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Sony Xperia XZ1 Review: Will this be your new daily driver?

Keeping the ongoing trend of bezel-less and 18:9 display aside, Sony has brought the Sony Xperia XZ1 as their latest flagship. With a premium build, TRILUMINOS display, and top-notch specifications, this phone is Sony’s offering to the flagship segment.

Featuring a 5.2-inch display with Sony’s Triluminos technology, the Sony Xperia XZ1 comes with a 19MP primary and a 13MP front-facing camera. It packs a Snapdragon 835 processor with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. We got our hands on the phone and here is our review of the Sony Xperia XZ1.

Sony Xperia XZ1 Specifications

Key Specifications Sony Xperia XZ1
Display 5.2-inch Triluminos HDR display
Screen Resolution full HD (1080 x 1920)
Operating System Android 8.0 Oreo
Processor Octa-core
Chipset Snapdragon 835
GPU Adreno 540
RAM 4GB
Internal Storage 64GB
Expandable Storage Yes, up to 256GB using microSD card
Primary Camera 19MP f/2.0 lens with Sony Sensor
Secondary Camera 13MP with f/2.0
Video Recording Yes, up to 2160p @ 30fps
Battery 2,700 mAh
4G VoLTE Yes
Sim Card Type Dual Nano SIM
Dimensions 148 x 73.4 x 7.4 mm
Weight 155 g
Price Rs. 46,990 onwards

Physical overview

Sony Xperia XZ1 display

Starting with the build quality, the Sony Xperia XZ1 is a premium smartphone with a metal unibody with Sony’s Glass Loop Surface. The phone comes with chunky bezels with on-screen navigation buttons.

Sony Xperia XZ1 back

The back of the phone is made up of metal and comes with a ‘Xperia’ branding at the center. The camera module is placed at the top-left corner with the flash placed in a strip next to it.

Sony Xperia XZ1 lock and volume rockers

With the Volume rockers, lock button, and a dedicated shutter button at the right side, the Xperia XZ1 features a SIM and microSD card tray on the left side.

You will find a USB Type-C port at the bottom edge of the phone. The 3.5mm earphone jack rests on the top edge with a secondary microphone.

Display

Sony Xperia XZ1 display

Sony has offered a 5.2 inch full HD HDR Triluminos display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on the Sony Xperia XZ1. While there is absolutely no lag in the phone’s performance, the display is also quick and responsive. It can distinguish touches and responds accurately.

The display is clearly viewable in direct sunlight and can also be considerably dimmed in low light conditions. We found there is no Always-On display on the Xperia XZ1 and it would have been better if Sony would have added one. The Triluminos technology makes sure that color reproduction is accurate on this display.

Camera

Sony Xperia XZ1 rear camera

The Sony Xperia XZ1 sports a single 19MP Motion Eye camera at the back. It is an Exmor RS sensor and features 960 FPS Super Slow motion video, predictive capture and comes with 5-axis stabilization. On the front, you get a 13MP camera with f/2.0 aperture and 22mm wide-angle lens.

Camera UI

The camera UI on the phone is completely customized by Sony. The shutter button is there on the screen as well a dedicated hardware button on the right side of the phone. It has a simple UI and is easy to navigate. You can switch between various modes from the top center and toggle front or rear cameras from the top-right. You get flash and Red-eye controls at the top left and the setting module at the bottom.

Camera Samples

Many of the leading smartphones today use lenses from Sony, so it is without a doubt that the Sony Xperia XZ1 features award-winning Sony lenses. We took the phone for camera testing and here are the results.

Daylight

Under natural light, the 19MP rear camera on the Xperia XZ1 perfectly handles the exposure. The images are neither sharp nor dull but retain a natural look. The images are detailed as well as the color reproduction is pretty close to real life.

Artificial Light

Sony Xperia XZ1 artificial light

Coming to well-lit indoors, the phone’s camera managed to retain the color as well as detail with nominal grains. While the camera showed some difficulty in focussing at first, it performed well once the lens adjusted to the lighting condition.

Low Light

Sony Xperia XZ1 low light

Finally, we turned off the lights to take a low-light sample using the Sony Xperia XZ1. The camera disappointed here as the flash firing overexposed the images. On automatic settings, the camera fired the flash and there was noticeable noise in the images taken.

Hardware

The Sony Xperia XZ1 is a flagship offering and comes with premium specifications. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 835 processor. This processor is complemented with 4GB RAM and 64GB UFS internal storage. The device also comes with expandable memory up to 256GB using a microSD card.

With these specifications, the Sony Xperia XZ1 makes a strong presence in the flagship segment. The premium hardware can be noticed while using the phone as there is no lag, and we notice quick processing, and snappy response each time.

Performance and Gaming

The specifications of the Xperia XZ1 play a vital role in the phone’s performance. The device already comes with the latest Android 8.0 Oreo which is optimized by Sony. The optimization is also done well and it makes app searching and backup easier.

The gaming experience on the phone is snappy and without lag but the bezels of the phone make it slightly hard to handle. With a slippery body, the corners of the phone tend to make holding it uncomfortable. We took benchmarks of the Sony Xperia XZ1 and here are the results.

Battery and Connectivity

The Sony Xperia XZ1 comes with a comparatively small 2,700mAh battery. This battery lasts a full day easily and comes with Quick Charge 3.0 and Qnovo Adaptive charging for fast charge. You also have the Stamina mode which is highly efficient for saving battery life.

In terms of connectivity, the phone offers optional dual SIM if you’re not using a microSD card. It is a 4G VoLTE smartphone with NFC, Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, USB Type-C and a 3.5mm earphone jack. This is good as the phone does not miss out on any key connectivity options.

Pricing and Availability

The Sony Xperia XZ1 has already hit the market and is available in Sony offline stores as well as online partner stores, starting from Rs. 46,990.

Verdict

With the Sony Xperia XZ1, you get all the essential features of a flagship. On the upside, the phone comes with a Metal unibody, features a good display, loud speakers and comes with a good camera setup on it. The only downside we found about this phone is the form factor.

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Abhishek Bhatnagar

Abhishek Bhatnagar, a known technology blogger & YouTuber from India. A Software Engineer by qualification, now he works as the editor-In-Chief, Webmaster, & Managing Director at Gadgets To Use. He runs a number of other technology websites as well.