Sony Xperia XZ Premium starts sales. Sony introduced its first smartphone with dual cameras

New Motion Eye camera module with its own memory, 4K display with HDR support, interesting audio-related features, chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, fast built-in memory - all this Sony Xperia XZ Premium…

Design, construction

Good news- Sony did not change the previously made decisions, and the concept of the new design remains unchanged. What we saw in the XZ we also see in the Premium; in fact, the device has only proportionally increased in size. All the good stuff remains! This includes water protection according to the IP65/68 standard, Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and a USB-C connector. Now the company uses such a connector not only in smartphones, but also in accessories, for example the new SBH56 headset. The smartphone will be available in two colors, one reminiscent of the original blue Xperia color XZ, the second futuristic, chrome. The exact names of the colors are Luminous Chrome and Deepsea Black. Remember the first Premium? This is about the same thing, only the XZ Premium has an oleophobic coating on all sides and they promise that fingerprints will not be so noticeable.

On the back of the device there is a camera lens enclosed in a steel ring so that the glass does not scratch, next to it there is a flash and sensors (laser autofocus, IR-RGB sensor) in the center - the NFC area, the XPERIA logo. Under the flap is a slot for a nanoSIM card and a memory card, don’t be afraid, microSD is here to stay, you can use either two SIM cards, or a memory card and one SIM card. On the right side there is a button with a built-in fingerprint sensor, a shooting button, and the volume rocker has been moved higher, and rightly so. The device, like the XZ, is smooth on all sides, you can twist it in your hands in any direction and get great pleasure from it.

Specifications

• Dimensions: 156 x 77 x 7.9 mm, weight - 196 grams
• Water protection: IP65/68
• Connections: USB Type-C, 3.1, to obtain maximum speed you will need a special cable, sold separately. In addition, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, NFC.
• Battery: 3200 mAh, support Quick Charge 3.0, smartSTAMINA, Qnovo Adaptive Charging
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB internal memory (UFS)
• Display: 5.5 inches, 4K resolution, HDR support
• Camera: 19 MP, new Motion Eye camera. In some places I call the Motion Eye module, in the old fashioned way, but in fact it is a combination of three components: the Exmor RS module, new optics and a special Bionz algorithm. I hope they will forgive me for my reservations, but you know - this is not a module, this is a camera!
• Front camera 13 MP
• Security: Fingerprint sensor built into the power button
• Features: support for the LDAC codec for Bluetooth, the ability to play high-resolution content in some streaming services (for example, Amazon - available in Russia, you can also watch Netflix, but they do not support mobile 4K HDR), 4K video recording, Hi-Res Audio support , pre-installed applications Sony

Display

Let me remind you that Sony had such an interesting device Z5 Premium, it differed from the simple Z5 in display resolution (5.5-inch 4K UHD display (3840 x 2160), 806 PPI), and a different design. The smartphone is an experiment, probably in the XZ Premium review I’ll tell you more about my impressions of using it, I’ll remember and give a kind word to this interesting device.

Experiments with 4K resolution in smartphones did not end there; the glorious work of Premium continues with the XZ Premium, only here now, in addition to 4K resolution, HDR is also used. If you ask what would be better, I will answer that colors will be better in some cases. But, given the display diagonal - 5.5 inches, the difference with the “regular” display in the same iPhone 7 Plus will be difficult to notice. In addition, there is not much 4K content on streaming services yet, you can try Amazon, but for Russia this is still exotic. You will not be able to view 4K videos with HDR on YouTube on a mobile device. But it is indicated that PlayStation Video will be played in exactly the correct resolution. I have a sign here that indicates when the device will “upscale” to 4K, and when it will use this resolution, here’s a little more detail:

• Album, 4K playback, if the resolution of the downloaded content is lower, then “upscale”
• The same scheme for downloaded applications
• Video playback applications support 4K, if the resolution is lower, “upscale”. Moreover, this applies to the preinstalled program and other utilities.
• YouTube claims 4K support, but it seems there is no way to play 4K content on a mobile device. Upscale declared. Well, we're waiting Android updates or YouTube apps for all mobile OS

I repeat, the main limitation is the size of the display, and in everyday life on a small diagonal TV it is sometimes difficult to distinguish 4K-HDR from FHD, here the diagonal is 5.5 inches.

You can also understand the logic of those responsible for the Sony XZ Premium; they tried to put the very best into the device so that the consumer would not have any questions about the price. So, 4K-HDR also has an image purpose, in addition to pleasing our eyes.

Camera

Of course, everyone is most interested in the new camera module installed in the Sony Xperia XZ Premium and Xperia XZs. The company calls it Motion Eye, a name to remember in the Sony family. During 2017, the module will be used only in the company’s smartphones; apparently, this will become a kind of verification, error detection, and potential testing. Then the module will be sold to Apple, Samsung, and other companies. Here some may say: “And Apple will finish it as expected.” I will answer that Sony smartphones with Motion Eye will be capable of a lot, from shooting 4K video (yay) to Super Slo-Mo. But first, a little about the module itself. The characteristics were named as follows: 19 megapixels, matrix size 1/2.3", the lens consists of six elements. The fundamental difference between Motion Eye is the presence own memory, which allows you to perform various tricks with the image, and this applies to both photos and videos. For example, if you see something interesting, take your smartphone out of your pocket, point it, and it itself takes three pictures, identifying a moving object in the frame. And when you press the button, this will already be the fourth frame. Then you will be asked to select best photo, delete the rest. The possibilities open up in a variety of ways. If we talk about dreams, imagine if you take out the device in a store and point it at a wine label, Vivino will open on its own, where the camera will immediately be activated. This option may appear in the future! Speaking of reality, on vacation, if you are lying on the beach and raise the camera, it will instantly focus and take several pictures. Frames are stored in the so-called Stacked memory, processed, and issued to the user. It is interesting that having your own memory allows you not to “load” the CPU, this has a positive effect on energy consumption and the operation of other applications. And this already exists.

If predictive shooting seems boring to you, how about Super slow motion, 960fps? And even in HD? Not bad? I'll tell you, it's even more interesting here, let's say you start shooting a regular video, if some dynamic scene happens, you press a button, it shoots in Super Slo-mo for six seconds, then you can continue recording a regular video. This is good for sports, some sketches in the city, recreation, concerts and so on; you can come up with hundreds of scenarios. I was able to watch the videos shot on XZ Premium, it’s impressive! This is something like this - and you can make such videos yourself on your smartphone.

Or like this.

Examples were shot on a Sony FS700, there was this one four years ago professional camera. In general, you can see how “pro” is becoming popular, this applies to 4K, slo-mo, and a number of other features.

As I already said, recording slow-motion video and shooting objects without hands is just the beginning; those companies to whom Sony will sell the module may well come up with hundreds of other ways to use the memory. Sony also promises to come up with a lot of interesting things. The possibilities and potential of Motion Eye are great. Well, for older smartphones, Sony Motion Eye is also good because it allows you to shoot video in 4K resolution, they promise excellent image quality in different conditions, it uses the same multifaceted focusing system as in the Sony Xperia XZ.

Please note that the camera resolution is 19 megapixels; you can select 17 megapixel mode with an aspect ratio of 16:9 in the settings.

Music

Here I want to say that in addition to the LDAC codec typical for Xperia flagships, built-in “improvers” and active noise cancellation with special headphones, the new AHO function is supported. Stands for Automatic Headset Optimization, the smartphone can detect which headphones are connected and adjust the sound to them. How this is done, what is configured - there is no exact answer yet, I will try to get it. People involved with the company say the feature actually works.

Regarding noise reduction and other things. The Xperia flagships have a five-pin connector that provides power to a number of accessories, including a plug-in external microphone, and a headset with support for active noise reduction, it was planned that a whole range of all sorts of accessories would appear. The XZ Premium and XZs retain all of these features.

As for LDAC, the company's range of headsets with codec support is expanding, now there are sports devices and in-ear headphones, And large speakers for home. You can find all devices with LDAC here (http://www.sony.net/Products/LDAC/), alas, Sony does not allocate them in a separate section, so you will have to click a lot. But I won't complain - if you have an Xperia and want cool sound, invest in the MDR-1000X or MDR-1ADAC, load FLAC into memory, you will have great fun. By the way, no matter who I recommended the MDR-1000X to, everyone was happy.

Peculiarities

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium has a number of features that are not noticeable at first glance. I'll try to list it:

• The device uses USB Type-C, 3.1; to get a good data transfer speed (5Gb/s), you need to buy a special cable. By the way, for fast charging you will have to go to the store and buy a special power supply. If you say, “Was it hard to put it all in the box at once? These accessories cost pennies!”, then the people from Sony will quite truthfully answer you that then the device would cost several thousand rubles more. If you want speed, buy your own accessories.
• The smartphone uses 64 GB of built-in UFS (Universal Flash Storage) memory; the slides indicated that the recording speed increases three times (1.5 Gb/s). Let's see what your impressions of working with the device will be.
• A 3230 mAh battery is installed, fast charging and Qnovo Adapting Charging technology are supported - with its help you can save battery life. You shouldn't expect any miracles regarding operating time; the behavior of the Sony Xperia XZ Premium will depend entirely on your preferences. Probably, prototypes without additional software will live for more than a day, but you put Facebook, Chrome, Telegram there and see what happens.
• The latest version of Android will be installed at the moment, in the future you can count on support for at least 18 months. To some this may seem like a short period of time, but even the Z3+ recently received an update to Android 7 and went on sale in May 2015. As you can see, it's been over 18 months! Accordingly, for Sony Xperia XZ Premium you can count on long-term support from the company.

If I suddenly find out any more details, I'll add them here.

conclusions

I assume that the price will be about 55,000 rubles, the device will go on sale in late spring 2017. It is the Sony Xperia XZ Premium that will become the uber-offer in the Xperia line, demonstrating capabilities in many areas. It’s interesting how the most different technologies big company - a new photo module, a stabilization system from Action Cam, a display with 4K and HDR, configured by those responsible for Bravia. And here you can establish a connection with the PlayStation and play somewhere in another room, so as not to disturb anyone.

Most Xperia evoke a positive response in the soul, but the Sony Xperia XZ Premium really makes you wait, as before, count the days, make notches on the door frame. I suppose happiness will come in May of this year. If you, like me, are crazy about the big Xperia, start saving money. In my opinion, the price for such functions is quite adequate. And you should definitely take “chrome” - there are immediate associations with WWII fighters, missiles, and other fast-moving objects.

So, sleepy boys, we are waiting for the big Xperia. If you were planning to buy the XZ now, but the larger display diagonal doesn’t scare you, I strongly advise you to wait for the Sony Xperia XZ Premium.

On February 27 in Barcelona, ​​the Japanese showed the Sony Xperia XZ Premium - the first truly flagship smartphone of 2017, with incredible technical characteristics. The new product has been thought out literally down to the smallest detail: from the hardware to the magnificent camera.

Xperia XZ Premium was the first among smartphones to receive the most powerful and up-to-date this moment mobile processor Snapdragon 835. Thus, the Huawei P10 and LG G6 presented on the 0th day of the MWC 2017 exhibition with last year’s chipsets are no match for it.

The beautiful, strict design deserves special attention: a display without side frames, a durable metal frame and protected by impact-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 5 back cover smartphone. Without exaggeration, the Xperia XZ Premium captivates at first sight.

Specifications

The hardware is, as they say, just a song. The powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 will power any modern Android application, even the most resource-demanding one. For this, the new product can even be forgiven for having 4 Gb of LPDDR4 RAM (I would like 6 Gb, but this volume is enough for the eyes).

Screen

Next: 5.5-inch HDR screen with a resolution of ... 4K UltraHD 3840x2160 pixels, supporting TRILUMINOS and X-Reality technologies. The matrix covers 138% of the sRGB color space. Dynamic contrast control is supported. And it is protected from external influences by impact-resistant Gorilla Glass 5.

Main camera

We add here a simply incredible main Motion Eye camera with a resolution of 19 MP and the ability to record video at a frequency of ... 960 frames per second. Now even the smallest movement will not escape the Xperia XZ Premium. Professional time-lapse photography in your pocket.

The large format Exmor RS 1/2.3” sensor with 1.22 micron pixel size provides high ISO performance (ISO 12800 for photos and ISO 4000 for video) and low digital noise. Autofocus is predictive hybrid. The total camera startup time is 0.5 s. It is also interesting that the module is equipped with its own RAM.

An example of a photo taken with the main camera of a Sony Xperia XZ Premium in low artificial light conditions

The lens is a proprietary Sony G Lens, focal length 25 mm (35 mm film equivalent), aperture f/2.0, optical image stabilization along five (!) axes SteadyShot with support for intelligent active mode. The built-in BIONZ software is responsible for processing “raw” images from the camera.

Front-camera

The front camera is also excellent: 13 MP resolution, 1/3.06” Exmor RS sensor, wide-angle lens with a focal length of 22 mm and f/2.0 aperture, high ISO values ​​(6400 for photos and 1600 for video). And even optical stabilization SteadyShot on 5 axes - like the main module. So the “selfies” will be, without exaggeration, bombastic!

So if you need an uncompromising “camera phone”, feel free to take the Sony Xperia XZ Premium: it will not disappoint you. And you don’t need any fancy bells and whistles like dual cameras, because one powerful sensor from Sony “makes” any competitors.

Communications wireless and wired

It is Xperia XZ Premium, not Samsung Galaxy The S8 eventually became the first smartphone with Bluetooth support v5.0. This means not only twice the data transfer speed compared to BT v4.1, but also four times the transmitter range.

The new Sony product can operate in 4G LTE Category 16 networks, so it can also be safely called the first “gigabit smartphone”: the data download speed, if the mobile operator has the appropriate equipment, increases to 1 Gbit/s! The device is available in both single SIM and Dual-SIM versions.

To connect to a PC and external OTG devices, a modern USB Type-C 1.0 format port is used, the data transfer speed corresponds to USB standard 3.1. Other communication interfaces include NFC, dual-band WiFi and mixed navigation A-GNSS (simultaneously GPS + GLONASS).

Owners Play consoles Station 4 will also welcome the inclusion of a PS4 Remote Play option for remote control game console.

Power supply

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium has a relatively modest 3250 mAh battery, but thanks to support for Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0 fast charging technology, smartphone owners won't have to sit at a power outlet for long periods of time.

Several technologies are responsible for saving energy - Smart Stamina, Qnovo Adaptive Charging, Battery Care and STAMINA Mode. So 3250 mAh may be enough for a day, or even two. Thanks to its own memory Xperia camera The XZ Premium consumes significantly less power while shooting.

Software

Unlike many of its competitors, Sony's new flagship runs the latest version of Google Android v7.1 (Nougat), not just 7.0. At the same time, the system has undergone relatively minor customization, which promises greater speed of operation.

Physical parameters

The new Xperia XZ Premium is a relatively large and weighty device. With dimensions of 156 x 77 x 7.9 mm, it weighs as much as 195 g. Quite a harsh “brick”, we say. But the smartphone is protected from water and dust according to the IP68 standard.

If it gets into a liquid environment, the system automatically blocks the USB Type-C port and the 3.5 mm headphone/headphone jack until they are completely dry.

release date

Sony representatives have not yet shared the exact timing of the launch of the new product. According to unverified data, sales of the Xperia XZ Premium in Japan will start in April, but the rest of the world will have to wait until May, and in some countries even until June.

If we were Sony, we would strive to bring the new “premium” Xperia XZ to the market as soon as possible. If this happens in March, then the Japanese flagship simply will have no competitors. In April, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Xiaomi Mi6 should catch up, so the situation will become far from so clear.

Conclusions on Sony Xperia XZ Premium

The expected price of the smartphone at the start of sales in Russia is 55,000 - 60,000 rubles. For this money, the new Sony product will be just an ideal purchase. The gadget is “packed” literally “to the best of my ability.” The only point we mentioned above is that the company should not hesitate to start sales.

In any case, the Xperia XZ Premium as a smartphone is almost perfect and is worth taking a closer look at if you are not constrained by a budget.

Xperia XZ Premium specifications in detail

Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 8 x Kryo 280 @ 2.45 GHz GPU Adreno 540
Memory	4 GB RAM LPDDR4 @ 1866 MHz Built-in 64 Gb UFS 2.1 storage MicroSD slot up to 256 Gb
Connection	2G GSM GPRS/EDGE 3G UMTS HSPA+ 4G LTE Category 16 (data download speed up to 1 Gbps) Single-SIM/Dual-SIM (Nano-SIM format)
Screen	5.5 inches, 4K UltraHD, HDR Display Support for TRILUMINOS and X-Reality technologies Dynamic Contrast Enhancement Covers 138% sRGB color space compared to SDR Protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Main camera	Resolution 19 MP 1/2.3” Exmor RS Motion Eye sensor with dedicated memory Pixel size 1.22 µm Sony G Lens 25mm, f/2.0 aperture SteadyShot Image Stabilization with Intelligent active mode- 5 axes Triple image sensing technology Predictive hybrid autofocus 960 fps slow motion mode “Cold start” of the camera in 0.5 s ISO range: 100-12800 (photo), 100-4000 (video) 8x digital zoom BIONZ Image Processor
Front-camera	Resolution 13 MP Exmor RS 1/3.06” sensor 22mm lens, f/2.0 aperture ISO range: 100-6400 (photo), 100-1600 (video) SteadyShot Image Stabilization with Intelligent Active Mode - 5-Axis
Communications	Navigation A-GNSS (GPS + GLONASS) WiFi a/b/g/n/ac 2.4/5 GHz Bluetooth v5.0 DLNA Google Cast NFC USB 3.1, Type-C 1.0 PS4 Remote Play
Audio	Supports high quality formats LPCM, FLAC, ALAC, DSD DSEE HX LDAC Digital Noise Canceling Clear Audio+ Stereo speakers with S-Force Front Surround support Stereo sound recording 3.5 mm jack for headphones and headsets
Nutrition	3230 mAh battery, non-removable Fast charging Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 Smart Stamina Qnovo Adaptive Charging Battery Care STAMINA Mode
operating system	Android 7.1 Nougat
Protection	Water and dust protection IP65/68 Corning Gorilla Glass 5 (screen and back cover)
Physical parameters	Dimensions 156 x 77 x 7.9 mm Weight 195 g
Colors	"Brilliant chrome", "sea black"

Already published on our website). The third gadget in it was the Xperia XZ2 Premium - a device that looks similar to the XZ2, but with a 4K screen and, for the first time among smartphones from a Japanese company, with a dual camera. It, the manufacturer claims, will allow the device to take high-quality pictures at night or in poorly lit rooms.

The screen diagonal of the new product is only slightly larger than that of the XZ2 - 5.8 inches versus 5.7, while the resolution is 4K (2160 x 3840) versus Full HD+. Yes, a “premium” smartphone will have a screen not of the fashionable 18:9 proportions, but of the usual 16:9. The display also supports displaying HDR content.

The body shape and other aspects of the “design language” are the same as those of the devices that debuted at MWC2018, and are not at all similar to Sony gadgets that came out in the previous few years. The new product inherited from the XZ2 and an unusual vibration motor, which allows you to complement what is happening on the screen with synchronous tactile sensations - be it user interaction with the interface, a game or a video.

The most interesting thing about the Sony Xperia XZ2 is its dual camera, something Sony has never done before. Lenses with the same optics, but different sensors are used (as, for example, in flagship Huawei devices) - one takes a black and white picture, but is very clear and undemanding to lighting, the other captures a color image. The data from both is then analyzed by the new AUBE signal processor and compiled into the final photo. The same thing happens when shooting video.

Sony claims that as a result, the Xperia XZ2 Premium camera has the highest light sensitivity, previously only achievable in cameras with interchangeable lenses. When taking photographs, the maximum ISO value is 51,200, when recording video - 12,800. The manufacturer claims that the dual camera allows you to obtain high-quality, not too noisy images even at such sensitivity values. It also supports super slow-motion video shooting at 960 frames per second at FullHD resolution.

The dual-camera setup will have a portrait mode, which Sony simply calls "bokeh mode," and a high-definition black-and-white mode. But they will only become available in the third quarter of 2018 with a software update (the smartphone itself is promised to be released “this summer”). It seems that the Japanese company still cannot hire enough qualified programmers.

Specifications of the Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, 6 GB of RAM (2 GB more than the XZ2) and a 3540 mAh battery that supports wireless charging. In addition, the front camera has a resolution of 13 megapixels (the XZ2 and the compact have 5 megapixels). The device is protected from water and dust (IP65/68). The company promises to start selling the new product in the summer, and then, apparently, the price will be announced.

The world's first smartphone with a 4K HDR display and 960 fps slow motion

Last spring in Barcelona, ​​the international GSM association at the annual Global Mobile Awards (Glomo Awards) announced that the new flagship Sony Xperia XZ Premium became the best in the category “New smartphones and mobile devices at MWC 2017”. And this is not the only award that the Sony Xperia XZ Premium model received, favored by the press and critics, during the exhibition. In this regard, President and CEO of Sony Mobile Communications, Hiroki Totoki, said: “Xperia XZ Premium is the most technically outstanding smartphone we have ever created.” At a minimum, the Xperia XZ Premium became the world's first smartphone with a 4K HDR display (5.5″), and the device also features a new Motion Eye camera capable of recording videos at 960 frames per second and playing them back in slow motion, in four times slower than other smartphones. Finally, the new Japanese flagship has arrived in Russia and has become available in official retail.

Main characteristics of Sony Xperia XZ Premium (G8142)

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (MSM8998), 4 Kryo cores @1.9/2.4 GHz
• GPU Adreno 540
• operating room Android system 7.1.1
• Touchscreen IPS 5.5″, 3840×2160, 801 ppi
• RAM(RAM) 4 GB, internal memory 64 GB
• Nano-SIM support (2 pcs.)
• MicroSD support up to 256 GB
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
• WCDMA/HSPA+ networks (850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz)
• FDD LTE Cat.16 networks
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz) MIMO
• Bluetooth 5.0
• GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, BDS
• USB 3.1 Type-C, USB OTG
• Main camera 19 MP, autofocus, f/2.0, 4K video
• Front camera 13 MP, f/2.0
• Proximity, lighting, pressure, magnetic field sensors, accelerometer, gyroscope, step counter
• Super slow-motion video recording at 960 fps
• Dust and moisture protection IPS65/68
• Battery 3230 mAh
• Dimensions 156×77×7.9 mm
• Weight 191 g

Appearance and ease of use

Sony Mobile remains true to tradition, this applies to both the appearance of its smartphones and shell. The design of the new product uses the same already familiar principle of Loop Surface: the metal frame, bending, with its curved edges extends onto all panels - front, back and side. The frame itself is made of metal polished to a mirror finish; it is echoed by two glass panels of Gorilla Glass 5. As a result, we have one of the most slippery and easily soiled smartphones, in which, perhaps, only Xiaomi Mi Mix can compare with it.

At the same time, the design and design are truly impressive: the mirror-like body with sharp corners and flat end panels looks at least impressive, and maybe even status-worthy. Another thing is that all this splendor goes against ergonomics and comfort: sharp corners take up an inadmissible amount of space. extra space in your pocket and dig into your thighs, and the shiny surfaces naturally become instantly covered with fingerprints.

This is not to say that the glass panels themselves are very slippery, but no one usually holds a smartphone by them. But the polished and varnished sides of the convex metal frame are extremely slippery, so it is quite difficult to lift the smartphone from the table.

As for the materials and build quality, naturally, there can be no complaints here; Sony is always in perfect order with this. But it’s worth saying a few words about the dimensions. The Sony Xperia XZ Premium has a 5.5-inch screen, which is not that big by today’s standards, but in terms of body dimensions it is comparable to the Samsung Galaxy S8+ with a significantly larger screen (6.2″).

The frame around the screen looks too wide, especially the top and bottom segments, which are 17 mm high, and there aren’t even touch buttons at the bottom. There is a lot of empty space, and the only explanation for such indentations is the stereo speakers placed above and below in the frontal plane.

The panel glass has barely noticeable curves as it transitions to the end edges, but only on the sides. There is an LED event indicator above the screen.

The back panel here is also real glass, it’s not plastic, but the same Gorilla Glass 5 as the front. The camera module is single, not double. The camera does not protrude beyond the surface, the panel at the back is absolutely flat.

All hardware buttons are located on the right side. The one that is responsible for power and locking has a built-in fingerprint scanner, it is easy to feel blindly, and convenient to use. The other button, responsible for adjusting the volume, on the contrary, is completely smooth, slippery, small, and sticks out a little beyond the body. It is difficult to find it blindly. There is also a third one, very small and barely noticeable; traditionally for Sony, it is responsible for working with the camera.

The card slot here is hybrid: you can install two Nano-SIM SIM cards or replace one of them with a memory card. Sony usually releases two variants of each model - single and dual SIM, and the Xperia XZ Premium is no exception. Only here there are not one, but two pull-out trays, and they are covered with a convenient lid that does not need to be squeezed out with a paper clip. All Sony smartphones automatically reboot as soon as the card tray is removed from the case, regardless of whether there are any cards there at all.

The smartphone is waterproof according to the IP65/IP68 standard. The standard suggests that the device can stay underwater for up to half an hour, but Sony prohibits this, mentioning only protection from splashes of rain or from an accidentally spilled glass.

At the top end there is an audio output for headphones (3.5 mm), as well as an auxiliary microphone.

The bottom end is dedicated to the main conversation microphone and a universal USB Type-C connector that supports connection in USB OTG mode.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium is available in three color versions: Luminous Chrome, Deepsea Black, and Bronze Pink. We tested the “regular” black version, but apparently Sony is relying on pink bronze. Designer Satoshi Aoyagi especially noted on this occasion: “We wanted to find a shade that would create a feeling of warmth and at the same time be an example of premium design and functionality. The bronze metallic shimmer adds depth to the color of the front and back of the smartphone, while diamond cut technology adds extra shine to the top and bottom bezels.”

Screen

Sony Xperia XZ Premium is equipped with an IPS display with protective 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Triluminos, X-Reality for mobile and Dynamic Contrast Enhancer technologies are used. The screen dimensions are 68x121 mm with a diagonal of 5.5 inches. The resolution is 3840x2160, the pixel density is very high, about 801 ppi. This is the world's first smartphone with a 4K HDR display.

The frame around the screen is wide by modern standards, more than 4 mm on the sides and 17 mm on the top and bottom. Coupled with the sharp corners of the body itself, it all looks quite cumbersome.

You can manually adjust the display brightness or set automatic settings based on the ambient light sensor. The AnTuTu test diagnoses support for 10 simultaneous multi-touch touches. The screen is compatible with gloves.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are slightly better than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photograph in which a white surface is reflected in the switched off screens of both devices (Sony Xperia XZ Premium, as is easy to determine, is on the right; then they can be distinguished by size):

Both screens are dark, but the Sony screen is still a little darker (its brightness in the photo is 107 versus 117 for the Nexus 7). The tripling of reflected objects in the Sony Xperia XZ Premium screen is very weak, this indicates that there is no air gap between the outer glass (also known as the touch sensor) and the surface of the matrix (OGS - One Glass Solution type screen). Due to smaller number boundaries (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of intense external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (very effective, even better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a lower speed than with regular glass.

When manually controlling the brightness and displaying the white field in full screen, its maximum value was about 460 cd/m², and the minimum was 4.7 cd/m². Maximum value high, and, given the excellent anti-glare properties, readability even on a sunny day outdoors should be at an acceptable level. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (it is located to the right of the front speaker slot). IN automatic mode When external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment; the user can use it to try to set the required brightness level in the current conditions. We slightly increased the brightness in complete darkness and found that in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 12 cd/m², in an artificially lit office (approximately 550 lux) it sets it to 190 cd/m², in a very bright environment (corresponding to clear lighting outdoors during the day, but without direct sunlight- 20,000 lux or a little more) increases to 460 cd/m². We were quite pleased with the result. It turns out that the auto-brightness function works adequately and to some extent allows the user to customize their work to individual requirements. Only at very low brightness levels does significant backlight modulation appear, but its frequency is high, about 2.3 kHz, so even in this case there is no visible screen flicker.

This screen uses an IPS type matrix. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

However, the subpixels themselves are arranged in an unconventional way: typical columns run in the horizontal direction, but in each column the triads of subpixels are shifted vertically by one subpixel, first up, and after three columns down. Note that we have already seen a similar arrangement of subpixels in the case of Sony Xperia Z5 Premium. As a result, the ratio of horizontal columns to vertical triads is 3 to 2, the actual vertical resolution is 1/3 less than horizontal (hereinafter we mean landscape screen orientation). That is, there are actually only 3840x1440 dots (RGB triads) on the screen, and not 3840x2160.

Additional tests have shown that not every application is capable of displaying images in this conditional 4K resolution. For example, all tested third party applications They believe that the screen has a Full HD resolution, that is, 1920 by 1080 pixels, and the image is displayed in this resolution, and the smartphone itself scales the image to the true screen resolution. Only Sony's own image demonstrator (application Album) displays the image in 4K resolution. The second exception is video output using hardware decoding. Let's consider the features of such an output using the example of vertical and horizontal worlds with black stripes one pixel thick through a white gap also one pixel thick. The original test image is available at this link, with the world in the center. Here is its fragment:

Everything is fine with the vertical (on the left side) stripes: clear, pixel by pixel. With the horizontal ones (on the right side) everything is worse, since the dark gaps are only one subpixel thick and visually the world is seen simply as a gray field. In addition, at the bottom and top of the horizontal world, instead of stripes, some kind of mess is displayed - apparently this is an error in conversion to the resolution of the strange matrix. However, formally, a black-and-white resolution of 3840 × 2160 pixels is still implemented.

The screen has good viewing angles without inverting shades and without significant color shifts, even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen. For comparison, here are photographs in which the same images are displayed on the screens of the Nexus 7 and Sony Xperia XZ Premium, while the screen brightness is initially set to approximately 200 cd/m² (across the white field in full screen), and the color balance on the camera is forcibly switched to 6500 TO.

White field perpendicular to the plane of the screens:

We note good uniformity of brightness and color tone white field.

And a test picture:

Colors on the Sony Xperia XZ Premium screen are oversaturated, skin tones are shifted into the red region, and the color balance is noticeably different from the standard. Also, as shown additional tests, color contrast is slightly increased.

Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors did not change much on both screens, the contrast remained at a good level.

And a white field:

The brightness at an angle for both screens has noticeably decreased (by at least 5 times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but in the case of the Sony Xperia XZ Premium the drop in brightness is slightly less (brightness according to photographs is 232 versus 226 for the Nexus 7). When deviated diagonally, the black field does not lighten very much and acquires a purple tint. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is the same for the screens!):

And from another angle:

The black field on the Nexus 7 is still a little darker at the corners. When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is excellent:

The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is high - about 960:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 24 ms (11 ms on + 13 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 34 ms. Constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, the gamma curve did not reveal a blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows, and the index of the approximating power function was 2.31, which is slightly higher than the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve deviates little from the power-law dependence::

We did not detect the presence of dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness in accordance with the nature of the displayed image, which is very good.

By default, the color gamut is noticeably wider than sRGB:

If someone still finds the image on the screen of this smartphone not “bright” and “colorful” enough, then in the screen settings you can enable Extreme brightness mode.

The result is shown below:

Saturation and color contrast become even higher. The color gamut in this mode almost completely covers the Adobe RGB gamut.

Let's look at the spectra:

They are typical for Sony's top mobile devices. Apparently, this screen uses LEDs with a blue emitter and green and red phosphor (usually a blue emitter and a yellow phosphor), which, in combination with special matrix filters, allows for a wide color gamut. Yes, and the red phosphor apparently uses so-called quantum dots. Unfortunately, as a result, the colors of images - drawings, photographs and films - oriented to the sRGB space (and these are the vast majority) have an unnatural saturation. This is especially noticeable on recognizable shades, such as skin tones. The result is shown in the photographs above.

However, not everything is so bad, in the mode Professional coverage is adjusted to sRGB boundaries:

Let's look at the spectra:

It can be seen that in this mode the color components are mixed with each other, which makes it possible to reduce the color gamut. Let's look at the test image in this mode:

So much better! Hence the advice: once you have your smartphone at your disposal, be sure to select the mode Professional, only in this mode can you view photographs and watch movies obtained from most available to a simple user sources.

By default, the balance of shades on the gray scale is slightly compromised, since the color temperature is higher than the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the spectrum of an absolutely black body (ΔE), although not very large, varies noticeably from shade to shade. But at least the color temperature variation is small. (Dark areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

This smartphone has the ability to adjust the color balance by adjusting the intensities of the three primary colors.

That's what we tried to do; the result is data signed as Corr. in the graphs above. As a result, we adjusted the color temperature and at least reduced ΔE in the bright area. This good result, however, brightness (as well as contrast) decreased from 460 to 415 cd/m².

Let's summarize. The brightness adjustment range of this screen is wide, the anti-glare properties are excellent, which allows you to comfortably use the smartphone both on a sunny day outside and in complete darkness. It is acceptable to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works adequately. The advantages also include a very effective oleophobic coating, the absence of an air gap in the layers of the screen and flicker, moderate black lightening when the gaze deviates from perpendicular to the screen surface, and excellent uniformity of the black field. By default, the color balance is not the best, but the presence of appropriate adjustments allows it to be corrected to an acceptable level, albeit at the expense of some reduction in brightness (and contrast). Taking into account the importance of the characteristics specifically for this class of devices (and the most important thing is the visibility of information in a wide range of external conditions), the quality of the screen can be considered very high. If we compare with Sony Xperia Z5 Premium, we can conclude that Sony has carried out effective work bugs have been worked out, the new smartphone finally has a high-quality sRGB mode and dynamic brightness adjustment depending on the nature of the output image has been eradicated. We've been waiting for this since 2014, when the Sony Xperia Z2 appeared on the market. Better late than never!

Cameras

The front module has an Exmor RS sensor with an area of ​​1/3.06″ and a resolution of 13 megapixels, as well as a 22 mm wide-angle lens with f/2.0 aperture without its own flash and autofocus. The maximum light sensitivity of the matrix is ​​ISO 6400, there is the same five-axis SteadyShot stabilization with Intelligent Active Mode as in the main camera. The shooting quality is generally good: the image is bright, sharp and detailed. However, as can be seen from the examples, the matrix still fails to organically expose dark and light areas at the same time; the sky is completely brightened even in even daylight.

For the main camera, Sony has reserved a new exclusive module that will not be available to other manufacturers for now. It uses a 1/2.3″ mobile Exmor RS sensor with a 1.22µm pixel size. The 25mm wide-angle G Lens has an f/2.0 aperture. The maximum light sensitivity of the matrix is ​​ISO 12800, but you can manually set only ISO 3200. The main feature new camera Motion Eye - it has its own fast memory, which made it possible to shoot Super slow motion video at a frequency of 960 fps. True, there are noticeable limitations. Firstly, the super slow mode is only available in 720p resolution, and the picture quality in it, of course, leaves much to be desired. Secondly, you cannot simply start shooting video in this mode; it can only be activated for a few seconds during normal shooting, and the result will be presented in the form of inserts in a standard video. That is, you have to either delicately capture the moment, which is sometimes not easy, or simply cut pieces of slo-mo into a longer scene. You cannot manually select areas after shooting on the resulting video; what happened is what happened.

Otherwise, the camera’s capabilities are well known to us: there is predictive hybrid autofocus and five-axis proprietary SteadyShot stabilization with two modes, the smartest of which (Intelligent Active Mode) is better not to use - everything “floats”, the shape of objects in the frame is noticeably distorted. The standard SteadyShot mode works much better.

Manual settings, as usual, allow you to set shutter speed, photosensitivity, exposure compensation, white balance, and select a focus option. However, if you use the side button, the camera always turns on in auto mode. But in automatic mode, it can take several frames even before the user presses the shutter button (Predictive Capture).

The camera can shoot video in maximum resolution 4K, but this mode is selected separately in the menu. There is also a shooting mode at 60 fps, regular Full HD @ 30 fps, as well as the aforementioned slow motion. Unlike Huawei smartphones, here both 4K video and 60 fps use the H.264 codec, not H.265. The camera copes well with video shooting. Focusing does not fail, there are no jerks, no artifacts, the image is bright and detailed. Sound recording is performed at a decent level, and the noise reduction system also copes with its tasks.

• Video No. 1 (111 MB, 3840×2160@30 fps, H.264, AAC)
• Video No. 2 (34 MB, 1920×1080@60 fps, H.264, AAC)
• Video No. 3 (40 MB, 1920×1080@60 fps, H.264, AAC)

	Good sharpness across the frame.
	There is good detail in the middle part of the frame, but there are large areas of out of focus on the sides.
	The camera copes well with macro photography.
	The text is well done.
	Good detail in the background. There are still many areas of blur.
	Detailing is good only in the middle part of the frame.

We also tested the camera on a laboratory bench using our method.

The camera turned out to be good, but I can’t even call it a flagship camera this time. What immediately catches your eye is some strange software processing that is more typical for the average segment of cameras. There are huge areas of blur that are completely unjustified. We, of course, know that Sony tends to improve cameras before sales start, but it is still difficult to say that these zones will disappear. In the center of the frame, detail is at a very good level, but in its current form the camera can only be recommended for documentary shooting.

The laboratory bench confirms good resolution in the center of the frame, but only in good lighting. However, the edge of the frame isn't too bad either. But the camera's flash is very weak. Hopefully, with updates, the camera will be able to curb its noise and geometric distortion.

This time we did not show the resolution in the 12 MP shooting mode on the graphs, since it is no different from 20 MP, except for the image size. If previously in 8 megapixel mode the camera used a sensor area of ​​approximately 16 megapixels, then compressing the image and increasing the relative resolution, now it does not use such tricks, so geometry distortions and sharpness at the edges do not improve. However, even simply reducing the image size to 12 megapixels will increase the relative resolution and detail, that is, use the same area more efficiently, so it makes sense to shoot not at the maximum resolution. However, this is true for almost all smartphone cameras.

Telephone and communications

The smartphone, thanks to the new SoC, received a modem that theoretically supports data transfer at speeds of up to 1 Gbit/s in LTE Cat.16 networks. In the urban areas of the Moscow region, the device behaves confidently, does not lose connection in places where reception is uncertain, and quickly restores the connection. It also supports Bluetooth 5.0, both Wi-Fi bands (2.4 and 5 GHz) MIMO 2×2, there is NFC with support for Mifare Classic, so the device works with the travel document application. You can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels. The quality of reception in Wi-Fi networks also raises no complaints. The USB Type-C connector supports connecting external devices in USB OTG mode. The data transfer speed between a computer and a smartphone using a cable via USB 3.1 Type-C ports is about 25 MB/s.

There are no complaints about the operation of the navigation module; it can work with GPS (with A-GPS), and with the domestic Glonass, and with the Chinese Beidou. During a cold start, the first satellites are detected within tens of seconds. The smartphone is equipped with a magnetic field sensor, on the basis of which the digital compass of navigation programs usually operates.

Software and multimedia

The software platform uses the latest Android OS version 7.1.1 with a proprietary shell, which with the update has become closest to stock Android versions, both in appearance and in internal structure. Now Sony smartphones inside resemble pure “Google phones” more than any of their competitors. The once-present pull-out side panel in the launcher program menu has disappeared, mini-applications have disappeared, and the notification shade, dialer and menu open source software began to look and function the same as in pure Android.

The set also remained familiar preinstalled programs, moving from model to model over the years (Movie Creator, Sketch, AVG antivirus). Now the default keyboard in all Sony smartphones is SwiftKey.

To play music, the device uses its own player with a familiar set of settings: the user is traditionally given the choice between manual adjustment and automatic optimization of all sound parameters using the complex ClearAudio+ function. The smartphone can play tracks in High-Resolution Audio quality; low-quality tracks are pulled out using Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE HX) technology. The set includes several more sound technologies; you can read more about all this, dedicated to the sound technologies used in all modern top-end smartphones from the manufacturer.

The sound of the main speaker is rich and quite clear, not as loud as possible, but bassy and slightly muffled. As usual, there are two speakers located at the top and bottom of the front panel, they work in conjunction with S-Force Front Surround technology.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 doesn't need any special introduction. This is Qualcomm's flagship SoC and one of the most powerful mobile platforms in the world at the moment. It is significantly more powerful than its predecessor Snapdragon 821 and is noticeably ahead in all respects of Huawei’s flagship solution, the HiSilicon Kirin 960. It also has no equal in MediaTek’s portfolio. Only the top platform can compare with Snapdragon 835 Samsung Exynos 8895, on which the latest Korean Galaxy flagships S8 and S8+. They outperform Qualcomm SoC in comprehensive tests, but in graphics tests The Qualcomm platform simply has no equal.

In any case, this SoC provides the system with reliable performance and in real scenarios allows the smartphone to cope with all tasks without exception. All the games we tested, including Modern Combat 5, Mortal Kombat X and others, run without the slightest slowdown at maximum settings. Sony Xperia XZ Premium is a very productive device that has a significant “margin of safety” for future updates.

Testing in comprehensive tests AnTuTu and GeekBench:

All the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the most latest versions popular benchmarks, we have summarized them in tables for convenience. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark, the most powerful smartphones now have the ability to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

	Sony Xperia XZ Premium (Qualcomm Snapdragon 835)	LG G6 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 821)	Huawei P10 Plus (HiSilicon Kirin 960)	Meizu Pro 6 Plus (Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa)	Samsung Galaxy S8+ (Samsung Exynos 8895 Octa)
3DMark Ice Storm Sling Shot (more is better)	3236	2409	1666	1869	2628
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (Onscreen, fps)	42	12	10	13	19
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (1080p Offscreen, fps)	41	24	17	24	36
GFXBenchmark T-Rex (Onscreen, fps)	60	38	39	52	57
GFXBenchmark T-Rex (1080p Offscreen, fps)	112	61	55	71	103

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowance for the fact that their results significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this is possible during testing not always. For Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

AndroBench memory speed test results:

Thermal photographs

Below is a thermal image rear surface obtained after 10 minutes of battery testing in the GFXBenchmark program:

The heating is highly localized on the left side of the device, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 38 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), which is not very much.

Playing video

To test omnivorousness when playing video (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, for example subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Web. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a table.

Further testing of video playback was performed Alexey Kudryavtsev.

Theoretically possible support for adapters for output to external device We were unable to check the images due to the lack of an adapter option that connects to USB port Type-C, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices) Red marks indicate possible problems related to the playback of the corresponding files.

According to the frame output criterion, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can (but are not required) be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and, in most cases, without skipping frames. When playing video files with a resolution of 1080p (1920 by 1080 pixels), the image of the actual video file is displayed exactly along the edge of the screen. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235: all gradations are displayed in shadows and highlights. Let us remind you that when watching movies you need to select the mode Professional in screen settings.

Battery life

Fixed accumulator battery, installed in the Sony Xperia XZ Premium, does not have the largest capacity of 3230 mAh - in a large and heavy case it could certainly fit more. Moreover, the smartphone has a powerful hot SoC and a large screen with a very high resolution. All this leads to increased system power consumption and, as a consequence, to rather modest autonomy results for such a battery.

Testing has traditionally been done at normal power consumption levels without using power-saving features. Naturally, there is a proprietary energy-saving Smart Stamina mode, and the already familiar Qnovo Adaptive Charging technology is responsible for a more gentle approach to battery charging.

Continuous reading in the Moon+ Reader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) with auto-scrolling lasted just over 15 hours until the battery was completely discharged, and when continuously watching videos in high quality(720p) with the same brightness level through home network The Wi-Fi device does not even last up to 10 hours. At the same time, in 3D gaming mode, the smartphone can work for quite a long time, more than 7.5 hours, that is, it turns out that the device “sags” only in video viewing mode.

The smartphone on the Qualcomm platform naturally supports proprietary Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging, but in practice we could not check this, since the test sample arrived to us without the included network adapter. From a conventional charger with a maximum output current of 1.5 A, the device is charged for 3 hours with a current of 1.4 A at a voltage of 5 V. The smartphone does not support wireless charging.

Bottom line

The device has been available in Russian retail since the beginning of summer; the official price of the Sony Xperia XZ Premium is 55 thousand rubles. The price is maximum, and everything should be perfect for products in this price segment, because competitors are the most powerful and popular models of our time, for example, Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+, LG G6. What does the new Japanese flagship have? The Sony Xperia XZ Premium has a decent camera with an unusual, albeit not essential, super-slow-motion function, one of the most powerful mobile platforms in the world with the widest communication capabilities. A noticeable advantage is the presence of moisture protection; in the new season, top-end models are also provided with it. Samsung smartphones, Apple and LG. The screen has the highest resolution and, for once, an ideal profile system that allows you to display either a bright and colorful image or a standard sRGB picture. The combination of a powerful SoC and a bright screen with an average-capacity battery means that the hero of the review has far from the highest autonomy among modern flagships. Devices from Samsung, LG and Huawei certainly have a better situation with this. As a result, it turns out that in some ways the hero of the review is inferior to his competitors, and in some ways he is on the same level with them, but the Sony Xperia XZ Premium smartphone certainly has its own zest that can attract the attention of fans of this brand.

The smartphone announced today is presented in Russia. main feature Xperia XZ Premium - Motion Eye camera. It uses a special module buffer memory increased volume, thanks to which video shooting in Super Slow Motion mode and photography in Predictive Capture mode became possible.

Super Slow Motion mode allows you to record videos at 960 frames per second, playing them back in slow motion - four times slower than other smartphones. Predictive Capture photo mode lets you capture fast-moving subjects before you even press the camera's shutter button.

At the presentation of the Xperia XZ Premium in Moscow, Russian-American director, author of the film adaptation of Generation P, Viktor Ginzburg, presented a short film. All filming was done on a smartphone. Apart from the effects and processing capabilities available in the device, the director did not use any additional tools. And, apparently, he was pleased with the work.

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In terms of characteristics, everything is as it should be for a flagship. Xperia XZ Premium - features a 5.5-inch 4K HDR display with a resolution of 2160 x 3840 pixels. The device uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip. The smartphone is protected from moisture and dust according to the IP68 standard. It is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on both sides. There is a fingerprint scanner on the power button of the smartphone. The main camera of the smartphone is 20 MP, the front one is a wide-angle 13 MP camera. Battery - 3230 mAh.

The price of the smartphone is 54,990 rubles. The official start of sales of Xperia XZ Premium is scheduled for June 14. Starting May 25, pre-orders will open, which can be placed on store.sony.ru, in the Sony Center chain of brand stores and in the M.Video retail chain. Customers who place an order before June 13 will receive an Xperia Ear smart headphone as a gift. It allows you to control your smartphone with your voice and head movements.

The smartphone is available in two colors: shiny chrome and deep black. A little later in the summer, the color pink bronze will also appear.

Xperia XZ Premium shiny chrome
Xperia XZ Premium deep black