Sony Xperia Z Review

Sony‘s problems in the smartphone arena aren’t unique – HTC, LG, and others are all struggling to compete with Samsung and Apple – but they’re nonetheless pressing, and the Xperia Z is the solution it hopes will address that. Piecing together top-tier specifications, like a huge Full HD display, 13-megapixel camera, and the sort of waterproofing you’d normally have to go to Japan to find on a phone, the Xperia Z also marks a step up in design refinement for Sony, leagues away from the creaky plastic of its older phones. Still, the rest of the smartphone world hasn’t been standing still while Sony learns its lessons, and 2013 is already shaping up to be a knock-out one for devices. Can the Xperia Z maintain its CES momentum as it lands in the market? Read on for the full SlashGear review.
The other noticeable design element is the power button, which Sony has over-engineered seemingly solely for the purpose of proving it can. A shiny aluminum disc protruding from the right edge of the handset, it’s certainly tactile, though we can’t say we felt it was entirely necessary. In fact, we all too often reached for it when using the Xperia Z’s camera – in our defense, it’s a lot like a Sony CyberShot shutter button – powering off the phone in the process.
There’s no shortage of connectivity inside the new Sony. Our UK handset supports hexaband LTE (1/3/5/7/8/20) and triband HSPA, along with quadband GSM/EDGE. Then there’s WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, aGPS/GLONASS, NFC, WiFi Miracast, a microUSB 2.0 port with MHL HDMI support, and a microSD card slot (supporting up to 32GB cards). Onboard storage is 16GB, while the 1.5GHz Qualcomm S4 Pro quadcore processor is paired with 2GB of RAM. On the back there’s a 13-megapixel camera with Sony’s own Exmor RS branding, while a 2-megapixel Exmor R camera is above the display for video calls and vanity shots.