Review: Sony Xperia XZ3 - the best Sony smartphone yet

The XZ3 boasts an incredible 6.0" HDR OLED display but it also comes with Dynamic vibration to help you feel the action when watching videos. Read out and watch the video review I produced to find out why these and its other features combined make it the best Sony smartphone to date.

Design

The Sony Xperia XZ3 rocks a very nice borderless and curved design, which not only looks good but it feels nice in the hand too. The only thing I’m not too keen on is its placement of the fingerprint sensor; it’s at the back in the centre and I find that a little awkward as I have to bend my index finder down to get to it. If it was a little higher, that would have been better, at least for me. Otherwise, the design is very much on point.

Display

Accompanying the great design is a beautiful 6.0" HDR OLED display, which offers QHD+ (Quad High Definition) at a resolution of 1440 x 2880 pixels. It’s simply stunning and makes doing anything on the phone a pleasant experience.

To top that off though, the XZ3 has Sony’s Dynamic Vibration System, which means you’ll feel the action right in your hands when watching movies or any videos. It is a super unique feature and it really adds a whole new experience to watching videos. It’s like having your own little cinema in the palm of your hands.

Camera

The Sony Xperia XZ3 sports a 13MP front-facing camera and a 19MP Motion Eye (rear) camera with a f/2.0 aperture and that’s what makes it capture photos that are crisp, sharp and colour-popping. I took a few photos indoors and in natural light it was impressive, I can only imagine what the photos would look like outdoors.

It also features something called Predictive Capture, which can detect smiles or movements and it takes up to four pictures for you to pick the best one.

With 4K recording being pretty much widespread across all premium phones, it’s no shocker that the XZ3 offers this capability. However, it offers something that not all smartphones do: Super slow motion video at 960fps and in full HD. Isn’t that just great? It’s not something that’d get used too often but it’s definitely a nice-to-have feature.

Tech Specs

• 6.0", 18:9 OLED QHD+ HDR display
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Processor
• 4GB RAM
• 64GB internal storage (microSD card support up to 512GB)
• 3300 mAh battery capacity with wireless fast charging support and Smart Stamina (prolongs battery life by disabling some functions when the battery is running low)
• IP65/68 Water resistant rating
• 19MP rear camera f/2.0 – Predictive Capture – Super slow motion at 960fps in full HD – 4K HDR video recording
• 13MP front camera
• Android 9.0

Performance & battery

With the latest cutting-edge Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor combined with the 3,330mAh battery, the XZ3 can keep you entertained all day very easily and respond to each and every action instantly. It is very responsive and performance is simply seamless.

It features Smart Stamina, which is a feature that prolongs your battery life by disabling some functions when the battery is low. Furthermore, the XZ3 boasts intelligent optimisation and can predict how long your battery will last based on how you usually use your phone. Smart, right?

Price and availability

The Sony XZ3 is available to buy in Black or Bordeaux Red for £699. You can purchase it directly from giffgaff by using the link below.

Buy the Sony XZ3

First impressions

I’m primarily an iPhone user but if I had to pick an Android smartphone that has all the premium features and doesn’t have an extortionate price tag then I’d choose the Sony Xperia XZ3. It’s not cheap and is still priced fairly high but still a lot less than most of the high-end smartphones out there.

Sony have done an incredible job with this model and I think it’s safe to say that it’s the best smartphone by them so far so long. The 6.0" OLED display is one of my favourite features of it because OLED screens make such a difference and I just love the Dynamic Vibration feature. It really makes it feel like I have a small cinema in my hands, it’s so cool. Those are probably my favourite features. However, the camera is also very impressive. Predictive capture is definitely new to me but I think it’s an interesting feature and the quality of the photos is very good.

For the short time I had with the Sony Xperia XZ3, I can honestly say that it has really impressed me. A very good job from Sony, I must say.