Review of Sony Xperia X and comparison with Sony Xperia Z3. Which Sony Xperia Smartphone is better? Model range overview

Russian premiere of new mobile products of the new season

On the first day of summer, Sony presented its new mobile products in Russia, choosing the Black Sea coast for this. In the city of Sochi, more than fifty journalists witnessed what several months earlier some had already had the opportunity to see at the MWC 2016 exhibition: the Xperia smartphone line, having changed the letter Z in its name to X, was replenished with four new models at once. Moreover, this time prices for official Russian retail have already been announced for three of them, so there is something to talk about today.

A full review of the main model of the Xperia X series will be released very soon, but for now we will dwell on the general points and differences inherent in the entire updated line. So, in order. Firstly, Sony is releasing not three, but four new smartphones in the new season, they are called Xperia X, Xperia X Performance, Xperia XA, as well as Xperia XA Ultra, about which the least is known so far. It is curious that he was the only one in the new line that differs in screen size. The other three devices received five-inch displays of exactly the same size, but the XA Ultra is a “shovel”. True, 6 inches is no longer a shovel by modern standards, but in the camp of new Sony Mobile products there is nothing larger at the moment.

Since we’re talking about the Xperia XA Ultra, we’ll immediately tell you more about it. It is known that this smartphone is equipped with a 6-inch display with Full HD resolution, runs on an eight-core 64-bit SoC MediaTek Helio P10 with 3 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory, and also has two cameras with a resolution of 21.5 and 16 megapixels, slot microSD and a 2700 mAh battery.

The most interesting thing about this smartphone is the front camera: it’s difficult to understand what this is connected with, but the largest device to hold in your hand has an advanced selfie camera with its own flash and even autofocus.

The smartphone is indeed very voluminous, it is much larger than the iPhone 6 Plus. In terms of design, the largest of the new products is no different from the rest: all devices have almost the same appearance and color set (graphite black, white or gold lime). The future price of the new product remains a mystery.

The fate of the other three models is less mysterious; much more is known about them. The basis of the flagship line is the balanced Xperia X and its more advanced and expensive modification Xperia X Performance, and for lovers of budget solutions there is a surprise in the form of an affordable and no less interesting Xperia XA.

The Xperia XA not only has a design similar to older models, but unlike them, it can also boast a so-called “frameless” display, in which the width of the side margins is minimized. It looks really impressive, and most importantly, unlike most contenders for the notorious “frameless” design, it doesn’t just use a visual effect with painting, but actually very thin sidewalls. Practice has shown that this does not in any way affect the ease of handling such a display; there are practically no more erroneous clicks.

The five-inch Sony Xperia XA, like the XA Ultra, runs on the modern Taiwanese flagship MediaTek Helio P10 chipset with eight working cores, has 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of ROM and a microSD slot, it has a 13 MP main camera with hybrid focus and 8 MP camera for selfies. The battery is not the most capacious - only 2300 mAh.

But it’s also worth noting that here, unlike the Xperia X, the back wall is not metal, but plastic (with metal imitation), and of course, the display resolution is half that (720p versus 1080p).

It seems that the weakest point of the model is the display resolution - only 1280x720, which is quite “budgetary”, but the affordability of the smartphone is its main trump card. It is already known that the model will be sold in Russia at a price of 22 thousand rubles, and this, in principle, is quite unusual for a company like Sony, whose products have always been distinguished by the highest prices. Here we are, of course, talking about a mid-level device, not a top-end one, but still, journalists were enthusiastic about this price.

Xperia X and Xperia X Performance will naturally be more expensive, and significantly more so. There were no special surprises here: the cheaper Xperia X costs 40 thousand, and at the same time its platform is not a flagship at all. The S0C uses a six-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 650, and it's not even the eight-core version of the Snapdragon 652 used in the stripped-down LG G5 se.

Other specifications of the smartphone include: a five-inch screen with Full HD resolution, 3 GB of RAM, 32 or 64 GB of main storage, a 23 MP main camera with predictive hybrid autofocus, a 13 MP front camera, which also boasts an automatic focus function, and a built-in battery capacity 2620 mAh.

The smartphone supports LTE Cat.6 with a maximum download speed of up to 300 Mbps, has a fingerprint scanner and a metal body with 2.5D convex glass which, unlike the cheaper XA line, does not have a “frameless” effect. But the most surprising thing is that the device has lost the usual protection from water and dust, which was inherent in the past to most devices of the Japanese manufacturer of mid-level and above.

Xperia X Performance received protection (IP65/68), and this time it is the only protected device in the new line. A smartphone that costs 10 thousand more than its brother has a completely different hardware platform. It already uses the top-end solution Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, supports LTE Advanced with a maximum speed of up to 350 Mbit/s for downloading, and even the case itself is distinguished by a special brushed aluminum metal processing technology. True, it turned out that not all color options of the Xperia X Performance have this very “sanded” surface of the back wall. Even in the photograph you can see that the textures are observed only in the black and gray versions, and in the pink and lime cases the back wall is exactly the same as the regular Xperia X.

In general, all smartphones of the new X and XA lines are very similar to each other; outwardly they can be distinguished only by a few details. For example, the Xperia X Performance is slightly thicker than the Xperia X, but this can only be noticed when the smartphones are placed next to each other. The XA series is distinguished not only by its frameless front panel, but also by the location of the speaker grilles - here they are raised as close as possible to the ends. Well, the Xperia XA Ultra's six-inch display size speaks for itself.

It makes no sense to dwell in more detail on the characteristics of each model here; all this will be described in detail in separate reviews a little later. Now I would like to dwell on a few more general points outlined during the Russian presentation.

Firstly, Sony is concerned about preserving the working condition of rechargeable batteries for a longer period, which are now beginning to fail more and more quickly with the constant use of “fast chargers” with increased current. Sony has always supported Qualcomm QuickCharge technology in its Xperia smartphones, but now it has added Qnovo adaptive charging technology, which the company recently acquired for its own needs. This smart technology monitors and analyzes charging cycles and their schedule, independently adjusting the charging current. When the program understands that the smartphone is usually set to charge for a long time (for example, all night), it will reduce the current, allowing the battery to charge in a more gentle mode.

The second general point, which may seem more negative to many, is associated with the so-called “hybrid” card slot. The fact is that until recently, Sony Xperia smartphones remained almost the only ones in which it was possible to simultaneously install two SIM cards and a memory card. This was the case in all dual-SIM models of the Xperia Z generation. Now Sony has given up: the user will be able to use either two SIM cards, or will have to remove one of them in order to install a memory card in its place. However, Sony doesn’t see this as a problem, believing that 64 GB of built-in memory is quite enough, and there is, of course, some truth in this.

You can also note the fact that Sony was the first to use, according to modern fashion trends, 2.5D glass on the front panels of its new devices. This glass has slightly sloping edges, it is easy to handle and looks impressive. True, gluing protective glass or film here becomes problematic, but manufacturers no longer care about such trifles.

It is worth paying attention to the clearly defined design style of the buildings in the new season. Color options are now available for most models: graphite black, white, gold lime, and rose gold. Finally, Sony has brought the design of its devices into full compliance, for the first time allowing itself to paint the front panels of the devices in the same colors as the body itself. Previously, regardless of color, the front panels under the glass of Japanese smartphones always remained black or white, but not in color. By the way, not only the panels, but even the design themes on the screen are now painted in a common tone, which allows you to perceive the design of Sony smartphones more holistically.

Several models of original cases will be available for Xperia X series smartphones: from pleasant-to-touch transparent silicone cases that allow you to enjoy any of the new colors of the smartphone line, to more advanced, technological options with a transparent window through which you can control the functions of the smartphone without opening cover. The new UCH12 charger, which supports fast charging technologies from Qualcomm and MediaTek, will help you quickly charge any Xperia X smartphone.

And finally, once again about prices. The Xperia XA smartphone will go on sale in mid-June at a price of 22 thousand rubles, and the top model of the X line - the Xperia X Performance smartphone - in early July at a price of 50 thousand rubles. Also on sale at a price of 40 thousand rubles is the Xperia X model, pre-order for which was announced earlier. All new products will be available in the Sony Store Online branded online store, in the Sony Center network of branded stores and from key partners.

The first owners of the Sony Xperia XA who purchased a smartphone before the end of June 2016 will receive a three-month subscription to Google Play Music, and buyers of the Sony Xperia X and Sony Xperia X Performance will receive additional privileges: a six-month free subscription to Google Play Music, a voucher for 12 top films from the Privilege Plus service and an additional extended warranty for the display, which makes it possible to replace it if damaged within one year from the date of purchase of the device.

Sony Xperia smartphones, all models of which have their own characteristics, appeared after the termination of the agreement with Ericsson.

Sony Mobile (formerly known as Sony Ericsson Mobile) is a division of electronics giant Sony Corporation.

Xperia is a unique model range of the company, which was initially released running Windows Mobile OS.

Then technical management decided to switch to .

At the moment, this line occupies a strong niche in today's market.

Some of the company's smartphones may have the advantage of being waterproof and moisture-resistant.

Sony Xperia smartphones - all models

All Xperia models

The Japanese giant is one of the world's largest manufacturers of mobile devices; every year they completely update their line.

Their sleek, sophisticated design and serious technical characteristics attract new fans year after year.

Over the past few years, this manufacturer has often experimented with its new products, delighting its followers with both premium flagships and very budget models.

Everyone could find a sample for every taste and budget.

In the last 2 years alone, the company has launched 12 models on the market. Not to mention the lighter versions.

At the beginning of 2016, at MWC 2016, the company announced that it was completely relaunching the line of gadgets beloved by many.

According to the company, Xperia (which stands for experience) smartphones should provide users with a unique experience of interaction between gadgets and their owners.

It is these updated devices that our review will be devoted to.

First, let's divide them by year. Separately, it is worth noting that we will not separate them by colors and modifications with different memory capacities.

Xperia 2016 models

• Xperia XZ
• Xperia X Compact
• Xperia X
• Xperia XA Ultra
• Xperia XA
• Xperia E5

Xperia models of 2017 (the list is current as of the end of April)

• Xperia XZ Premium
• Xperia XZs
• Xperia XA1 Ultra
• Xperia XA1
• Xperia L1

Sony Xperia XZ Premium

Those expecting a revolution in XZ Premium design will be disappointed.

Over the years, designs have become more refined, and loyal fans have realized the high value of corporate recognition. This is not just a recognizable trademark, it is a brand.

The company has certainly focused on the details for the new XZ Premium.

The main innovation is support for 960fps video playback.

This frame rate is still out of reach for many manufacturers.

Not many people at MWC could boast of this advantage.

To manage such a high video frame rate, which clearly outshines the performance of other devices and even last year's own flagship 4K action camera, it was necessary to install the FDR-X3000.

This is the patented know-how of the digital imaging department.

Cameras such as the RX1000 IV are famous for its use. It's all about its memory and array of sensors that allow it to capture images faster.

XZ Premium is equipped with the most powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC.

At first glance, the XZ "Premium" looks similar to last year's Xperia XZ. To give it a more expensive look, engineers used .

Moving on to the specifications, the XZ Premium features a 5.5-inch Triluminos HDR display with 4K (2160x3840) resolution.

The gadget is powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (Gigabit LTE speed is achieved through the use of an X16 LTE modem).

Also installed in the device is an Adreno 540 GPU video chip and 4 GB. 64 GB of internal memory, which is expandable via microSD cards (up to 256 GB).

The front of the device has a 13-megapixel camera with a 1/3.06-inch Exmor RS sensor. The phone OS is Android 7.0 Nougat, the battery capacity is 3230mAh.

In fact, we can talk about this excellent flagship for a very long time.

On the Internet there are photographs of copies that showed more than 150 thousand points in the Antutu test. This is a very impressive result.

Without a doubt, this flagship will excite the minds of users of modern gadgets for a long time.

Surely it will be compared with devices with similar characteristics. But we can say with confidence that at the time of writing this review it is the best.

Specifications

• Display size: 5.5
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
• Rear video camera: 19 MP with Motion Eye technology
• Front video camera: 13 MP
• Memory capacity: 64 GB

SonyXperia XZs

Smaller version of XZ. Both devices use the same design with a flat top and bottom, and rounded sides.

On the right side of the device is the power button, which also doubles as a fingerprint scanner.

The XZs is equipped with a 5.2-inch screen (1080x1920 pixels) with Triluminos technology and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with Adreno 510 GPU and 4 GB of RAM.

Internal memory is 32 GB and 64 GB, expandable thanks to a slot (up to 256 GB).

Specifications

• Display size: 4.3
• Processor: Qualcomm MSM8230
• Rear video camera: 23 MP with Motion Eye technology
• Front video camera: 8 MP

In this article we will look into the classification of Sony mobile phones, because the company’s line is much more interesting than it might seem at first glance

When we talk about Sony phones at the moment, we primarily mean its Xperia line and all its derivatives (you can find them, among other things, here: http://sony.technoportal.ua/mobile.html). But this company is famous not only for such smartphones. To this day, in a number of stores you can find older and simpler models for sale, which are distinguished by their exceptional variety.

Let's try to understand their classification, because the company's line is much more interesting than it might seem to many people at first glance. So pay attention to the letter that is present in the model name. It is the main indicator of what this or that model belongs to.

Series J

These are the most budget models. They have only a minimum of functions and are aimed at those users who do not need any complex devices. An ideal choice for those who only need a phone for calls, or for older people.

Series C or K

These models belonged to the Cyber-shot series, in which the main emphasis was on high-quality cameras (similar to the current emphasis on them in the Pure View series from Nokia). As you know, Sony also produces very good and high-tech cameras, so there have never been problems with the quality of pictures in their phones, which use previously developed technologies.

Series M

These are phones that have a QWERTY keyboard. Such phones are most aimed at business people who do a lot of typing and messaging - even on advanced touch screens this is usually problematic. An analogue of Blackberry phones, only somewhat more simplified from a technical point of view - but cheaper.

S and T series

These phones are more about maintaining an image. If for you a cell phone is a stylish accessory, then you can pay attention to them.

Series W

Musical series. It was Sony that at one time created the first convenient Walkman players, and then began producing phones in this series. Currently, an alternative to them are smartphones like the XPeria E1 Dual.

Series X

The main series within which XPeria smartphones are released, which are mainly based on the Android operating system. All modern models of the company are produced within this series. They are varied - you can choose a variation to suit your taste. Now this is the most important thing if you purchase a phone of this brand.

As part of MWC 2014, it would therefore be quite appropriate to compare the two phones and find out whether the new device is worthy of the name of a flagship device. To do this, it is enough to compare the two smartphones, review their specifications and capabilities, from which we can actually draw a conclusion - what is the difference between the Sony Xperia Z2 and the Xperia Z1. And so, let's get started.

Design loved by many

Both smartphones are made in accordance with the proprietary OmniBalance design. For those who are just beginning to be interested in the brand’s devices, I would like to explain a little - the concept is based on the smoothness of the lines and the symmetry of the device, no matter from which side you look at the smartphone. The reflective surface, clean lines and slightly rounded surfaces create a certain balance. In terms of appearance, both devices are beautiful and look expensive - an aluminum frame, protective glass on both sides, this creates a feeling of premium style. It is worth noting that the screen of the Xperia Z1 is also covered with an anti-shatter film, the removal of which could lead to the deprivation of the company logo. The Xperia Z2 decided to do without film and, most likely, the screen has an oleophobic coating. In terms of dimensions, there are also no significant changes, but the new device has become thinner and lighter. For comparison:

• Dimensions Xperia Z2 – 146.8 x 73.3 x 8.2 mm and weight 158 ​​grams.
• Dimensions Xperia Z1 – 144.4 x 73.9 x 8.5 mm and weight 169 grams.

The side frames of the display in the new flagship have become a little thinner, it looks slimmer and fits better in the hand.

Display comparisonSonyXperiaZ2 andXperiaZ1 – the new one is much better

The weak point of the Xperia Z1 was its 5-inch display, which caused a storm of negativity in discussions. The picture on it was perfectly readable, the color reproduction was realistic, the clarity and brightness were at a high level, but all this if you look at the screen directly. If you tilt it slightly, you will notice fading and the appearance of whiteness. This, of course, is not critical and I cannot call the screen of its predecessor bad, but it was still far from ideal. I made this opinion after looking at the slightly enlarged 5.2-inch display of the Sony Xperia Z2 - a high-quality, rich, rich picture, a riot of colors and colors, excellent detail and simply stunning viewing angles. All thanks to the IPS matrix, which is used in the manufacture of the new screen. Both smartphones have TRILUMINOS screens with Full HD resolution and X-Reality technology for mobile devices, which processes the image.

There was also the introduction of innovation - the second socket has a new Live Color LED technology using phosphorus in subpixels, which provides even better depth and intensity of colors and shades.

Performance

The display isn't the only improvement on the Xperia Z2 - the hardware is also better. Performance is powered by the new 2.3 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, Adreno 330 GPU and a whopping 3 GB of RAM. It was expected that the new smartphone will receive the most powerful processor from Qualcomm – Snapdragon 805, but as it turned out, it will not be installed in any devices until the summer. In fact, if we compare the parameters of the two phones, we get the following picture: the Krait 400 cores in the Snapdragon 801 are 15% faster than the same 4 Snapdragon 800 cores in the Sony Xperia Z1, despite the fact that both smartphones have a video chip Adreno 330, in the new product it is 28% more productive due to the increased processing speed of the processor, and camera sensor processing is as much as 45% faster. Well, the additional 1 GB of RAM also has a better effect on the newly-made superphone.

Smartphone cameras

Sony Xperia Z2 received the same camera as its older brother - a 20.7 Megapixel matrix with a 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS sensor, a 27mm Sony G Lens with F2.0 aperture and a BIONZ image processor, which performs intelligent processing of footage. But a faster processor and more RAM made it possible to add more functions to the camera - 4K video recording, Timeshift video and others. You can understand a little more about the new camera functions from your phone.

Sound

The speakers in the Xperia Z2 are much louder and now there are two of them - bottom and top, and there is also an S-Force Surround Sound effect that creates three-dimensional surround sound. By the way, the speakers are aimed at the user and thanks to their good location you will hear high-quality, clear and loud sound. Another interesting innovation is support for digital noise reduction technology, which, when paired with the included Sony MDR-NC31EM headphones, provides maximum protection from external noise. Another plus for the new device.

System

The Sony Xperia Z2, like the Sony Xperia Z1, uses its own graphical user interface, but the new product has the latest version of the Android 4.4 KitKat system, which has a significant number of additional functions, and in general it works much more stable than the version of the 4.3 JB system. Of course, the Z1 should also receive an update and all these features soon.

Battery

Well, the final touch in favor of the new flagship will be a more capacious 3200 mAh battery (versus 3000 mAh of its predecessor). Together with the proprietary STAMINA mode, it will provide longer battery life for the smartphone, both in standby mode and during calls and multimedia use.

conclusions

Now let's summarize everything written above. “Flagship!”, I will tell you without embarrassment. Sony Xperia Z2 is an excellent replacement for the Xperia Z1. The smartphone took into account all the wishes and complaints from users, in fact, as was the case when the Xperia Z1 replaced the Xperia Z, only the current new flagship is truly perfect.

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