Sony Xperia Z3 Review: The Dusky Darkhorse In The Mix

Sony has just launched its new flagship smartphone Xperia Z3 for Rs 51,990. We had loved the Xperia Z2 and now we have been using the Z3 for about a week now, so let us find out if this is even better or not?

What is it?

It is Sony new device that will be pitted against the flagship device from all other smartphone makers. We had hoped that Sony will be packing in a 2K display for this one but sadly that is not the case so. Just like the Xperia Z2, the Xperia Z3 is also waterproof and dust proof.

Why does it matter?

Sony has been trying hard to increase its market share and profitability in the smartphone space. The company has already indicated that it will focus on high-end devices to improve its bottom lines. The Xperia Z3 is going to be Sony front runner in this category and it needs to lead by example.

Design

Aesthetically, the Sony Xperia Z3 remains very similar to its predecessor. It is available in four colors (white, black, copper and a "mysterious" silver-green), it keeps the angular Omnibalance design of Sony Xperia Z2. But we have no complaints in regards to the minimalistic and monolithic device. With an aluminium frame and glossy rear, Sony has decided to pop a nylon cap onto the corners of the phone in an attempt to keep these easily dented and chipped areas blemish free. The durable material (used in the automotive industry) will no doubt be fit for purpose, though it's arguable that they've now undermined the otherwise-seamless design from the outset here.
In addition, the Sony Xperia Z3 weighs just 152g, which makes it full 11 grams lighter than the Xperia Z2 and at just 7.3mm it is also slimmer.

Display

After spree of boring and dull displays, Sony managed to cracked the display puzzle with the Xperia Z2 and the same has been borrowed by Xperia Z3 as well. Crisp colors and contour, rich detailing and an astounding viewing experience, is what Xperia Z3 promises and very ably delivers. It may not match up to the class of Super AMOLED display of Samsung but still, the difference is not really going to be bothersome. Viewing angles are good too and you won't find any issues with that.

Performance

Xperia Z2 was a top notch performer with its fluid interface experience via the Xperia UI and a stable workhorse too. With Xperia Z3, the stake has gone to another level. It packs the quad-core Snapdragon 801 chipset along with 3 GB RAM and those numbers are well and truly packing the Z3 with a high-end experience. Be it, gaming, multi-tasking or any heavy loaded stuff, Xperia Z3 comes through unscathed without major heating issues and no lagging problems, whatsoever. If you compare the benchmark scores of Xperia Z2 and Z3, you’ll actually wonder, if the upgrade is really what an existing Xperia users will be look for. For some strange reasons, we got the Xperia Z2 delivering better graphics experience than Xperia Z3 but all that does change, when using the phones in real time.

Camera

How can you actually improve a phone’s camera packing a mammoth 20.7 megapixel resolution? Well, with Xperia Z2 we observed, improvements were needed on the detailing and low-light capturing front and Sony comes back to us with Xperia Z3 that gets the issues sorted, to some extent. The company has upped the aperture quotient on the Z3 ,which helps in delivering higher detailed images with clarity and the low-light shooting has improved as well. But what we like the most, is the Xperia Z3’s ability to handle 4K-video shooting which is much better than what we experienced on the Xperia Z2 (constant heating and device freeze was a common pain).

Battery

The flagship Xperia devices have been known for being a powerhorse, as well as, workhorse nature. And the same tradition continues with the Xperia Z3. You don’t really have to be moving around with a portable charger with Xperia Z3 that’s how confident we were, when we used the phone for a week. But, just to be sure about the credentials, we made the Z3 run through set of video playback and usage tests. With video playback, we got the phone up and running for more than 8 hours which in our experience translates to more than day’s life and we exactly got that during our usage tests.

The Good Part
Improved camera capabilities
Smooth as Butter

The Tragic Flaw
Looks akin to Xperia Z2

Should I buy it?
If you are an existing Xperia user then the upgrade makes a little sense. However, if you are looking to buy a new smartphone and camera performance is something that is very important to you, then you can pick up the Xperia Z3. Otherwise, it makes better sense to go with the Xperia Z2, which after the launch of the new flagship is now available for Rs 39.999.

Sony Xperia Specifications
Screen: 5.2in 1920x1080 (424ppi)
Processor: 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad core
RAM: 3GB
OS: Android 4.4 KitKat along with Xperia UI
Storage: 16GB, expandable by 128GB
Battery: 3,100mAh
Camera: 20.7MP, 1080p/4K video rear, 2.2MP front, 1080p video
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
Dimensions: 146 x 72 x 7.3mm
Weight: 152g