Preamble
The
new Xperia Z2 coming out is the third model of
Sony Xperia smartphone in just 2 years. After Z, which marked its design, and the Z1, which was the change, the Z2 is it an update of Z1 which in the good sense to correct its flaws! If
Z2 is the same size as the Z1, the screen is greater. The bezel is reduced so that the image becoming a greater problem on the surface of the device is very nice. And if you ignore it, the bezel is the unused space between the edge of the screen and the edge of the smartphone. Plus it's close, and the display takes place on the surface of the smartphone.
Read: Sony Xperia Z1 Compact: taking our hand video
The
new Sony Xperia Z2 is a bit heavy, but it is thinner and lighter than the
Sony Xperia Z1. And from the standpoint of its appearance, very little difference with its predecessor, the form factor is identical and all buttons, doors and speakers are always in the same place. I want to say that we do not change a winning team.
And that's not the only good news: one of the biggest black points Z1 has been corrected: the immovable screen protector which added a visually rather unpleasant sailing on the screen, in addition to drastically reduce the viewing angle of the screen. The protection has been removed, and it is a great sigh of relief, even if it is a serious question as Sony was able to release a device with this overlay as unpleasant ...
Sony Xperia Z2: a successful update of Z1
If you already seems very fast, know that the output timing of
Xperia Z will further accelerate. Sony has indeed shown that a new device is released every 6 months. That, however, is not necessarily good news for consumers, but the market dictates, and if Sony does not do so, the manufacturer will be one step behind the competition. Might as well face the facts. When a device is announced, there is a period of time before it is actually available. And when he actually arrives in stores several months later, there is already talk of his successor, specs and photos to prove. But whatever. If the unit is good, why wait?
Upscale outside
History does not deliver a test that you would simply place the data sheet (long, but extremely useless), we decided to take our time to use the product every day for two months. It is clear, first of all a sense of comfort and upscale. Everything in the
upcoming Z2 phones, exudes quality.
Starting with the exterior.
Upcoming Xperia Z2 is quite heavy as a fully coated metal shell. And attention, we are talking about real metal, not a metallized plastic, which makes all the difference with some of its competitors.
At the rear and at the front, two glass panels, which protects the unit. It is difficult or very difficult to remove. I have not tried, but I let the Z2 in my pocket for two months and it is like new. If there is one smartphone that can go well with a protective shell, this is the
new sony xperia Z2 phone!
Xperia Z2 is waterproof, IP 58 certified So, to access the SIM and SD card, and more troublesome, the USB port, open the covers. We just hope that by recharging their phone every day, the lid that covers both the USB port and the SIM card will neither become damaged or break off and get lost.
IPS screen is of excellent quality. The resolution is still full HD, but the image quality and color rendering is much higher than the Z1, with an angle of view greatly improved thanks to the disappearance of the protection that I mentioned a little earlier.
Overall, the impression is more than fine. Unlike most of its competitors that affect the appearance, the Z2 has chosen quality materials, solid, that make it heavier, but also say its high-end side. You will not feel robbed of the goods.
Power inside
My first thought as soon as I get an Android smartphone, is wandering around in the menus to enjoy the ride comfort and fluidity. Here is a real treat: absolutely no slowdown reported. Yet, Sony uses an overlay. But it is so well optimized that there is no feeling of slowing down.
A passage on AnTuTu Benchmark confirms this, the
new Sony Xperia Z2 phone is clearly at the top of the basket with a score of 33,446, placing it alongside the
HTC One M8 and
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and
S5.
Xperia Z2 is powered by a quad-core processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of storage expandable via micro SD card.
On the software side, Android 4.4.2 is the game.
Sony is one of the brands that update the OS as soon as possible, and that is also what makes the difference between a high-end smartphone, and others.
Android has been extensively customized by Sony to make it pleasant to use and less visually fatiguing. Thus, the choice of black text on clear funds, unlike Android, is in my opinion the most pleasant to use solution. Of course, the battery is requested but the
Z2 embeds a 3200 mAh battery, it's pretty huge.
Another detail that can be observed: many texts have been altered from the original text on Android. Can be destabilized if we know Android by heart, but for a neophyte, everything seems much clearer.
Note also additions in conjunction with specific smartphone like Stamina mode on battery. Stamina is a registered trademark of Sony, who for years, offers efficient performance to preserve the battery life of the devices.
Welcome to the wide world Sony
Returning for a moment on the Sony surcourche. The world of the Sony brand is so broad and touches on so many areas of entertainment that the
Xperia can allow us to enjoy the full benefits of his universe.
Thus, it is possible to connect a PS3 controller on the Xperia Z2 to enjoy a real handle Thurs This requires a USB-USB special and not very easy to find cable. But once the configuration is done, the connection is wireless happily. And Z2 is a great device to play, it's a joy. However, this only works with a real joystick official
Sony Sixaxis or Dualshock 3.
Sony also proposes to discover its cultural universe: movies, music and tv series, and by means of offers for owners of
Xperia smartphones or tablets. Which can also be downloaded directly to your
Xperia Z2 phone content. It can be reached by Music Unilimited applications, also available on TVs, computers and Sony consoles. In this regard, when you buy a
Xperia Z2, you receive a voucher for € 100 in the Sony store online, allowing you to buy movie, music, or television series.
New Xperia Z2 phone coming out also integrates LifeLog application, which will make sense with the bracelet connected Smartband. This is a diary of your digital life that records all activity on your Z2, such as social interaction, the music you listen to, the pictures you take. The connection to smartband adds the sporting dimension, taking into account your daily physical activity and calories burned.
Nice little detail, it is possible to create a timeline of your favorites in the day. You just have to click the button on the smartband to add a particular event in the timeline of your life, you will find in the Lifelog application.
And as photo and video are also businesses that Sony knows very well, a lot of applications dedicated to them are preinstalled on the device. But we shall return later ...
For music, in addition to the catalog of artists home, you can enjoy one of the iconic brands of Sony Walkman, which is now reduced to a loudness of the sound, in other words, a simple equalizer ... Apple killed the Walkman concept, but the brand, it is still there ...
Photo and video
Sony repeat constantly, be a pro of the photo and video, that help the entire ecosystem of the brand. Thus, as the Z1, we find the famous Sony 20.7 Megapxiels sensor in the Z2. The maximum aperture of f 2.0 is significant, and it seems that this sensor becomes the reference upscale. We could probably find in other smartphones soon mark.
In addition to the home sensor, Sony adds a group of optical lenses Carl Zeiss. In this regard, it is common to mix and optical sensor block. It's not really the same thing, contrary to what we read here and there on the web. The sensor captures an image consisting of light, which is reflected by the lens. More lenses are quality, the more light comes in and more images are successful.
On the
Z2, I appreciated the dedicated button triggering. It will launch the device in less than a second from standby mode or turned on but with its lock screen. A half press of the same button controls the autofocus, and a long press starts. And if you're in video mode, pressing the button to start recording.
Sony's expertise in small format
The camera, like the rest of the smartphone, packed application and settings. Note quite a number of possible image formats, and the ability to shoot in 4K, which became the standard in the high end. The big difference with many other manufacturers is the ability to read 4K videos directly on a TV-compatible since Z2, with a Micro HDMI cable that plugs into the mini USB port on Z2. And having seen at Mobile World Congress in February, I assure you that you come out completely upset. it is sublime !!
A fairly widespread enthusiasm throughout the smartphone, I will bring a small flat on the video part. In trying to do too much, often to do too much. This is the case of AF, which tends often want to re-focus, even on stage or it does not happen much. The result is sometimes a video or you feel a little movement on the image. I noticed exactly the same fault on the
GS5. And here we regret a lack that marks the difference between still cameras and smartphones: unable to switch to manual focus mode. But why not incorporate a lock mode as the focus on the iPhone? Too bad ...
conclusion
After two months of using the Xperia Z2, impossible to do without it. I always have with me. He found its final resting place at the bottom of my jean pocket. Yet it is not the largest, nor the most powerful, or the finest nor the slightest.
So if I viewed him as very successful, but also because it is full of good ideas. It really gives the impression of having the money. It is not cheap for a penny, and on the contrary, it exudes a real feeling of owning a luxury item.
Benefits
High-end finishes
Display more successful than the Z1
Waterproof and durable
Excellent handling
wealth of software
Camera comprehensive
4K video!
disadvantages
rather heavy
Yet lost under the screen space
Non-removable battery
An autofocus on the move
