Sony Xperia Z2 review: Action pack

Introduction

Quite a few people were getting impatient at one point but a Sony flagship is well worth waiting for. But then, wasn't it clear well before the impatience started to kick in that owners of the original Xperia Z had a lot more to look forward to than those holding the - still relatively new - Z1?

One can easily blame it on the shorter upgrade cycle that the Sony Xperia Z2 is in many ways an incremental upgrade - like most of the competing flagships of late. A tad bigger screen, a bump in processing power, camera upgrades and the latest software.

Sony Xperia Z2 official photos

Flip that over though - and you'll notice a much-improved screen, actually a brand new IPS LCD. Plus, a bigger screen diagonal of 5.2" hasn't blown the size out of proportion - the Sony Xperia Z2 has managed to keep virtually the same footprint by just slimming down the screen bezel.

Sony Xperia Z2 official photos

And there is more. You get 3GB RAM up from 2GB, a more robust Adreno 330 graphics chip, 4x the video recording resolution, there are now stereo front speakers, and the latest Android 4.4 KitKat.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support; 3G with 42Mbps HSPA; 150Mbps LTE
• 5.2" 16M-color 1080p IPS capacitive touchscreen Triluminos display (424ppi pixel density); X-Reality engine
• Android OS v4.4.2 KitKat with custom UI
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset: quad-core 2.3GHz Krait 400 CPU, 3 GB of RAM, Adreno 330 GPU
• 20.7MP autofocus camera with a 1/2.3" Exmor RS sensor and F/2.0 Sony G Lens; Info-eye, AR effects
• 2160p video recording @ 30fps, 1080p@ 60fps, 720p@ 120fps, continuous autofocus and stereo sound; live video streaming to Facebook
• 2.2MP front camera, 1080p video recording
• IP 58 certification - dust and water resistant
• Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct and DLNA; Wireless TV out
• GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS
• 16GB of built-in storage; microSD card slot up to 128GB
• MHL-enabled microUSB port
• Bluetooth v4.0
• NFC
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Stereo front speakers (with improved loudness over Z1)
• Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic, noise-cancelling headset bundled
• Ample 3,200mAh battery

Main disadvantage

• Non-user-replaceable battery
• No proper video playback decoders (XviD, DivX) out of the box
• Wireless charging support only with an optional back cover

Could the Sony Xperia Z2 have been better? Other recent flagships have failed to make a big splash - as in bringing anything quite impressive or unexpected. But those comparisons have yet to come. The Z2 is in fact better than Z1 - in terms of screen quality and battery life. Not as much better perhaps as some may've hoped? Or maybe the thing is it's just better - when it could've been mind-blowing. Says who?

Sony Xperia Z2 at ours

Alright, it depends on where you're coming from. We're only about to start discovering just how good the Sony Xperia Z2 is. We can't help but wonder as well what kind of impact a likely Z2 compact and a possible new flagship six months from now may have on the sales of the Xperia Z2, which is already some time behind major rivals like the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One (M8).