polarizing filter, and there is an air gap between protective glass and the matrix, on the contrary, is not, the maximum brightness is almost never useful - even in the bright sun, about 400 cd/m2 is enough. On the other hand, one cannot help but like such a reserve of brightness, at least on a psychological level - the Z5’s display is brighter than that of the vast majority of its competitors. It’s also good that it’s comfortable to work with a smartphone in complete darkness: the minimum luminosity of the white field is 18 cd/m2.

The Z5 is equipped with a light sensor that quite adequately adjusts the brightness to the level of ambient light. The display brightness is adjusted smoothly, without jerking. It is noteworthy that the user can configure the auto-corrector to make the screen backlight a little brighter or a little dimmer, depending on personal preferences.

It is somewhat disappointing that due to the high brightness, the luminosity of the black field also rises: with 100% backlight it reaches 0.63 cd/m2 - and this is a bit too much. In practice, this means that blacks at maximum brightness do not look very deep. True, it is enough to slightly reduce the backlight level - and the black will be perfectly saturated. In general, the contrast of the Z5 display is all right - 1041:1 even at maximum brightness.

The color temperature of the Z5 screen, like many other Sony mobile displays, is too high - on average 8800 K with a reference value of 6500 K. Because of this, the picture on the display noticeably pulls towards cool shades. For perfectionists, there is an option to programmatically adjust the color temperature.

Otherwise, the screen is set up well: all gamma curves - both color components and gray - almost completely coincide with the reference curve; you can safely close your eyes to minimal deviations from it. This means that the device’s display “correctly” displays all halftones and shades. If only its white balance was set correctly out of the box, it would be absolutely great.

Judging by our tests, the display in the Xperia Z5 has been carried over directly from the previous Xperia Z3+, without any significant changes. The screen is good, but Sony engineers do not want to bring the color temperature of their screens to a decent value.

⇡ The hardware moved from the Xperia Z3+ started working faster

In theory, in this paragraph you can refer to the hardware of the Xperia Z3+ and move on to the next point - the Z5 has exactly the same. The smartphone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994 platform.

The RAM in the device is still 3 gigabytes, it is still the same LPDDR3; The volume of the built-in storage is 32 GB, of which about twenty gigabytes are available to the user, and if this is not enough, microSD memory cards are at your service. It’s great that Sony’s mobile division is not abandoning flash drives, as other manufacturers do.

Interestingly, the Xperia Z5 scored higher in all benchmarks than the Z3+. The increase in performance is observed in all test tasks, and Sony software optimization is most likely to be thanked for this. An increase of about 10-20% compared to the previous flagship in different tests- this is a very good result.

The device uses a Qualcomm Adreno 430 module as a graphics controller, the power of which is enough for more or less anything.

In terms of performance, the Z5 is the right flagship: there is almost an abundance of power here, users are unlikely to start complaining about its lack even after a couple of years.

⇡ Communications and wireless interfaces: everything is standard

By default, the Sony Xperia Z5 can only work with one Nano-SIM format SIM card. In nature, there is a dual-SIM version of the new “Z” - it’s called Xperia Z5 Dual, but we’ll talk about it some other time. Our test subject today knows how to work in LTE Cat networks. 6 with a maximum theoretical data reception speed of 300 Mbit/s, upload speed - 50 Mbit/s. All frequencies important for Russia are supported. We did not identify any problems with cellular signal reception while testing the device. Using the Xperia Z5 as the only means of communication is quite convenient - the interlocutor can be heard well, the earpiece is loud, and at the other end of the line they also did not complain about poor audibility.

The set of wireless networks in the device is completely standard. Xperia Z5 supports dual-frequency Wi-Fi of all more or less common protocols, Bluetooth version 4.1 and NFC. Infrared port for management household appliances Sony's flagship smartphone still doesn't. The gadget navigates the area using a radio module that can communicate with GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou satellites. It does this quickly enough to use a smartphone as a car or pedestrian navigator comfortable. A few seconds after launching the profile test, the gadget detected a total of 22 satellites of three navigation systems and was guided by 16-18 of them, while the navigation error radius was minimal - less than six meters.

⇡ Camera: finally something new, we've been waiting for changes here for a long time

For several generations in a row, Sony's flagship smartphones have been equipped with the same 20.7-megapixel Exmor RS module. To put it mildly, he didn’t shoot as well as he would have liked. And this is very strange! Because for everyone else, Sony matrices work much better. However, the Japanese officially admitted the flaw and promised to fix everything - starting with this generation of smartphones

The Xperia Z5 has a new 23-megapixel Sony IMX300 1/2.3” back-illuminated sensor. The increase in the number of pixels is symbolic, but the Z5 has a new autofocus system. It is hybrid here: contrast and phase focusing methods are used simultaneously, just like in advanced digital point-and-shoot cameras. It is stated that the Xperia Z5 camera is able to locate the subject in 0.03 seconds. It is also said that the five-fold digital zoom of the Xperia Z5 camera does not affect the quality of photographs. The Z5 has high-aperture optics with a maximum relative aperture of ƒ/2.0, a 24 mm lens in terms of a 35 mm equivalent.

The camera application interface has not changed - it is still quite simple and convenient. The viewfinder has many software effects and options, all the standard settings for a smartphone camera, including manual mode. Photos can be captured at 23MP (4:3)/20MP (16:9) or auto-squeezed to eight megapixels to save space and improve quality. The Xperia Z5 can record video in the newfangled 4K format.

Xperia Z5 Camera Test

However, Sony's flagship smartphone still takes pictures imperfectly. No, of course, there is progress: it has become much better than it was, but shooting in the dark is still a problem for the older “Z”. Photos taken in poor lighting tend to be too noisy or somewhat blurry. In addition, the vaunted autofocus in the dark, no, no, and even thinks about it. True, with indoor or outdoor lighting the situation changes for the better: photographs are sharp across the entire field, the colors are bright and saturated, and the contrast of the photographs is high. In bright light, the hybrid autofocus system focuses on the subject very quickly indeed. The minimum focusing distance is about seven to eight centimeters, but macro photographs lack sharpness somewhat. But the Xperia Z5's camera does a very good job of separating the foreground from the background, making photos look more artistic.

In principle, Sony's flagship smartphone finally takes photographs in the same way as the flagships of other companies. And this is both good news and not so good: yes, before this it was noticeably worse, but Sony has the power to make the mobile camera even better so that it stands out significantly among its competitors. And this, unfortunately, has not happened yet.

⇡ Autonomous operation: definitely enough for a day

The smartphone has an 11.02 Wh battery (2900 mAh, 3.8 V), which users do not have access to - the case is non-separable. For a modern five-inch gadget, this is sufficient capacity. During testing, it was used as the main and only means of communication, and not once during the week was it discharged until the end of the working day. The device’s battery lasts for a day or even a little more, depending on the load. A full charging cycle from a standard power supply takes three hours.

In continuous video playback mode at maximum brightness with an active Wi-Fi connection and data updating in the background, the device lasted just over six and a half hours - a very good result, especially considering that watching movies with such a high backlight level is not very good comfortable. That is, in reality there will be more.

All the power saving software options that we saw in previous Sony Xperia smartphones are also present in the Z5: there is STAMINA mode, which disables data transfer in the background, and Ultra STAMINA, which turns the smartphone into a “dialer”. On the other hand, even with the energy saving settings disabled, we did not want to complain about the short battery life during the testing period at all.

⇡ Instead of a conclusion: should I take it?

Good question. In the case of the Xperia Z5, it is important to understand that we are talking about a device that is priced at fifty thousand rubles at the start of sales. This is quite a large sum; for this money you can buy almost any smartphone from almost any brand, with rare exceptions. That is, price is clearly not the strong point of Sony's new flagship. In terms of performance it has competitors, in terms of screen quality, too, in terms of camera, and in terms of dialing wireless interfaces, in terms of battery life - there will also be. In other words, there is nothing radically outstanding about the Xperia Z5.

Why can you fall in love? new flagship Sony? First of all, for the design. The Xperia Z5 is definitely nice to look at and makes you want to hold it in your hands - the Z3+ and all the previous Sony models from recent years don't look so interesting. Otherwise, it's the same flagship as, say, the LG G4 or Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. Whose design is closer to you, choose the one. You won't regret it in any case.