Sony Xperia Z2 Review: It Can Go Toe-to-Toe with All the Flagships

Sony Xperia Z2 Review: It Can Go Toe-to-Toe with All the Flagships

Finally our review of the Sony Xperia Z2!
Finally our review of the Sony Xperia Z2!

The Unbox Review of the Sony Xperia Z2

Without a doubt the Sony Xperia Z2 is the best smartphone Sony has ever shipped. It’s a big step up from the Xperia Z1, mainly because of the better display and smoother over-all experience thanks to the bump up in specifications. The real question though is if the Xperia Z2 better than the other Android flagships out there. After all 30,000 isn’t chump change and anytime you put out that much cash for a gadget you better make sure you know what you’re getting.

We spent well over 2 months with the Xperia Z2 and we thoroughly tested it. In fact we even had it with us during our recent vacation in Madrid, Spain, lol. So if you’re thinking of getting a Z2, better read on and see for yourself what this baby is capable of!

Sony Xperia Z2 Spec Sheet

  • 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor
  • 3GB of RAM
  • 5.2-inch full HD Triluminos display, X-reality engine, 1080 x 1920 resolution
  • 16GB storage, expandable via microSD up to 64GB
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, WiFi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0
  • 3G, HSPA, LTE
  • 20.7-megapixel camera with 1/2.3-type Exmor RS CMOS sensor, G lens and BIONZ image processing engine, 4K recording capable
  • 2.2-megapixel front camera
  • IP55 & IP58 dust and waterproof
  • 3200mAh battery
  • Android 4.4 KitKat

As you can see, there’s nothing bad about the internals of the Xperia Z2. We get the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a generous serving of 3GB RAM, a full range of mobile connectivity, 3200mAh battery, and that gorgeous 20.7MP shooter. Sony definitely put everything they had into this beast!

>>> SEE ALSO: Sony Xperia Z2 Hands-on and Initial Review <<<

Hardware: Classic and Refined Xperia

Glass back and front!
Glass back and front!

Sony maintained but refined the design philosophy of their Xperia Z line with the Z2. We still have the dual glass set-up at the front and back of the phone. There aluminum band running along the sides with the controls, ports, and trays are also still there. The phone also feels bigger in the hand and this is because it has a slightly bigger display at 5.2-inches (compared to the 5.0-inches of its predecessor). The Sony Xperia Z2 feels very premium, classy, and elegant, something that other flagships can’t fully state without people raising their eyebrows.

Thin, classy, and premium.
Thin, classy, and premium.

Compared to the Z1, the Z2 is actually lighter despite the bigger display. This is awesome news since one of our biggest criticisms of the hardware build of the Z1 was that it was a ridiculously heavy smartphone. There were actually instances when we got tired holding it while we were exchanging a lot of text messages with people for an extended period of time.

The doors covering the ports are also still there. We’re not sure if they’re as flimsy as the doors of the original Z and Z1 so better be careful when you’re opening them. Since you’ll end up opening them mostly because you need to charge, we strongly suggest you invest in the magnetic dock charger of Sony for the Xperia Z2. Just dock the phone sideways and avoid having to open the door to the micro USB port.

Display: Best Sony Has Made But We Still Prefer AMOLED

One of the best displays Sony has ever made
One of the best displays Sony has ever made

The 5.2-inch full HD Triluminos display is the best screen Sony has ever shipped. It’s a big improvement over the Z1 or the Z but we still feel that the Super AMOLED technology is still superior. We usually had to keep Brightness at 60% on the Xperia Z2 while we only had it around 30-40% on the Super AMOLED to achieve the same levels.

The display shines the most though when you start playing HD movies. The colors really pop out and the animations are super smooth. The X-reality engine used by Sony is definitely not just a marketing gimmick. Just make sure you play 1080p videos so that you see the difference (compared to other devices).

We're not a fan of thick bezels.
We’re not a fan of thick bezels.

If we have one major criticism about the display, it’s really the thick bezels. Hopefully Sony will solve this with their newer flagships next year.

Is it Water Proof?

Now this is where we extremely caution everyone. The Xperia Z2 is water resistant and you can submerge it underwater up to certain depths. However you shouldn’t do it all the time because one mistake with closing the doors and water can seep in and break the phone. We’ve already heard stories from some owners of the phone not fully living up to the water resistance claim. Just be conscious of the said claims and be wary of using it underwater often.

Software: Powerhouse ‘Droid, Gaming Beast

Sony Xperia Z2 d

Among all the Android flagships we’ve tested this year, the Sony Xperia Z2 comes out on top when it comes to performance consistency. We rarely felt any lag throughout our two months with it regardless what application we were using. The only smoother Android experience we got was with the Nexus 5 but that phone has issues with storage and it has the worst camera among the flagship ‘droids. This is a major thing for since we really believe that in this day and age (and at the price we’re paying), lag should be eliminated from basic tasks like contacts, calendars, messages, and basic transitions. The Xperia Z2 gave us the closest experience to that.

In our two months with the Xperia Z2 we played a wide variety of games. This includes our favorite shooter, Dead Trigger 2 and the new side scroller for Guardians of the Galaxy (great time waster, lol). We rarely and barely felt any lag at all. This is great considering we progressed deep into the game already and we were facing hordes upon hordes of zombies. Sony really did a good job in fine tuning their software to maximize the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and the 3GB RAM.

Sony's custom suite of apps
Sony’s custom suite of apps

Sony has custom apps loaded in the Xperia Z2. Most of them we never bothered using since there were far more better apps that did the same thing on the Google Play store. We did consistently use two apps though — Life Log, which tracked fitness data via the Sony SmartBand, and Smart Connect which triggers actions depending on what device/accessory you use with the Z2. These two apps are pretty nifty.

We also used Sony Play Memories for a while when we were using a Sony point-and-shoot camera. It was great being able to transfer the photos taken with the point-and-shoot to the Xperia Z2 for editing and uploading on Instagram.

Hate how they do Notifications
Clean and bare Notifications

The way Sony does Notifications though is kinda annoying. They should have made the quick menu a default and easily accessible option so that you don’t have to tap on settings before being able to toggle connectivity. If you like your Notifications center bare though this is the best one for you.

>>> SEE ALSO: Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet Full Review <<<
Over-all Sony did a very good job with the software. The Sony Xperia Z2 is a beast of a smartphone and can easily go toe-to-toe and in some cases even knock out other Android flagships out there in terms of consistent performance.

Camera: Best We’ve Ever Used on an Android Smartphone

AR function activated
AR function activated

Now this is one of the best selling points of the Xperia Z2. Among all the Android smartphones we’ve tested, we can say that the Sony Xperia Z2 has the best camera in terms of image quality in mid-low lighting conditions, quality consistency, and user interface. The fact that it also has a big lens is also a huge plus since we get more light and detail in compared to other phones.

Here are sample shots:

Sony Xperia Z2 pic c

Sony Xperia Z2 pic b

Sony Xperia Z2 pic a

sony pic

Sony Xperia Z2 pic d

We love the color balance, saturation, and the over-all quality of the photos.

The camera also takes 4k video but we didn’t bother with that yet since there’s really no strong use case for that technology yet. It’s good though that Sony is trying to future proof their products this yearly.

Battery: It Can Get You Through the Day

The 3,200mAh label on the battery pack of the Xperia Z2 is not just for show. IF you manage connectivity properly it should get you through the day and more without any problem. However if you have LTE on all the time the most you can probably get out of it is around 6-8 hours which is already considerably good.

For our kind of usage (data on when traveling but wifi on when in the office and at home) we got at least 10-11 hours of battery life daily. Not bad.

We did notice though that the battery heats up fast when you have LTE on (faster than normal). It’s not super uncomfortable but you can definitely feel it. Probably has something to do with the Snapdragon 801 processor.

Ecosystem: Sony is Kicking Ass

Sony is making a lot of progress with their range of accessories. Among all the wearable fitness bands my favorite is the Sony SmartBand because it’s simple, straightforward, and it can go for three-four days straight before needing a recharge. Other fitness accessories have LED displays but that’s kinda pointless since you can see all the info you need on your phone. I would rather have it last longer than have some fancy curved screen.

There’s also Sony’s Smart Watch 2 which is infinitely much better looking than the LG G Watch (looks like a cheap generic rubber watch). It might not have the Android Wear tech yet but at least we can look forward to the Sony Smart Watch 3 looking decent and good on your wrist.

Sony also has a full range of speakers, TVs, and headphones that work very well with your smartphone or tablet. Their OneTouch technology makes for seamless connectivity thanks to NFC. You definitely can’t go wrong with Sony’s ecosystem of smart devices!

Verdict: It Can Go Toe-to-Toe with All the Greats

We like!!!
We like!!!

So what’s our verdict? If you’re a Sony fan, this phone is absolutely for you. They’ve taken the best of the Z1 and made it better. They took the weaknesses and fixed most of them. It truly is the best Sony Xperia device ever made. The fact that Sony is investing heavily into building an ecosystem around their smartphone also gives more value. There’s no shortage of accessories and extensions.

If we were to compare it with the other greats like the LG G3, Galaxy S5, and HTC One M8, we strongly believe that the Z2 can hold its own and trade blows against all of them in one huge slugfest. The Sony Xperia Z2 delivers superb and consistent performance (which the LG G3 cannot claim), looks amazingly premium and classy (which the Galaxy S5 is not), and has a budding ecosystem (which the HTC One M8 does not have). Given that it still has ways to go with the display, we believe that the Z2 deserves its spot among the flagships and is well worth your Php30,000+.

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