Sony Xperia XZ review: Stunning premium device

When I first saw what the Sony Xperia XZ Premium was capable of earlier this year, I knew it would be a great phone.  And that’s confirmed having tested it for the last few weeks.

On sale now at JB Hi-Fi, Telstra, Optus, Virgin and direct from Sony – this is a premium phone by name and by price, so don’t be out looking for a bargain.

The good news is it feels premium at all times – so you don’t feel like you’ve been taken for a ride.

I opted to test the chrome/mirror finish device, because frankly it’s something special to look at.  Skipping back to a design they used a couple of years ago, the mirror finish is literally that – great for selfies with the rear camera, or if you need a quick mirror for your makeup (Ladies!).

The downside is, damn it loves a fingerprint.

But it’s on the inside that matters. Every inch of this is specced to the max.

The screen is 4K HDR – though, I have no idea why you would need that.  It’s just a phone, so your eyes telling the difference between HD and 4K let alone anything in between might just be pushing it a bit.  It’s classic Sony – we do it on our TV so we can do it here too – and damn right they do.

Powerful, snappy performance, and with a fingerprint sensor on the side of the device there’s a real simplicity to the unlock.

With all that said, there’s really one key feature here, the Camera.

New focus modes, better quality sensors and a range of enhancements make this a leading smartphone camera by any measure.  Crisp colours that pop out of every photo, and it really does like all scenarios from low light to bright.

And, the but-wait-theres-more moment is the video.  960 frames per second slow motion video.

Why? So you can do this:

Just because you can.

It’s hard to operate, takes time – you need to get the timing just right – it’s just a second of video slowed down, and it can only do that one second, then wait a short while and do another if you choose.

Very different to how traditional slo-motion video on phones has worked, it being a mode, which you then edit after it’s shot.

I really like this phone. It’s big, no doubt, it’s thick too, but they design is still comfortable, and you are never left wanting from the performance it packs.

Pricey, and not enough to sway people from Samsung and Apple, but for many people this is a sensational option when renewing their telco plan.