Sony Xperia XZ3 review

13 September 2018
Few phones can claim they caused quite as big of a stir as the Xperia XZ3. After Sony dropped its first curved OLED Xperia, seemingly out of the blue at IFA 2018, reactions have ranged from overwhelming excitement, through confusion and all the way to denial and anger. That's a level of drama typically reserved for soap operas or celebrity gossip and it all spells out one thing - a massive wave of exposure for Sony.

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  • ?
  • Anonymous
  • YQ$
  • 14 Sep 2018

There is no problem in sony phone or lg phone for normal users in fact normal people don't do deep review about there phone they buy phone because they like it (eg. Price , looks, some basic features, brand name or service) otherwise oppo vivo and xiomi are not top seller and Actual faults are company sony and lg don't do advertisement much and oppo vivo, samsung and apple do advertisement more

    • D
    • AnonD-772315
    • Fv7
    • 14 Sep 2018

    kakouille, 14 Sep 2018Brightness is a KEY element of HDR. Sony HDR SUCKS accordi... moreDamn the number of Sony fanboys bashing Samsung S9, Note 9 and Huawei P20 pro is just astounding lol. Don't forget these are the exact same people who used to hate on OLED and we were used to seeing comments like OLED sucks, crapoled. etc etc
    Just look at these people now, they have all lost their minds after Sony adopts OLED technology, they are trying their best to lie and justify that Sony's OLED is better when clearly it's not, heck even the review says "the s9+ does have the superior display".
    Now please go accuse gsm arena of being biased lol.

      Shanti Dope, 14 Sep 2018Then you might as well say that Galaxy phones suck because ... moreBest HDR TV are not OLED because of brightness, it's the Samsung Q9 display with a very high level of brightness.
      Check the reviews.
      https://www.techradar.com/news/television/10-best-ultra-hd-4k-tvs-in-the-world-today-1198304

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • gKV
        • 14 Sep 2018

        Display XZ3 IS 2K RGB
        Display s9 IS 2k pentile.

        XZ3 Win

        XZ3 display IS HDR 10 bits rec 2020.(1000 millions colours)

        display s9 IS sdr 8 bits ( Only 16,7 millions colours)
        XZ3 Win

        XZ3 have (gsmarena more 400 bits)
        S9 only 370 bits.
        XZ3 Win.

        I do not see anywhere that the screen of the s9 is better


          Shanti Dope, 14 Sep 2018Earpiece speaker isn't as good as on the XZ3, which is larg... moreThe speaker on XZ3 is still "earpiece" speaker though, in fact it's quite a bit smaller than the main speaker on the bottom - and it has been the case for XZ2. And yes, the front camera on P20 Pro IS larger - that's the whole point of discussion. We're not talking about how the image processing could've been better or anything like that, but rather discussing on the physical hardware size.

          "the XZ3 has a thicker sensor due to its real memory-embedded sensor"
          First of all, XZ1 with the same IMX400 sensor as XZ2 was roughly the same in thickness as P20 Pro including the camera bump, so your whole "thicker sensor" argument is unfortunately invalid... XZ2 definitely could've been thinner than it is right now. But even then, if they make the whole device thicker in order to accommodate for the camera bump, why couldn't they put a larger battery in? And If they actually care about the practicality and user-friendliness, why did they choose to go with rounded glass back which many reviewers claim to be wobbly and slippery, rather than flat one with more angular edges? Or what about that placement of FPS on the back?

            • M
            • Mike
            • LHe
            • 14 Sep 2018

            kakouille, 14 Sep 2018Did you read the review? "Hence, a more OLED-relevant stan... moreThere is a good reason why XZ3 has lower brightness and that's to control PWM flicker as well as hue shifts which happen on suboptimal brightness level. Have you noticed how white backdrops are not white until certain high level of brightness is hit? Have you ever noticed screen flicker when brightness us suboptimal? That's because OLED unlike LCD requires to be set at optimal brightness in order to perform properly. Higher the brightness means lower the threshold of optimal performance which usually translates to optimal performance happens and the very top of the brightness level at which point it burns your eyes.

              Shanti Dope, 14 Sep 2018Then you might as well say that Galaxy phones suck because ... moreDon't change the subject and read the review.
              Sony Brightness, HDR and Color Accuracy sucks.
              Samsung screen = the best.
              From the review "the s9+ does have the superior display"
              And the Note 9's full-screen peak display brightness is 710 nits, Highest Peak Display Brightness (1050 nits with 710 nits at 100% APL).

                kakouille, 14 Sep 2018Brightness is a KEY element of HDR. Sony HDR SUCKS accordi... moreThen you might as well say that Galaxy phones suck because their manual brightness peak is just at 370 nits, and that's what people use more often.
                Technically, all OLEDs suck at HDR due to their nature of being lower in brightness compared to IPS LCDs, so for true HDR, the G7 ThinQ is the best, purely for its 1000nits alone.

                  Nick Tagataka, 14 Sep 2018Well... that's just pointless. Note 9 is simply an overall,... moreNah
                  Great design is different from great looks. The Note 9 is just the latter. It ain't ergonomic. Its physical size already removes it from that category.
                  For 9 years of experience using OLED screens, I expect nothing but one of the best OLED screens. However, the XZ3's first generation OLED screen has just matched the Note 9's, which makes us believe that they will beat Samsung soon in this aspect, since their Bravia team is now working closely to their Xperia department (Sony has also been defeating Samsung in TVs lately).
                  XZ3 also has great battery life. And quite frankly, the Note 9's endurance rating was actually slightly lower than the standards for a 4000mAh battery device.
                  XZ3 also has flagship level performance. Any flagship of 2018 does, so it's not a Note 9 exclusive kind of thing.
                  Doesn't lag? Okay, but I tried the Note 9 in Samsung store and it had a lot of delay when swiping up and down the app drawer. It even has a hiccup when going to Bixby page.
                  Great camera and video, but others have caught up and beaten it, even the XZ3 does.
                  XZ3 also has great stereo speakers, even slightly louder than the Note 9's.
                  S Pen and headphone jack are probably the only true advantages of the Note 9. But I would disagree with the extra $350 asking price.

                  Technically, the XZ3 is a Sony version of the Galaxy S9. Wait for the XZ3 Premium, the Sony version of the Galaxy Note 9.

                    Shanti Dope, 14 Sep 2018Bruh, that also just talks plainly about brightness. XZ3 o... moreBrightness is a KEY element of HDR.
                    Sony HDR SUCKS according to the review
                    "However, not all HDR-certified devices are created equal and it is worth noting that by all accounts, the panel on the XZ3 is on the lower end of that spectrum.'' = Display sucks.

                      kakouille, 14 Sep 2018Sony HDR sucks. According to the review. "However, not a... moreBruh, that also just talks plainly about brightness.
                      XZ3 only reached HDR400 because of its limitation to 400 nits max brightness.
                      For the time that Samsung has been making OLED panels, I was expecting them to go beyond HDR800; they didn't. So which HDR sucks now?
                      Color accuracy is just a bit more of an effort to the manufacturer's side, and Sony knows that people prefer the bluish appeal to the screen than the warm but accurate one.
                      I know many of my friends with a Samsung phone and they always use the Adaptive Display mode with a bluish tint instead of the accurate Basic mode.

                        Nick Tagataka, 14 Sep 2018The problem is that HDR10 video recording capability is an ... moreIt's obviously still niche since it's relatively new still.
                        But the benefits are present and cannot be ignored.
                        Recording one doesn't just need a DRAM. It also needs a powerful ISP that could handle that much data, and the sensor itself must also be capable of seeing 10 bit colors.

                        Stabilization will be limited of course, but the usage of this video recording will mostly be for professional use, in which the users will invest for a good gimball rig or such.

                        This feature is beyond half-baked. Not perfect, but certainly usable and functional. When done right, it could provide seriously stunning results that blow anything else away. From well-exposed scenes to great variety of colors, 4K HDR video recording just takes video recording to a whole new level of experience. Who knows, maybe in the future, smartphones will be used to film movies already.

                          Shanti Dope, 14 Sep 2018I hope you realize that I'm actually trying to prove how mu... moreWell... that's just pointless. Note 9 is simply an overall, better rounded device out of 2.
                          Note 9 doesn't lack in any specific area - Great design + ergonomics, class-leading display, great battery life, flagship-worthy performance + feature-rich and bug-free software that no longer exhibits lags, great camera in both stills and video, great stereo speakers + a headphone jack with one of the best audio output quality, and S-Pen if you're a fan of stylus(well, I'm not, but there are definitely some people who like using one on a phone).

                          In order to compete with Note, a phone must be at least equally good in every single section I mentioned above. Only some phones such as iPhone Xs or upcoming Mate 20 Pro, which are also expected to be a great all rounder device, can match Note for instance. XZ3 doesn't have particularly excellent display, design, camera, or battery etc. compared to Note, and yes, the price of Sony flagships will drop shortly after their release, but then that's going to be more about the better "bang for the buck" and not the overall quality as a product. It's like comparing OnePlus 6 to Galaxy S9, OnePlus 6 offers more FOR THE PRICE, while S9 quite literally offers MORE FEATURES.

                            Nick Tagataka, 14 Sep 2018P20 Pro packs a 24MP front-facing camera(which is probably ... moreEarpiece speaker isn't as good as on the XZ3, which is larger than that of the P20 Pro.
                            Front camera sensor is just larger in size, but image quality is lower than that of the XZ3's. It doesn't even have autofocus.
                            Huawei crammed everything too much inside, and could be critical for the internals when the phone is damaged. Sony doesn't have a camera bump, and that is, the XZ3 has a thicker sensor due to its real memory-embedded sensor (P20 Pro only uses software for 960fps super slow motion).

                            Sony didn't want to reach those levels. They are concerned more on the practicality side, where in reality, you'd need the extra space more than you'd want it to be shaved off.
                            I took this realization from the fact that there are no multimedia device I've tried to use and be as good as Sony phones are.

                              Shanti Dope, 14 Sep 2018And it says what? Galaxy phones only coped up because of h... moreSony HDR sucks.
                              According to the review.
                              "However, not all HDR-certified devices are created equal and it is worth noting that by all accounts, the panel on the XZ3 is on the lower end of that spectrum.''
                              "VESA has a competing and arguably more precise HDR standard, in recently released, which defines three tiers of HDR (HDR 400, HDR 600 and HDR 1000). Without digging too deep into the standard itself, we can clearly see the XZ3 only covers the first level. The point we are trying to drive across here is that, as far as HDR screens go, the XZ3 is not the end-all of mobile devices".
                              Brightness and color accuracy sucks too.

                                kakouille, 14 Sep 2018Did you read the review? "Hence, a more OLED-relevant stan... moreAnd it says what?
                                Galaxy phones only coped up because of higher brightness levels, and have nothing to do with color gamut, in which the XZ3 covers wider range than the Note 9.

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • sys
                                  • 14 Sep 2018

                                  Why no microscope shot of the xz3 screen? Are they using an RGB OLED or a Pentile?

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • 4QP
                                    • 14 Sep 2018

                                    Oh but sonys display is the absolute best!!!
                                    At least they improved the camera processing a bit lol

                                      Shanti Dope, 14 Sep 2018It can. Nobody said it can't. But 4K HDR is a different th... moreThe problem is that HDR10 video recording capability is an extremely rare feature which literally no average consumer will give a damn about, and it's even more niche compared to something like super slow-mo or 4K60fps recording. The stabilisation is limited since this type of HDR recording is extremely processor intensive, and its framerate is also capped at 24fps so the whole footage will look shaky and junky. That might explain why Samsung decided not to enable HDR10 recording on Note 9 even though it is technically possible(DRAM is required for this feature, and Note 9's main sensor has one): they just don't want to confuse their customers with half-baked features which are rarely used.

                                        Shanti Dope, 14 Sep 2018The issue is that the internals of the bezels require that ... moreP20 Pro packs a 24MP front-facing camera(which is probably roughly around 1/2.8 inch diagonally) and the earpiece which acts as a secondary speaker, yet height of the notch is noticeably shorter than that of the top bezel on XZ3. And Huawei then managed to pack 3 cameras on the back, one of which is a large 1/1.7 in sensor, and huge 4000mAh battery, all in more than 2mm thinner body. So Sony could've cut down the bezels to Galaxy S9/Mate 10 Pro level, if that was what they really wanted to do.

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