Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact hands-on review

26 February 2018
Unlike many of its big-brand competitors, Sony didn't shy away from major announcements at MWC 2018. In fact, it took the wrappers of a shiny new pair of flagships, that boldly marry new design concepts with incremental hardware updates.

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  • A
  • Anonymous
  • 4S2
  • 27 Feb 2018

Question: What is ugly and beautiful? Why does it apply to a phone?

    • ?
    • Anonymous
    • tPG
    • 27 Feb 2018

    Lumia phones?

      Wow, people hated the omni-balance design but you all seem to hate the new design even more. Reading various posts, it seems there are also lots of Samsung haters, Apple haters, people who look down on Huawei and all of the other Chinese brands, people who look down on LG, people who think HTC will exit the business in the next 6-12 months, people not impressed with the new Nokia, etc, etc. What's left out there for you? No smartphone is good enough out there? So who's buying apple, samsung, huawei, etc?

        • J
        • Jimmy Ravel
        • kgp
        • 27 Feb 2018

        No. The one reason I liked the Sony design was that it was unique, it stood out, and was masculine with its sharper shape, unlike the group-think of the rest of the crowd. Forget them, and just be who you are. I'm sorry to see Sony feel like it had to cave to the fad and give up its timeless styling. Oh well, I bet anything it will come back around. Just too bad though. Other than that, I think at first the chunkiness of the xz2c may be a little startling but having had the Sony Ericsson xperia mini, I bet anything it's a pleasure to hold and use and its owners will love it. The technology is still incremental I believe in these new phones, and the styling has given under per pressure and taken the wrong turn, the XA2s are still better value but there's still a lot of potential for Sony to tap into and blow away the competition easily if it strengthened its will to do so. Sony just doesn't seem to engage wholeheartedly in the phone market, but still does ok. After all this time I'm still unable to comprehend Samsung's insistence on keeping the back button on the right of the phone although most users are right handed and it's much more convenient to have it on the left but hey, that's why they're not Sony. Sony is like the Mercedes of electronics...all those Mercedes drivers out there will know exactly what I mean.

          Hello hTC U11😁

            • D
            • AnonD-40493
            • mW4
            • 27 Feb 2018

            The big one loojs kinda weird, but the Compact looks cute as hell, especially in that matte green color.

              • J
              • JIJOK
              • CfB
              • 27 Feb 2018

              nooooooooooooo where's my lovely brick !!! damn you all , going for the xz1 compact

                • S
                • Satsuki
                • KZ8
                • 27 Feb 2018

                Isn't it ironic, Sony now has ditched the flat rear yet looks expensive with this horrible swelling back, it's looking like a cheap phone, but Samsung is retaining last year's Samsung Galaxy S8 design with flat surface on the rear.

                It is reminiscent of Asus Zenfone 4 and 5 and HTC U11 but HTC has done it better.

                Samsung Galaxy S9 is what Sony shall compete it but since they already give up and their designer smoking a weed, then came this mutating alien design with an ugly humpback.

                3.5 mm audio jack is omitted and now Samsung is really happy that Sony who has the best audio accessories out there has done it first. What a shame for this fucj up Mobile Division. Gaming and Camera Sensors Divisions really distaste this lame Mobile Division. Grow up Sony Mobile Division, you are eerily idiot.

                  • D
                  • AnonD-695125
                  • KgW
                  • 27 Feb 2018

                  Sony..pls stick to the omnibalance design. We just wanted you to trim the top and bottom besels. Most of us expects to also have the side besels of the xa and xa ultra. Remove the sony logo put it at the side.

                  The phone does not look like a sony at all.

                    • H
                    • HP
                    • KZ8
                    • 27 Feb 2018

                    "Ambient Flow" design they called it. Suck.

                    With this ugly, uninspiring, lame, mutates alien, and horrible design of XZ2, Sony is filing a Divorce with me and I've signed it yesterday.

                    Xperia XZ2 is the second Xperia X tragedy. Xperia X is the most infamous Sony phone after transition from the last Xperia Z Series on Xperia Z5 trios.

                    No more aesthetic design with flat surface on the rear such like Xperia XZ, XZs, XZ Premium. When we go for a formal meeting, this phone will be an eyesore unlike Xperia Z5 series and Xperia XZ series. Harakiri yourselves Sony designers.

                    To Sony, bear in mind you already lost one of your customer. Sayonara.

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • KkB
                      • 27 Feb 2018

                      Really, 26 Feb 2018That is a one ugly, cheesy looking phone. It looks like the... moreFirst of all an HTC u11 looks gorgeous even with its 16:9 aspect so run with that trash n come again better

                        • D
                        • AnonD-735915
                        • KLR
                        • 27 Feb 2018

                        reviewer forgot something maybe , yes ya forgot the camera sample

                          • D
                          • AnonD-530400
                          • KiY
                          • 27 Feb 2018

                          Ugly design but feels comfy.
                          Weird fingerprint location and tiny power button. I prefer side-mounted, big-flat power button.
                          Still 1 camera module, but finally a 1080p with 960fps video. And then, still small aperture.
                          5 inch compact? It's still BIG on my pocket (I don't care about bezel and screen ratio). Both models have same screen resolution, but why XZ2c has bigger ppi density?

                            • ?
                            • Anonymous
                            • xqx
                            • 27 Feb 2018

                            Eske Rahn, 26 Feb 2018Well it may be 5 inches, but the bezels are down, so it is ... moreBezels are not down 5 inch 18:9 has same width as the old 4.6 16:9 screen.

                              • D
                              • AnonD-183110
                              • mi7
                              • 27 Feb 2018

                              These phones bring good news. It's safe to get a XZ1 compact with no frustrations, as it's mostly the same as newer model. Now, if there was only an oled panel upgrade..

                                coolsauce, 26 Feb 2018Heat Management. Thickness on the compact was never the... moreSure, heat management. Yet other manufacturers somehow manage to make thinner phones with bigger batteries (and same screen size) yet have better heat management (by adding heat pipes). Still not an excuse for poor PCB and inefficent internal component design.

                                  Kangal, 26 Feb 2018Pretty awful. The new phones have a BIGGER bezel than the ... moreYeah... I was wondering and also checking the STBR on the XZ2 vs the XZ P; it's really noticeable there... but adding the black bars due to the 2:1 AR to the nav. on-screen buttons and task bar :(

                                  Anyway, it's great they at least trimmed the up & chin bezels... even though were better implemented for me on the XA series - That would've become my dream phone: an OmniBalance + 'Y' concept design (leaked on 2015) with trimmed bezels and the stereo speakers placed like Z2 - I despise this design

                                    While I initially hated the design of this phone and all the compromises it introduced. It's starting to grow on me. That being said here are my gripes and likes:

                                    Gripe:

                                    1.Symmetry is gone. Front facing speakers are not same size. The slit should be the same as top and bottom. Like they were on the XZ series, or like they were on the Z5. As well as the camera arrangement on the full-size vs compact. The full-size has ir, flash etc.. below camera lens, where as on compact it has to the side. The compacts arrangement looks nicer.

                                    2. Dynamic vibration it's a gimmick and doesn't belong in
                                    the smartphone . That being said the vibration on the sonys has always been weak.

                                    3. Polycarbonate back for compact? Why cheap out again, it's makes the lines look inconsistent as far as features.

                                    4. Too small of aperture Samsung, LG all have larger aperture and have done much better in low light because of this.

                                    5. Top and bottom bezels are smaller yet side bezels are same? Yet xa series has no side bezels? Again not consistent.

                                    Likes:
                                    1. Reduced bezels and went 18:9, this will make it easier to multitask in android with split view.

                                    2.Louder speakers although the front facing speakers have always sounded good their loudness had always lacked a bit.

                                    3. Wireless charging a bit of a gimmick I find but at least they trying.

                                      • S
                                      • Sindre
                                      • 7Z@
                                      • 26 Feb 2018

                                      AnonD-160468, 26 Feb 2018Yuk, Sony is copying what everyone else is doing. I'll b... moreThey might copy the looks.. But the fact is, Sony has one of the most stable Android versions on their phones.
                                      So its the inside that counts..

                                        • D
                                        • AnonD-160468
                                        • MhZ
                                        • 26 Feb 2018

                                        Yuk, Sony is copying what everyone else is doing.

                                        I'll be buying a XZ1 Compact as an upgrade to my Z1 Compact. The XZ2 Compact just look like every other phone, it looks like an iPhone 3G, but bigger.

                                        The XZ1 Compact is better looking imo, and it should have a price drop soon enough to clear inventories!

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