Sony Xperia XZ3 hands-on review

Display

OLED is debuting on an Xperia phone and what a gorgeous sight it is. The overall benefits of the texh are clear, but it might just be up to Sony to convince its users to take the plunge as well, considering the long years of LCD-only diet, accompanied by frequent praise for the benefits of the IPS liquid crystal technology.

We're pretty sure this will be a point of controversy among fans, but OLED definitely gets our vote. For anyone that needs some convincing, we would recommend just watching one of Sony's HDR demos, pre-loaded on the Xperia XZ3.

Most of these clips we had seen time and time before, but never like this with incredibly vibrant colors, perfect blacks, and infinite contrast. The pixel response times and fluidity of it all. Sony also made sure to gear up the new shiny panel with its patented set of familiar display optimization tech. Namely, TRILUMINOS technology, X-REALITY, and a Dynamic Contrast Enhancer. So long-time fans don't have to feel like they are missing out. In fact, Sony claims it made quite a few AI-driven improvements to its SDR to HDR enhancer for the XZ3.

Left: Sony Xperia XZ2, Right: Sony Xperia XZ3

Speaking of HDR, Sony gave the new display its full HDR treatment, even sprinkling a few cherries on top. Just like many of its siblings, the XZ3 supports 10-bit colors and is certified for the BT.2020 standard. The display is also certified for HDR10 playback, which is the defacto standard for HDR streaming, on platforms, such as Amazon, Netflix and YouTube.

Supporting just the right amount of HDR is somewhat of an issue in 2018, with segmentation and competing standards all throughout the tech realm. In an effort to address this, Sony is now recording HDR content in accordance to the HLG standard. This effectively makes for a more flexible format and plays well with YouTube video uploading. It does more than that, as well, but more on HLG in the camera section.

Sony Xperia XZ3 in blue

With a QHD+ resolution, the XZ3 also sits nicely, in the middle ground between the FHD+ XZ2 and the insane 4K resolution of the XZ2 Premium. It's an incredibly sharp display. All this definitely makes us wonder exactly where Sony's OLED panel comes from. Certain supply chain relations with LG are known to exist for Sony's OLED TV models. Then again, the company is also known to deal with Sharp, as well as Samsung (mostly for LCD panels).

Sony Xperia XZ3 in red

Sony Xperia XZ3 in silver

Regardless of the panel's origin, we can't wait to run it through our full set of test to see just how good it actually is in numbers. In the meantime, we can only say it looks perceivably quite bright, is pleasant enough in direct sunlight, but really shines in a cozy dark room, streaming Netflix in HDR.

Always on display settings

Oh, and there is one more benefit to be gained from the OLED technology as well. Sony did its homework diligently and wasted no time in implementing an always on display option for the XZ3. It's called "Ambient display" and already comes with a selection of five different clock styles, extensive notification controls, music controls, as well as some user-customizable graphic content.

Stickers allow you to place a static image from a pre-loaded set or your gallery near the bottom of the display. There is also a Photo playback option, which surfaces round windows with your photos in random sizes and locations on your lock screen. The XZ3 typically selects the most recent shots you have taken, but if it finds shots of the place you are currently at in your gallery, it will start cycling those. Neat!

Familiar 19MP MOTION EYE camera

Sony has decided to stick to what it knows in the camera department, equipping yet another generation of devices with the familiar IMX400 ExmorRS, a.k.a. Motion Eye camera. 1/2.3", 1.22µm, behind an f/2.0 lens. Its field of view is still quite wide at 25mm (in 35mm equiv).

The same module that appears on the XZ Premium, XZs, as well as the XZ1 pair and the XZ2 Family. There is still no OIS, either, The camera relies solely on EIS to keep things steady. What is part of the package, however, is Sony's excellent, stacked RAM ship solution. It's the exact same module, we are already familiar with. It lets the sensor reads out the full 19MP resolution really fast, which prevents the nasty rolling shutter in photos of fast-moving objects. The extra fast memory is also vital for proper HDR video recording at up to 4K.

It also enables the headline feature - 960fps slow-motion video. Thanks to the Spectra 280 ISP, inside the Snapdragon 845 and the RAM chip, the XZ3 can also record 960fps slow-motion video at 1080p resolution - still higher than the competition. The size of the RAM chip, however, sadly hasn't been increased yet, leaving the legth of the 1080p slow motion bit still at just 0.09 seconds. Quite hard to work with.

Predictive capture algorithms do help out a lot in the quest towards perfect slow motion capture. Speaking of which, Sony's camera improvements for the XZ3 are mostly confined to the realm of software, which shouldn't be misconstrued as criticism. On the contrary, anyone can make good photos with a huge sensor and lens setup. Getting a great shot from a small mobile module is an endeavor which requires immense software work and talent.

It's also a lengthy process that takes time and iteration. Which is why we appreciate the latest iteration on Sony's BIONZ processing algorithm, as introduced in the XZ3. Sony tends to undersell these improvements, rather unintentionally, while trying to explain them. Still, it does make things a bit easier to understand.

BIONZ for the XZ3 addresses two main issues. The first is detail under low-light conditions. That sounds pretty straight-forward enough and easy to test. We will be sure to grab an Xperia XZ2 and the new XZ3 and do a side by side shootout, once we get the review unit in the office. Until then, we'll just have to take Sony's word for it.

The same goes for the other improvement, which Sony rather descriptively calls: "Exposure control by Deep Learning." Obviously, since AI is involved, the inner working are going to be hard to grasp. However, the explanation and samples were simple enough - Sony found that most people ruin shots that have a bright sky in them - that lead to under-exposure of other objects in the frame. Conversely - shots of greenery, which tend to get over-exposed. So, the new AI simply jumps in, recognizes the particular scenes and applies proper exposure and/or HDR, as needed. As simple as that!

Camera UI

Manual mode

Simple seems to be an ongoing there with Sony's camera improvements. The camera app UI has been reworked for simple operation. Switching between photo and video mode is a one click operation, and all the corresponding modes and settings are well contained within menus, in those modes. The camera app also now supports Android quick actions, which allow you to create shortcuts to photo, video and manual modes, right on your home screen. We think the new UI is an improvement.

Smart Launch is another new AI-powered feature, found on the Xperia XZ3. It is anew gesture for launching your camera. Taking the XZ3 out of your pocket and holding it horizontally (the only orientation to properly take a photo or record video) brings up the camera. After that, you just need to tap the screen once, and you are ready to shoot.

The rule-based detection logic and deep learning that go on behind the scenes to enable this feature are quite impressive. Still, we have to wonder about the actual practicality of the gesture. It's not that quick, plus it requires an extra press on display. All the while, a double press of the power button will also get you in the camera app.

Speaking of new gestures with dubious usefulness, there is Sony's new Side sense interface. It is based on taps on the curve of the XZ3's display and actually does a few things, across different parts of the OS. We ill go into more detail about its other uses in the software section, but as far as the camera app goes, it currently doubles as a shutter key. So, what you have to do is a double tap on the edge of the screen to take a still or start recording.

To convenience part stems from the fact that you can tap anywhere on the edge. However, you better make sure you won't introduce too much shake to the phone while doing so for too long. There is a time-out between executing the tap and the XZ3 actually triggering the shutter to address this issue. But the very fact Sony had to implement this workaround leads us to believe the whole gesture was implemented to show off Side sense in its current early stage, more than anything else.

Of course, no proper hands-on article would be complete without some sample shots.

Sony Xperia XZ3 camera samples

Sony Xperia XZ3 camera samples

We were lucky to get plenty of sunshine in Berlin. Still, we didn't skip on some night shots either.

Sony Xperia XZ3 low-light camera samples

Sony Xperia XZ3 low-light camera samples

Upon first glance, the samples seem to be about on par with the Xperia XZ2. Buy, you know the drill - early hardware and software in a random setting do not lead to proper conclusions. We'll reserve our judgement for the full review.

For comparative purposes, we also did an impromptu camera shoot-out, of sorts. We brought the Samsung Galaxy Note9 and the Sony Xperia XZ2 for the task.

Sony Xperia XZ3 • Sony Xperia XZ2 • Samsung Galaxy Note9

Sony Xperia XZ3 • Sony Xperia XZ2 • Samsung Galaxy Note9

Sony Xperia XZ3 • Sony Xperia XZ2 • Samsung Galaxy Note9

Sony Xperia XZ3 • Sony Xperia XZ2 • Samsung Galaxy Note9

Sony Xperia XZ3 • Sony Xperia XZ2 • Samsung Galaxy Note9

All the shots were naturally taken at the same time of day, replicating the conditions as close as possible.

13MP selfie snapper

One clear camera upgrade the XZ3 offers over the XZ2 is the selfie camera. The XZ3 offers a 13.2MP autofocus enabled snapper. It's a new and improved module, as well, since it has a brighter aperture of f/1.9, compared to the f/2.0, the XZ2 Premium is rocking.

Still, we can't exactly bring ourselves to call the selfie "new", since the Xperia XZ1 already featured a similar camera. It's just that the XZ2 pair downgraded it quite a bit, with a 5MP module. So, we consider this righting a wrong on Sony's part, more than anything else.

Since the unit we are dealing with is rocking non-final software, we will once again reserve final judgment on quality and operation for the full review. What we will do, however, is bring attention to some improvements and features Sony is marketing for the XZ3 selfie, which add up to what the Japanese giant is boldly referring to as the "best-in-class 13MP Selfie camera". Come to think of it, though, that is a pretty specific category.

Anyway, selfies get the benefit of a new beauty system, complete with 5 distinct components: Face slender, Eye enlargement, Skin brightness and Soft skin. The intensity of these can be fine-tuned and adjusted individually. There is also a Bokeh effect, with variable strength, which Sony is throwing into the beauty mix, along with the other portrait improvements.

We took a few self-portraits while out and about in Berlin as well.

Sony Xperia XZ3 selfie camera samples

Naturally, we had to test out the portrait mode, real quick. These end up in a rather funky aspect ratio by default.

Sony Xperia XZ3 selfie portrait camera samples

Last and probably least, the 3D creator app has also seen some improvement and now apparently works even better, with both the main and selfie camera. Sony talks about some new face animation options, which will likely make the whole experience even creepier.

4K and HDR video recording

Sony has some notable bragging right when it comes to video capture. These are still, very much present on the Xperia XZ3 and are mostly enabled through a combination of the memory-stacked Motion Eye camera, the powerful Spectra ISP, inside the Snapdragon 845 and the skillful way Sony camera engineers have leveraged it.

Video UI

Sony's approach to HDR video is rather interesting. Format and quality-wise, it combines up to 4K resolution, with 10-bit depth, a rich BT.2020 color space, and HDR. The latter is implemented in a particularly flexible way.

One the one hand, the Xperia XZ3, like a few of its flagship siblings, is certified for HDR10 playback. This is the defacto standard for consuming HDR content online, from the likes of Amazon, Netflix, and YouTube. Still, sharing HDR content to platforms, like YouTube is a bit trickier still.

Left: Sony Xperia XZ3, Right: Samsung Galaxy S9+

That's where the Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) standard comes in. Without getting too technical, the gist of HLG is better compatibility than competing standards, like HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Unlike those, at the core of HLG is an SDR signal, which makes it backward compatible with unsupported devices. It also helps to make HLG a lot more usable for streaming content - an issue HDR10 and Dolby Vision have. The actual high dynamic range part of the video is encoded as an extra logarithmic curve on top of the regular SDR gamma curve. Hence, the "log" and "gamma" parts of the name.

But, we might have gotten a little bit sidetracked here. What are the practical benefits from all this? Simple enough - through a collaboration with YouTube, Sony has enabled the XZ3 (among other devices) to upload the HDR HLG content it captures straight to YouTube in 10-bit HEVC format. YouTube digests that and converts it over to 10-bit VP9, which can then be delivered to a wide range of HDR devices. That helps you share your HDR creations with the world, instead of having them stuck on your device alone and worse still, having them look bad and washed out on a non-HDR display.

Of course, Sony's stacked memory sensor solution plays a big part in properly capturing HDR content. Since the entire sensor can be read out so fast, you don't need to capture two consecutive frames to blend in final HDR one. Instead, you get two simultaneous captures.

The stacked memory solution also enables the 960fps slow-motion recording feature, at up to 1080p resolution - a stand-out Xperia feature.

Quality-wise, we expect few notable improvements in video capture in the XZ3, compared to the XZ2. We can only confirm, for sure, in the full review. In any case, any potential improvement should be purely software-based, meaning that it probably won't stay exclusive to the new flagship for long.