Sony India’s sales have not been extraordinary in the past couple of years, owing to the likes of Chinese companies dominating the mid-range smartphone segment and Samsung and Google dominating the premium segment.
Betting on the advanced camera technology, Sony India has launched the flagship Xperia smartphone, Xperia XZ, that comes with a 23MP primary camera with triple image sensing technology that captures images with three times the precision and a 13MP wide angle front camera.
Other than the cameras, XZ also comes with some high-end specifications like the Snapdragon 820 processor clocked at 2.15Ghz, 3GB of RAM and 64GB of inbuilt storage. I like the fact that Sony did not offer a 16GB or a 32GB base variant by default, since 64GB should be the norm in every smartphone now.
Xperia XZ will be available across all Sony Center and major electronic stores across India for Rs. 51,990 but you can purchase it for Rs. 49,990, Rs. 2,000 off the MRP, from 10th October onwards. The smartphone will come in some interesting colours – Forest Blue, Mineral Black and Platinum.
Specifications of Xperia XZ
- 5.2-inch full HD 1080p TRILUMINOS display with gorilla glass 4
- Loop surface design inspired by a monolithic form, ALKALEIDO™ metal with high brightness and high purity provides shine and a feeling of depth which both enhance its premium design
- 2.15 Ghz 64-bit processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 with 64GB internal memory and 3GB RAM, ROM expandable upto 256GB
- Fingerprint sensor on the power button
- 23MP primary camera along with 13MP wide-angle front-facing camera
- 2900 mAh battery with Qnovo Adaptive Charging and USB Type-C
- Android Marshmallow out-of-the-box, with Android Nougat update coming soon
On paper, the specifications seem quite weak for a flagship smartphone. This is the year when Samsung has launched its Galaxy S7, Google will be launching the Pixel smartphones, and OnePlus launched its OnePlus Three mid-high range smartphone loaded with features.
Moreover, 2017 will see 4-6GB RAM becoming a norm, Snapdragon 821 taking over 820 and 2K/4K HD displays taking over FHD displays. It is funny to note that the previous flagship from Sony, Xperia Z5, came with a 4K display, touted as the best screen in the premium-range.
Sony claims Xperia XZ’s camera is the best
Sony’s new flagship smartphone, Xperia XZ brings new and improved camera technology to give you the best pictures from Xperia yet. Oozing camera excellence using Sony’s heritage in camera technology and in collaboration with digital imaging engineers, the new models feature one of the most advanced cameras in a smartphone.
Maximizing Sony’s acclaimed image sensor, two additional assisting sensors have been added to become Sony’s triple image sensing technology. This technology allows you to capture beautiful images in motion with true to life colours in virtually any conditions. Triple image sensing technology comprises of three technologies:
- Image Sensor: Sony’s original Exmor RS for mobile image sensor which provides a powerful blend of high quality image and autofocus (AF) speed combined with Predictive Hybrid AF which intelligently predicts and track subjects in motion for blur-free results
- Laser Autofocus Sensor: Added to this is the Laser AF sensor with distance sensing technology, which captures beautiful blur-free photos in challenging low light conditions
- RGBC-IR Sensor: The RGBC-IR sensor with colour sensing technology accurately adjusts the white balance based on the light source in the environment, enabling you to enjoy superb true to life colours
We do not know if Sony’s camera is better than that of Samsung’s and Apple’s, but we do know that as a standalone smartphone, the phone will take some amazing shots with great colour production and quality.
The smartphone also comes with 5-axis video stabilization for you to click smoother and stable videos, and this feature is available in both the front and back camera. The front-camera is also a wide-angle selfie camera, along with video capture in 4K HD.
If you’re planning to purchase a premium-smartphone, we would give Xperia XZ a miss over other competitors, for the simple fact that the phone seems overpriced and under-equipped. Samsung and Apple better value for money with more features and promises.
