Sony Xperia XZ2 review

14 March 2018
You don't really have to look any further than the new Xperia XZ2 and its little Compact sibling for proof that Sony is evolving even if slowly. The 2018 flagship is different in a number of ways, some of which more controversial than others.

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AnonD-742447, 14 Mar 2018Yeeeeessss Sony is back. Why no OIS though? :(Because it creates a lot of distortion in videos, something Sony has never been known for.
In photos, it benefits little to nothing. My sister's iPhone 7 Plus still takes mediocre photos with OIS, and the S9 only has better image processing, but it's still not the best.
The old Google Pixel and Pixel XL have great cameras in their time and they didn't have OIS.

    • W
    • Wakeup
    • Nu7
    • 14 Mar 2018

    Very good phone IMO.

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • nmM
      • 14 Mar 2018

      "Then there is Sony's new Dynamic Vibration System. The name is pretty self-explanatory, and on the surface, it seems like a very obvious thing to do - pick up the low-frequency sounds and vibrate the phone accordingly. Still, it makes you wonder why other manufacturers have not implemented such a system yet."

      Well, about damn time somebody made this a thing. Weird how it's Sony out of all manufacturers, but well.. I guess they really needed some good stuff in their name too. Their design has gotten a bit better, doesn't really suit my taste - but it's moving forward, at least. All hope is not gone yet. :)

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • 3%F
        • 14 Mar 2018

        [deleted post]Totally agree, thump up.

          Lex79, 14 Mar 2018Correct. Sony's philosophy regarding Xperia imaging cont... moreMy sister has an iPhone 7 Plus and I highly disagree.
          The XZ2 needs no OIS. Even with it, the iPhone 7 Plus is still shaky as hell, I wonder if it really has one at all.
          If you think OIS is beneficial, just go back to 2016 and look what phone has the best camera in that year. Clue; that phone has no OIS.

            Cassy O, 14 Mar 2018XZ2 https://m.gsmarena.com/showpic2.php3?sImg=reviews/18/s... moreS9 is less natural because of the lack of noise. Neither does it benefit from any extra detail. The XZ2 looks more of a photograph than a landscape drawing like the S9.
            And how about the colors? The exposure? Yes, the XZ2 is better with those two.

              That is some very good smartphone here, no major flaws (apart form the missing jack). The camera is improved, battery life and display are great. The interface and performance are classic Sony and improved as is the sound too.
              The design is a matter of taste but I like it, it reminds me of some old Sony Ericsson and even the Z3!

              And the bokeh mode is just the old background defocus renamed and maybe improved to follow the trend of bokeh...
              For the Quick charger, it depends on the market and other things, I've got my XZP with the QC and not bad headphones, whereas another one with another retailer received the QC but some basic headphones (the same as the ones I've had with my Live With Walkman! Lol).

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • pVN
                • 14 Mar 2018

                One more mediocre offering.

                Giant bezels (for the time), thick n ugly, 4gb version (i.e. very alow for a flagship)...

                Why is sony even alive?

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                  • AnonD-731491
                  • d%T
                  • 14 Mar 2018

                  taghack, 14 Mar 2018A little clarification on the matter of chargers, since rev... moreYes With the xzp,xz1 vodafone, orange, etc, they gave away ps4, headphones and speakers valued at 300 eu

                    A little clarification on the matter of chargers, since review packages don't necessarily represent the contents of end-user bundles. You can expect significant market differences for both the XZ2 and XZ2 Compact. Some customers, especially in Europe, should be getting a Quick Charge 3 charger in the box for both models. The Y-style Type-C adapter is supposed to be more wide-spread. Certain bundles will also be getting a pair of Sony MH750 headphones.

                    And these differences are not even counting any special local, or carrier bundles with other accessories, such as wireless headphones or Sony's new Qi Wireless charger. As far as our review package is concerned, we got a UCH12 QC3 charger with the XZ2 and a regular UCH20 with the XZ2 Compact.

                    Bottom line is, you should really check with your retailer before buying.

                      Tann Hauser, 14 Mar 2018Errm, you have handheld samples. So compare them to that ... moreXZ2
                      https://m.gsmarena.com/showpic2.php3?sImg=reviews/18/sony-xperia-xz2/camera/gsmarena_023.jpg&idReview=1735&idPage=6

                      S9
                      https://m.gsmarena.com/showpic2.php3?sImg=reviews/18/samsung-galaxy-s9/camera/gsmarena_027.jpg&idReview=1734&idPage=7

                      Based on the picture above, all i can see is the S9 produces smooth and less noise image while the XZ2 produces more noise and i didn't see the XZ2 is better at all.

                        As always, a stupid camera on a Sony flagship LoL.

                        As always, the infamous Sony troll is trying his best.

                        As always, feeling bad for both Sony and him and his kinds.

                          AnonD-246723, 14 Mar 2018But the gpu win . Even s630 or 660 give smooth experience ... moreIm not so certain about antutu.
                          Its v7 now, XZ2 tops it even here, but Xperias are usually much better than these here results, via other real life testers.
                          But cant find any results of iphones to compare?

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                            • Lex79
                            • gL@
                            • 14 Mar 2018

                            Anonymous, 14 Mar 2018No OIS = joke. But looking at samples (comparing tools) ima... moreCorrect.

                            Sony's philosophy regarding Xperia imaging continues to be that you need to plan and prep your shot in order to get the best results.

                            Fine if that's how they want it, but a smartphones camera is primarily intended for point and shoot. Quick and Impromptu imaging with reliable results is what the vast majority of consumers are looking for from their smartphones.

                            Manual mode is fun and all, but on a smartphone, it's never meant to be more than a side feature to experiment with (and for the longest time Sony's manual mode in Xperia's was a joke, it's still not the most intuitive).

                            It's good that they continue to improve, but I wonder how long they will continue to buck the ois trend. This camera set up would genuinely benefit from having it included.

                              AnonD-258449, 14 Mar 2018Sony Xperia XZ2 busts the new galaxies, save for the head ... moreYup.
                              For an expensive premium price ranged phones, even without the jack but only an adapter, XZ2 seems to be a best buy bet of 2018 so far.
                              Everything is just excellent here.
                              Heck even the downgraded selfie cam turned out to be good.

                                Vic, 14 Mar 2018Looking at these models I realize that unfortunately Sony M... moreMany people have said that already for a million times and Sony keeps proving them wrong.

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                                  • AnonD-742447
                                  • EUn
                                  • 14 Mar 2018

                                  Yeeeeessss Sony is back.

                                  Why no OIS though? :(

                                    • D
                                    • AnonD-246723
                                    • KSE
                                    • 14 Mar 2018

                                    AnonD-646111, 14 Mar 2018as i already said Snapdragon 845 cant beat apple A11 bionic... moreBut the gpu win .
                                    Even s630 or 660 give smooth experience . I wouldn't think s845 will lag . You get better gpu there .

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                                      • AnonD-731491
                                      • iD3
                                      • 14 Mar 2018

                                      AnonD-646111, 14 Mar 2018as i already said Snapdragon 845 cant beat apple A11 bionic... morewill destroy them in real life
                                      https://youtu.be/mxHFt79Ykls

                                        Anonymous, 14 Mar 2018No OIS = joke. But looking at samples (comparing tools) ima... moreErrm, you have handheld samples.
                                        So compare them to that other camera with f1.5 and OIS, that shoots lowlight scenes at 1/10 and 320 ISO.
                                        XZ2 shot them lowlights at f2.0, without OIS, at 1/16 s with 1250 ISO, and still came out better.
                                        I really dont see advantage of OIS over how the new Bionz ISP does the processing here.
                                        And of course with slower shutter than 1/16, ISO drops even more, and makes indeed best lowlight shots out there.

                                        Id post crops of compares, as I always did, but....

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