Sony Xperia XZ3 long-term review

08 March 2019
We used the Sony Xperia XZ3 as our main smartphone for an extended period of time, trying to evaluate whether it might serve most people well in day to day use, away from benchmarks, sales numbers, and objective tests. So join us over the next few pages as we explore what the Xperia XZ3 has to offer in 2019.

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  • ?
  • Anonymous
  • mpV
  • 09 Mar 2019

Dunno what's the reviewers' problem... Not having extra features: too 'stock'; having them: gimmicks... Sure I agree that SOMC should focus more on improving core part of experiences (pain points), but does the reviewer think all these features that has been there for years should be removed (plus they removed loads of them, some very good ones already)? Sure you have your own preferences (really tho?) , but do others have to have the same as yours? GSM arena's main functions these days is mainly just some quantified testing and that's it - well it sucks too as you can't even get some basic readings, such as the PWM frequency of crappy OLEDs (including XZ3) that kill our eyes.

    • B
    • Bananarama
    • Su8
    • 09 Mar 2019

    First of all. What do you with "long term review"? You use a phoine for one (1) month and that's it? That's not a long term review.

    A few comments though: "you get bezels, and you get bezels, and everybody gets bezels, top and bottom."
    Indeed top and bottom and they are smaller than on the typical 16:9 pphone so please stop exaggerating how big Sony's bezels are. They are hardly any worse than on a Galaxy S8/S9 or even a Honor View 10 which are phones of similar design. I'll have to defend Sony for this one, since it's the screen symmetry that makes this a very appealing device.

    It is indeed a shame that despite the good looking screen symmetry the button and fps-layout is a dissaster. You got a point there.

    Then there's this: "Pictures taken in good lighting conditions turn out very good. They're sharp and detailed"

    Are you blind? I see the typical smearing and at some parts equally typical overzealous sharpening that most of see in Sony's pictures. They might make the best camera-sensors for phones but it's clear that they have no clue how to properly use them!!!

    Just look at the photo of the boats. You can't recognise the grass or plants. Hell, you can barely see that these things are boats. This is horrible!

    The selfie shots in good daylight are the only bearable photo's.

    "..If you start with the phone on, you will have to get through three reboots until you can use it again. It first reboots automatically, with no warning, when you take out the tray...."

    BS, most people turn off their phone before inserting or removing the sim-tray. This is nitpicking! And what's that BS about "bars"? Does anyone even look at that? Perhaps I'm lucky to live in a dense urban area that I haven't noticed signal strength for ages but I found that comment again; nitpicking.

    X-reality etc... Yeah unfortunately Sony has it for big meaningless terms and words. Most people know its fluff by now but managment at Sony keeps holding on to these BS-slogans and terminology.

    "It looks like simply holding the device can trigger it"
    Users have been complaining for YEARS about these curved screens. Finally you see the problems a lot of us have to endure every days because manufacturers just don't listen to us!

    I hope someone at Sony actually read these websites and comments. They could learn from it! But I doubt this.

    I enjoyed the read. Despite having the idea that you didn't like this device. As for my final remark directed to those companies.

    Monkeys, they're bloody stupid monkeys... all of them!



    "..It looks like simply holding the device can trigger it.."

      Why not post the name of the reviewer? The review is very negative, that's why I don't really recommend GSMArena anymore with this kind of articles.

        Initial review actually covered stuff in more detail than the long term one, also as an XZ1/2 user the lag thing seems strange as it doesn't happen on the older models

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • 3Z%
          • 09 Mar 2019

          Tann Hauser, 09 Mar 2019?!! You obviously dont know how sound enhancements work. ... moreYeah, all those virtually created "surround" sound ruiners are horrible. It might fool an untrained ear, though. Just keep all the effects off and you hear your music exactly like it was supposed to sound like, the original mixing and mastering.

            • C
            • Camera?
            • M3u
            • 09 Mar 2019

            Walter C. Dornez, 09 Mar 2019Exactly. And it's disappointing because they not only have ... moreJust youtube this.

            watch?v=bm2nmea8rZQ

              • S
              • Shui8
              • KZ8
              • 09 Mar 2019

              While XZ3 do have its quirk, i mostly agree with the Sony fans here. Reviewer seems a bit bias, hopefully he can improve later, because all the cons i see its a bit nitpicky, but he said it like its the end of the world.

              For example:
              1. App drawer design horizontally. Doesnt Samsung One UI like that as well? (i love vertically by the way, as horizontally kills the app drawer function, better not have it).
              2. Camera performance. Yes i can agree with his comments on rear camera, but front camera? Most of other flagship do worse, Sony is one of the best.
              3. Lag. Dude please, i know how Sony system works, and its one of the best implementation & better than Stock Android. (Oxygen OS still no. 1 for me)
              4. Gimmick list. Please man, this applied to every other brands out there, each has its own. If its working as it suppose to be, its great.

              I switch from Sony to Huawei now, sure it wasnt the best, but its not that bad as it mentioned. Please carefully do a fair comparison/review next time because as of now, it looks like he doesnt like Sony at all.

                • A
                • Anal
                • m2m
                • 09 Mar 2019

                This article was created with the purpose of dissing the XZ3. Pure pessimism through out.

                  Anonymous, 09 Mar 2019Dude, come on. All "sound enhancements" are killing the ori... more?!!
                  You obviously dont know how sound enhancements work.
                  HiRes files are not in any way touched by DSSE HX, which enhances only mp3 files.
                  Virtual studio surround setting is exactly as same as Dolby Atmos on headphones.
                  S force exactly as same as Dolby for external speakers.
                  You need to toggle Dolby to get it, same as you need to toggle S force/Virtual studio...
                  But its all "nonsense gimmicks" on Sony for this guy.

                  I dont even like this phone, for all the different reasons tho, but this is. ..
                  just bias bashing "long term use review" (yeah, right,...) of a barely popular phone ( which other barely sold phone got this kind of review? , and just at a such an appropriate time? ), y know, just so you dont get in any way hyped about the upcoming Xperia 1.

                  So, please, give me a break.
                  And read this article between the lines for a change.

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • 3Z%
                    • 09 Mar 2019

                    Mike, 09 Mar 2019Reviewer contradicts himself. First he says there is no not... more"Right now, to be a clear success in sales, a device absolutely has to nail the basics. As far as we can tell, those are, in no particular order: a great screen, amazing camera image quality, nice and modern looks, smooth and stutter-free performance, and ample battery life."

                    Sony failed to deliver on these aspects, writer never said this was a lag-free, smoothly operating phone. Lag here and there, lag everywhere is the message of this review. Very clearly said too, not sure how people get it confused - but I hope this clears things up.

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • LHe
                      • 09 Mar 2019

                      Anonymous, 09 Mar 2019Dude, come on. All "sound enhancements" are killing the ori... moreDSEE HX gives you more stage on those 128kbs MP3s when enabled and Dynamic Normalizer evens out the loudness. So they actually work. ClearAudio+ on the other hand is just an EQ tweak which I don't like cause it doesn't hit frequencies I enjoy, it's more vocal oriented. Surround sound virtualization is something I've never used cause I don't care for surround sound effect. And then there is manual EQing which is great if you have more than one pair of headphones such as OE and EB as one will have enough of low end so you can boost the mids and the other will lack low end so you can boost that and save as preset.

                        • M
                        • Mike
                        • LHe
                        • 09 Mar 2019

                        Reviewer contradicts himself. First he says there is no noticeable lag and it even lists performance as Pro (+) and then by the end of the review he says there are performance issues.

                        So which one is it actually?

                        Calling some features a gimmick is subjective and there is no place for such thing when doing a review. For once I never use fingerprint scanner on my phones so to me FPS placement is not even an issue but to reviewer it is cause he has mentioned it across multiple paragraphs, to me FPS is just a gimmick as well. On the other hand I always use Xperia Actions and Dynamic Normalizer, software additions that reviewer calls gimmicks cause he doesn't need them just like how I don't need FPS.

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • 3Z%
                          • 09 Mar 2019

                          Tann Hauser, 09 Mar 2019He compared it to S8 lag, so he must ve activated the Stami... moreDude, come on. All "sound enhancements" are killing the original sound quality your file once had. Never ever, NEVER EVER enable those. HiFi and software sound enhancements never ever were a match.

                            Hip hop king, 09 Mar 2019In the xperia xz2 long term review they said that it was th... moreYeah well, get a clue already.. .
                            It ALL depends on WHO is reviewing.

                              Reptile64, 09 Mar 2019Lagging? Seriously? I'm using the phone for 6 months now wi... moreHe compared it to S8 lag, so he must ve activated the Stamina mode on balanced level.... y know, so he could call in the lags.
                              He most probably used the wireless headphones to test the sound enhancements.... which dont work through that nonsens wireless, so y know... he could call them all Sonys proprietary sound enhancements only gimmicks...
                              He activated the X enhancement, but didnt care to compare its SDR to HDR upscaling ability to other that dont have it.... so y know, he could call it all a gimmick.
                              Etc, etc...

                              Its so easy to do such a bias bashing "review" if you put your mind to it.

                                In the xperia xz2 long term review they said that it was the smoothest next to pixel. And the next time they say xz3 is at the bottom of the line.
                                I can tolerate anything they say but lagging is never a word that describes an xperia

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • 3Z%
                                  • 09 Mar 2019

                                  Tann Hauser, 09 Mar 2019I remember reading the same cra.. ps about X Performance...... moreThey are paying more attention, than you. They also have experienced a faster phone, so they know what is missing from a Sony.

                                  Like some people say that playing games at 60 FPS is perfectly fine, but many people find a stable 60 FPS laggy - like I do. It's like watching a PowerPoint presentation compared to an actually smooth experience delivered by a 144 Hz panel and 100+ FPS. This is the same thing basically, you just don't know what to look for.

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • 3Z%
                                    • 09 Mar 2019

                                    Anonymous, 08 Mar 2019It's very confusing when they say... "As far as we can t... moreThey expect those thing delivered by a flagship phone, and this phone failed to deliver a lag-free, smooth user experience. Sony lags.

                                      Lagging? Seriously? I'm using the phone for 6 months now with 200 apps and it's still turbo fast without any lag at all! Not the 6GB version but the 4. As for the battery OK it might not be the best out there but I never had to charge it before going to bed, also the battery care feature is awesome because I can charge it overnight without having to worry about battery degradation over time.

                                        • ?
                                        • Anonymous
                                        • m5H
                                        • 09 Mar 2019

                                        Anonymous, 09 Mar 2019You certainty dont own an xz3 . I own an huawei and the scr... moreYou're right, I don't own an XZ3 ANYMORE. Couldn't stand the grainy screen and stupid fp placement.

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