Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium and XA2 Plus preview: high-resolution, high price

The Xperia XZ2 Premium is Sony’s first smartphone with a dual camera, the XA2 Plus is a midrange smartphone with good sound. Both smartphones are coming soon only in stores, but Android Planet she tried now fixed.

Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium preview: 4K-flagship

Sony introduced last year a new category, top model, with the Xperia XZ Premium. Not just with the best hardware of that time, but even of features that no other smartphone has. With the Xperia XZ2 Premium build the business on. Sony’s smartphone is from the end of July in the Netherlands to purchase, for a solid suggested retail price of 899 euros. For that you get but (once again) features that no other device offers.

Starting with the big 5.8-inch screen, a 4K resolution of 3840 by 2160 pixels. It is just about the only smartphone with such high resolution, good for a pixel density of 760 pixels per inch. For comparison: at the ordinary XZ2 is that ‘only’ 424 pixels per inch. Moreover, it supports the screen also hdr, which is for better contrast between dark and light image.

The 4K-image works only in a handful of apps, including Netflix and YouTube. In other apps the image on a full hd-resolution is shown, which is a lot better for the battery. It must be said: a Netflix series, it looks really crisp and sweet on the XZ2 Premium screen.

In all honesty, it is, however, considerable overkill. There is definitely a difference, but if you get in the train quickly your favorite vlogger or an episode of Nailed It checks to make those extra pixels really matter. You have to be very close with your nose on the screen to see the difference with the QHD resolution of other flagships.

Dual camera is disappointing

The XZ2 Premium is also the first Sony smartphone with a dual camera on the back. A primary 19 megapixel camera is enhanced by a black and white lens 12 megapixel. The image of those two lenses will automatically be combined, in which the monochrome sensor should provide more contrast and kleurechtere photos.

Also the cameras are extremely light sensitive, allowing you to even in situations with very low light still photos. The maximum ISO value is 51.200, four times as much as on any other flagship. Videos have a maximum ISO of 12.800. They can also in 4K and hdr are included. On paper this is a very advanced camera, so.

In practice, takes the, as yet, less well-off. Just like the regular Xperia XZ2 are photo’s out of focus or what is overexposed. When zooming in are a lot of faces suddenly changed into a blurry haze. The photos are best reasonable, but do not meet the flagships from Huawei, HTC and Google. Sony warned us that the device on non-final software is running. The chance that pictures there with the final software better, but for now, we keep a blow to the arm.

Although the inside of the XZ2 Premium, so from the latest of the latest is, does the outside think of a smartphone of a couple of years ago. While borderless screens now, the trend, has the XZ2 Premium is still pretty hefty black bars above and below the image. Also the device is quite thick (11,9 inches) and heavy (236 grams). For comparison: the samsung S9, which is also a 5.8-inch screen, a full inch less high, weighs less (163 grams) and is thinner (8,5 mm).

According to the manufacturer is that additional space needed for the hardware used. The 4K screen with hdr requires a lot of strength, and there is a smartphone warmer. To heat easy to carry, the extra space is essential. That makes it in itself is understandable, but the device is not beautiful. Taste is of course subjective, but it is hard to deny that Sony’s smartphone, the ugly duckling between all the flagships in 2018 appeared.

In addition, it feels almost as if there were design mistakes made with the back. On many Android smartphones, the camera’s almost at the top, with the finger print scanner right underneath. For unknown reasons, Sony has the camera of the XZ2 Premium is a substantial downward move. The finger print scanner is found just below, almost in the middle.

It is a place which is unnatural to the touch. Do you like the unit in the normal manner, then you must hand in a hurry to scroll to the scanner to be able to. You can make the same pose for a photo in portrait mode, your finger is almost always in front of the lens. Of the dozens of smartphones that I used in the past few months have tested, it is the only one where my fingers so often by accident in the road were. Of course, that with a little practice, you can be prevented, but this kind of small irritations do you actually want to not see in a smartphone of 900 euros.

Sony Xperia XA2 Plus: cheap, but nice(there)

Sony also showed us the Xperia XA2 Plus, a new middle class that ‘after the summer’ sale in the Netherlands. A precise date would allow the company not to call, but you bet on a release in september or October. The smartphone will cost 399 euros, and is consequently in the same price range as, for example, the Samsung Galaxy A8 and Nokia 7 Plus.

This unit is the little brother of the Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra, the beginning of this year appeared. The new model sits in the middle, with a 6-inch screen, a speedy Snapdragon 630-chip and a good battery of 3580 mAh.

Most important new feature of the Plus are different improvements involving audio. It is the first car from Sony, with support for high-resolution audio, and the device applies different processes to music wirelessly, too good to sound. Unfortunately, there was during our short test, no opportunity to that features to test, but audiophiles can probably retrieve their hearts.

The design of the Xperia XA2 Plus like me is crazy enough better than that of the XZ2 Premium. The XA2 Plus is not a shiny back that within no time, full of grease marks and fingerprints. Instead, the back is a metal-like plastic. It feels very solid and is nicely finished. In addition, the camera and finger print scanner here, however, just about at the top.

Further, the device is quite identical to the regular Xperia XA2, including the 23 megapixel camera to the rear. “The buitenfoto’s that I made, rich in color, and jump all the details,” I wrote in my Sony Xperia XA2 review. “Up close you notice soon that some objects are somewhat blurred in the picture. In addition, his photos are easily overexposed, especially if you are shooting. In this price range are better smart phone camera’s to find.”

And wring it out a bit. The XA2 Plus is a smooth smartphone in a snazzy enclosure, supplemented with some features that undoubtedly audiophiles and beeldfanaten appeal. However, if you look at the competition, then the XA2, Plus the soon to be difficult. The Nokia 7 Plus will cost less, but provides faster updates. The Huawei P20 Lite is also cheaper and has a better camera. Later this year you can an extensive XA2 Plus review expect of us; probably know the unit after a longer test more to convince.

12 July 2018, 21:35 | Views: 162