The new Sony Xperia Z3 has arrived and coming just a few months after the Xperia Z2, and a year after the original stunning Z1, it is difficult to see where Sony could have improved on a phone that was already as good as it gets. The Z2 improved on the almost perfect Z1, so can the Z3 take it one step further?
Beyond iPhone
No issues to address here like Apple faced when introducing the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, with no need for an increased screen size, or higher resolution in the case of the 6 Plus. Yet there have been a few improvements.
Sony have pitched the Z3 as the competitor to the iPhone 6, probably to make the statement that the Z3 has a half inch bigger screen, at 5.2 inches against the iPhone 6's 4.7 inches and a higher resolution.
Realistically though the iPhone 6 Plus is it's nearest competitor, with both phones sharing the same 1080 x 1920 Full HD screens. Sony won't want to compare the Z3 with the new larger iPhone because that iPhone has a fractionally larger 5.5 inch screen.
Full HD 5.2 inch screen
Sony have the advantage though because they share the same pixel density, the Z3 has more pixels per inch, 424, against the 401 PPI of the iPhone 6 Plus and considerably more than the 326 PPI of the iPhone 6, which frankly has a less than premium resolution for the size of the screen, especially when compared to any other flagship handset.
Curves are in - new easier in the hand design
Like Apple, Sony have listened to criticism of their phones being more difficult to grip than other models and like the iPhone 6, the Z3 now comes with a new design with more subtly curved edge than it's predecessors making it far easier for you to grip.
Those soft feel edges are shock absorbing too while the aluminium frame and tempered glass panels front and back guarantee premium build quality in an elegant and stylish finish.
Fully waterproof and dust proof
Waterproofing is one of Sony's aces and official IP68 compliance, improved from IP67, means that this phone is waterproof for up to 30 minutes to a depth of 1.5 metres, as well as being dust proof and safe to use even against low pressure water jets.
Underwater video in Quad HD
This means that you can even take pictures and videos underwater (in fresh water) with the stunning 20.7 megapixel camera. Cyber Shot and Handycam technology features from Sony's compact cameras and hand held video cameras are on board too, and Sony arguably make the best phone mounted cameras around.
In low light, right up to an unmatched ISO level of 12800, underwater or simply taking outdoor or indoor snapshots, your photos are guaranteed to look amazing.
Video can also be recorded in Quad HD which is four times sharper than standard HD, and displayed on a QHD TV or projector.
SteadyShot and Intelligent Active Mode ensure smooth recordings with an end to wobbly video shots, and you will find these features work incredibly well.
Play your PS4 games on your phone
An Exclusive to Sony feature is the ability to link to your PlayStation 4 console. Instead of gaming via your TV screen you can connect your Z3 to your Dualshock 4 controller and play your games on the smartphone. Again, it works wonderfully well and is simply brilliant.
Premium class power
Power comes in the form of a 2.5 GHz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, with 3GB of RAM memory on board.
To put this into context, you would have to spend well over £1,000 to find a desktop PC with this amount of power on tap just a few years ago and this ensure you will have a smooth and fluid experience whatever you choose to do, with apps opening instantly and everything you throw at it working snappily.
Stunning extended battery life
Despite all this power, battery reserves are little short of phenomenal with 2 days average use available from a single charge while an array of power saving features will help you to squeeze out every last drop of power and keep you going for as long as possible.
Battery Stamina Mode help you to keep powered up for longer, while Extended Usage Mode reduces performance to eke out a further 10 hours of battery life.
Meanwhile, Extended Standby Mode switches all background apps and functions off while the phone is in standby, and if your battery gets seriously low and you still have calls to make you can turn on Ultra Stamina Mode which turns everything else off but allows you to send and receive calls and texts.
This is hugely impressive from a battery which lasts longer than those in any other premium smartphone to begin with.
Premium enhanced sound
With everything else on the Xperia Z3 being worthy of the flagship banner, sound hasn't been forgotten either with Sony's proprietary DSEE HX Digital Sound Enhancement Engine, which upscales compressed music formats like mp3 to reproduce close to perfect high resolution sound.
This is further enhanced by the Hi-Res Audio feature which reduces noise. Finally, Sony's Digital Noise Cancelling technology cuts out up to 98% of background noise when used in conjunction with their MDR-NC31EM headset.
The specification list of the Z3 reads like an A-Z of gadget wizardry, with ever conceivable feature here from 4G, Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi Direct and Wi-Fi Hotspot, NFC, DLNA, and even an FM stereo radio and an almost endless list of other features.
Our summary
We wondered at first how the original stunning Z1 and then the Z2 could get any more stunning, but yet again Sony have managed it.
The new curved edge casing is welcomed as it now makes the phone much easier to hold, while other enhancements are almost as was, but overall the Sony Xperia Z3 wipes the floor with any other Android smartphone out there while also asking the question of those chasing the iPhone 6 AND iPhone 6 Plus why they are even bothering.
It might come as something of a shock to reveal that Sony's smartphone division are losing a lot of money because it's impossible to buy a bad smartphone from the Japanese manufacturer, and the Sony Xperia Z3 is as good as it gets. It will be interesting to see how they top this the next time around!
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