Sony Xperia XZ2 Hands On Preview

Xperia XZ2 first impressions

It's about time. 

After five or so years, Sony smartphones look new. The Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact finally do away with blocky brutalist design language that's been a mainstay of Sony's smartphones family since 2013. In fact, the pair are decidedly in vogue thanks to their extra-tall 18:9 1080p+ displays and curvy bodies.  

Sony's new design language is all about curves; the XZ2 has curved Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back, while the XZ2 Compact has a curved Gorilla Glass 5 front and a polycarbonate back with a much more prominent curvature. Both are lovely to hold, and sit well in the hand. Well, they do in mine. 

While the phones vary in size - the XZ2 is 5.7-inches and the XZ2 Compact is 5-inches - both are powered by the brand new top-end Snapdragon 845 processor and share the majority of their specs. We've always appreciated that Sony has kept high-internals in its small phones. Other than the iPhone SE, there's very few options for anyone who wants a powerful phone in a teeny tiny package.

Both also share the same 19MP camera, powered by the same sensor as last year's Xperia XZ Premium. While the camera might not be new, there's some extra software tricks that let it shoot super slow motion video in 1080p, up from 720p.

The larger XZ2 does have some unique features: these include a "Dynamic Vibration System" and wireless charging. The Dynamic Vibration System analyses the audio from movies, games, and provides haptic feedback to "bring them to life. It's kinda like a rumble-pack, but gimmicky and will drain your battery. If you've got Dynamic Vibrations on while watching a two hour movie, you'll burn through 10% more charge.  

While the Xperia XZ2 might be the more the more feature packed of the two, but the Xperia XZ2 Compact is my personal favourite. The curvy polycarbonate back feels great, it doesn't pick up fingerprints (although the XZ2 is better than most phones), and it's perfect for one handset usage.  

And to be honest, I just love that Sony has made a small Android phone that doesn't compromise on specs. 

Below are the key specifications for the Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact.

Xperia XZ2 pricing and availability

The Xperia XZ2 will be available in Australia later this year in both single and dual SIM variants, but Sony has yet to confirm pricing. 

Local availability of the smaller Xperia XZ2 Compact is still being determined, but we're really hoping it makes to Australia because it's so teeny tiny and cute. That and it would be nice to see Android get a new small phone that doesn't compromise on hardware. 

While Sony has yet to confirm pricing for the Xperia XZ2, we think there's a chance it could come in at under $1,000. Sony is using last year's camera sensor and 1080p+ displays rather than Quad HD+ displays, both of which seem like a good way to keep down the price. If it could launch the Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact at $899 and $699 respectively, we'd be excited.  

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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