The Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium improves upon what the Xperia XZ2 offers, by adding a 4K display, extra RAM, and a new dual camera setup on the back.
Sony had introduced two Xperia XZ2-branded smartphones back in February, the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact, both of which have become available earlier this month in specific regions. Having said that, both the Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact are flagship smartphones which are fueled by the Snapdragon 845 64-bit octa-core SoC, and Sony has just announced yet another Xperia XZ2-branded handset, the rumored Xperia XZ2 Premium. This is the most powerful and most expensive Xperia XZ2-branded handset, as its name suggests, and unlike the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact, it sports a dual camera setup on the back. That is not the only difference here, though, not by a long shot. So, in this article, we’ll go over the phone’s design, specs, cameras, battery, and so on, in order to give you a better idea as to what the Xperia XZ2 Premium has to offer. Having said that, let’s get started, the phone’s spec sheet is first in line.
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium Specs
The Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium does have a rather similar spec sheet to the Xperia XZ2, but with some notable differences. Much like the Xperia XZ2, this smartphone is fueled by the Snapdragon 845 64-bit octa-core processor, one of the most powerful mobile processors out there. In addition to that, the phone also comes with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage (expandable up to 400GB via a microSD card). We are looking at a 5.8-inch 4K (3840 x 2160) TRILUMINOUS display here, which comes with an X-Reality engine, and this display supports HDR output as well. You’re also getting a Dynamic Contrast Enhances here, in case you were wondering. A 3,540mAh non-removable battery is also a part of this package, while it supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging, and also Qi wireless charging. Android 8.0 Oreo comes pre-installed on the device, along with Sony’s custom UI. The device will be available in both single SIM and dual SIM variants, depending on the market, while Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5 is placed on top of the phone’s display.
The Xperia XZ2 Premium is IP65/68-certified for water and dust resistance, while a fingerprint scanner sits on the back of the device. The phone features 19-megapixel (RGB sensor, 1.22um pixel size, f/1.8 aperture, 25mm wide-angle lens) and 12-megapixel (monochrome sensor, 1.55um pixel size, f/1.6 aperture G Lens) snappers on the back, along with a dual-tone LED flash. A 13-megapixel shooter (22mm wide-angle lens, 5-axis stabilization) is included on the phone’s front side, while the device supports Cat. 18 4G LTE up to 1.2Gbps. The phone comes with high-resolution audio as well, with front-facing speakers, Clear Audio+, LDAC, stereo recording, and supports for Qualcomm’s aptX HD audio. The Xperia XZ2 Premium comes in Chrome Black and Chrome Silver color variants, while it measures 158 x 80 x 11.9mm, and weighs 236 grams.
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium Design
As far as the design is concerned, the Xperia XZ2 Premium is quite similar to its sibling, the Xperia XZ2 lineup. While the Xperia XZ2 Premium actually comes with a polycarbonate back cover, both the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Premium features a glass back, with a frame made out of metal, of course. Sony says that this is “3D Glass” we’re talking about, and Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5 protection is applied on both the phone’s front and back sides, in case you were wondering. The phone comes in Chrome Black and Chrome Silver color options, and unlike the Xperia XZ2, there are two cameras on its back, and they are vertically aligned. The Xperia XZ2 Premium features a lot of curves on its back, in order to improve in-hand feel. A fingerprint scanner is also located on the back of this phone, it’s placed more or less in the middle of the phone’s back side, though, which may be a bit lower than you’re used to. All the physical keys are included on the right-hand side of this smartphone, you will find the volume up, volume down, power / lock and camera buttons the right side of this phone. The Xperia XZ2 Premium is not exactly bezel-less, but its bezels are not that thick at all, while Sony’s logo is included below the display. The Xperia logo sits on the back of the device, and the phone utilizes on-screen buttons.
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium Cameras
The Xperia XZ2 Premium comes with three cameras, two of which are placed on the back side of this smartphone, and Sony calls them ‘Motion Eye’ cameras. You will find 19 and 12-megapixel snappers on the back of the device, while a single 13-megapixel camera sits on the phone’s front side. A 19-megapixel RGB sensor is the phone’s main snapper, and it sports 1.22um pixel size. Sony included a 25mm G Lens here, and we’re looking at an f/1.8 aperture here. A 12-megapixel monochrome sensor sits on the back of the device as well, and it comes with a 1.55um pixel size, and f/1.6 aperture (G Lens). A 13-megapixel front-facing snapper features 5-axis stabilization, and we’re looking at a 22mm wide-angle lens here, with an f/2.0 aperture. Display flash is available here as well, but a dedicated LED flash is not.
Sony has also included the AUBE fusion image signal processor in this handset, while the BIONZ mobile image processing engine is also a part of the package. This smartphone can shoot super slow motion video at 960fps in fullHD (1920 x 1080) resolution, and it has a Predictive Capture feature as well. Autofocus burst is also included in the package, and so is x8 Digital Zoom. The Xperia XZ2 Premium comes with a Predictive Hybrid Autofocus, and an anti-distortion shutter. Sony has included a triple image sensing tech into the Xperia XZ2 Premium as well, while you can capture bokeh effect images as well, despite the fact this smartphone does not sport a telephoto lens. It is also worth noting that the Xperia XZ2 Premium has the highest ISO sensitivity for video recording out there, higher than any other phone, and we’re looking at ISO of 12,800 for video, and 51,200 for photos. This applies for the phone’s rear-facing snappers, as far as the front-facing camera is concerned, you’re getting ISO 1,600 for video, and 3,200 for photos.
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium Battery Life
Sony has included a 3,450mAh non-removable battery inside of the Xperia XZ2 Premium, and the company claims that it will be more than enough to power the device. The Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium does come with a 4K display, but that resolution won’t run on the device at all times, only when you’re watching 4K content, otherwise, the phone will downscale it, as was the case with the Xperia XZ Premium. You will be able to utilize Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging to recharge this phone’s battery, and the phone also supports Qi wireless charging, so you’ll basically be able to recharge it wirelessly using pretty much any Qi charger out there. The phone also features Sony’s well-known STAMINA Mode, including ‘Smart Stamina’ feature, which is expected to prolong battery life on the device even further, when needed. A Type-C USB port is included on the bottom of the phone, and you will use it to fast charging the device using QC 3.0. Qnovo Adaptive Charging is also included in the Xperia XZ2 Premium package, says Sony. It remains to be seen if the Xperia XZ2 Premium will be able to deliver when it comes to proper battery life, but if its siblings are any indication, users have nothing to worry about, as the Xperia XZ2, XZ2 Compact, and its predecessors all offered really good battery life, which is not exactly that common these days.
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium Display
It’s hard to talk about this device, and not emphasize its display, as the Xperia XZ2 Premium is one of the few devices to ship with a 4K display. Only Sony-branded phones included 4K panels thus far, and the Xperia XZ2 Premium features a 5.8-inch panel, as mentioned in the spec section of this article. This display is almost the same size as the one on the Xperia XZ2, but it comes with a lot higher resolution, as the one on the Xperia XZ2 is a fullHD+ (2160 x 1080) panel. The resolution of the Xperia XZ2 Premium’s display is 3840 x 2160, and we’re looking at a TRILUMINOUS display here, which comes with the X-Reality engine for mobile. Dynamic Contrast Enhancer is also a part of the offering, and this display is capable of reproduction HDR content as well. Sony says that this display is 11-percent larger, and 30-percent brighter than a 4K display on the company’s last smartphone, and the Xperia XZ2 Premium’s display also uses Sony’s BRAVIA TV tech when needed.
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium Software
The Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium ships with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box, while you will find Sony’s Xperia Launcher on top of Google’s OS. This build of Xperia Launcher is very similar to the one we’ve seen in the Xperia XZ2, and based on that smartphone, the performance will be great, as long as you don’t mind the design of the Xperia Launcher, of course. Along with Android 8.0 Oreo, you will get the vast majority stock features Google introduced, so you won’t be lacking the Picture-in-Picture mode here, for example. In addition to that, Sony has included some of its features as well, of course. The Xperia Launcher on the Xperia XZ2 Premium supports themes, both free and paid, and they will allow you to customize Sony’s skin to your liking.
In addition to that, various transition animations, grid settings, and Sony’s in-house wallpapers are available as part of this offering. As far as the phone’s notification shade is concerned, well, it’s quite similar to the one on stock Android, which is probably not a bad thing. Split Screen works as it does on stock Android, and this launcher features a traditional app drawer. Sony has included its very own multimedia apps in this launcher, including Music, Album, and Video applications. The Xperia Assistant is also a part of the offering, as it was in the Xperia XZ, though it will not get in your way like some other assistants out there, nor does it have a dedicated key, like Bixby. It’s worth noting that the Xperia Assistant is here to help you, as it is more of a guide than anything else, so it’s not as fancy as Google Assistant or Siri.
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium Security
As far as the phone’s security aspect is concerned, you do not get an iris scanner here, nor facial recognition, but a fingerprint scanner can be found on the phone’s back side. Much like in the Xperia XZ2, Sony has opted not to include facial recognition tech here, but the fingerprint scanner is easily reachable, and if it works as the one on the Xperia XZ2, it’s quite fast. This is probably the very same fingerprint scanning module as on the Xperia XZ2, actually, so the performance will probably be quite similar, if not identical, as the two devices are also fueled by the same processors, not to mention that their software builds are quite similar as well. Now, in addition to that fingerprint scanner, regular smartphone unlocking methods are available on the Xperia XZ2 Premium, including PIN and pattern unlocking methods. As far as security patches are concerned, Sony has been rather prompt when it comes to releasing them thus far, but we’re still not sure what security patch comes pre-installed on the Xperia XZ2 Premium, though the company has probably included the latest one (April).
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium Pricing & Availability
Now, as far as the phone’s availability is concerned, Sony has confirmed that it will become available for purchase globally in the Summer of 2018. That being said, this Japan-based tech giant did not share the device’s price point, nor did it give an estimate as to when will it launch, other than mentioning the Summer of this year. The Xperia XZ2 Premium will probably be noticeably more expensive than the Xperia XZ2, though. For comparison sake, the Xperia XZ2 is priced at around $800 in the US, while it costs around €800 in Europe. Unfortunately, that probably means that the Xperia XZ2 Premium will cost at least $900 / €900, though it would not be surprising if it ends up costing more than that.
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium Gallery
