*Sony Xperia Z2 review* Read full review: goo.gl/1KPqCj Does Sony's bi-annual release cycle work, or will it be a disadvantage for its latest high-end offering? We find out in this detailed Sony Xperia Z2 review! By *****
Why in the world would someone be complaining that Sony is upgrading their flagship every six months... more power to the consumer whether that means a discounted older model or the newest specs. I can't complain.
Sony Xperia Z1 and Z2 uses camera oversampling, which means they are binding the pixels from the 20 MP sensor into one 8 MP picture, resulting in less noise. Nokia uses the same technique in their Pureview phones. So that's why the auto mode is 8 MP.
In those days we didn't have touch screens on phones, or HD screens even, that were pretty to look at. A big phone back in the day meant it was bulky, ugly, with lots of plastic/metal. Now a big phone means big screen (since that's mostly what phones are now-a-days...a big interactive screen) which attracts lots of people like myself.
I remember having Siemens phone ( the one which came out after the first nokia phone) and it was HUGE with only 2" screen lol most of its size were dedicated for its internal parts which were gigantic at that time. Lucky they manage to shrink those sizes and put a large screen on phones today as im also a big fan of large screens :)
The supersampling of the 21mp down to 8mp results in ridiculous levels of detail on my Xperia Z1 with very little noise of any kind. It's DESIGNED to oversample to 8mp - that's what makes it such a good camera. With respect, AA, you're treating a deliberate design choice as a flaw. I never use my XZ1 at 20mp - it's too soft and too much noise. 8mp images are always outstanding, especially with the latest software. I've never seen a review that said "Oh, the Lumia 1020 defaults to 5mp - what a dissapointment" because it's understood that the phone oversamples. Why do reviewers ignore this for the Sony?
Absolutely keep it at 8mp. I've got some eye shatteringly good shots from my Z1. It has a superb camera. Examples; www.flickr.com/photos/167622...7635983420745/
Tim Austin Cheers Tim, can't seem to get that link to work though? Also, I take it your advice is still the same concerning the 15.5megapixel option that's also available? (i.e. still keep it at 8?)?
William Paterson try this flickr.com/photos/16762205@N04/sets/72157635983420745/ take a gander at the last 5 shots in the set, especially the Bee and Ladybird ones. New firmware. And no, don't bother with the 15mp shots, it's just a crop of the raw 20mp.
Definitely josh was comparing this to the z1 too much. He needs to compare it to the s5, m8, g3, etc. Compared to other flagships the z2 is best. Biggest battery, highest megapixel, highest image sensor size, most RAM, fastest processor, waterproof, micro SD.
Anton Beasley I love Samsung, but somehow, I preferred the Z2 to the S5 this time :) (I realised that the S5 copied many features from other brands and put them together)
Anton Beasley www.dxomark.com/Mobiles/Sony-Xperia-Z2-overview-Revised-model-takes-first-place-in-Mobile-rankings Looking at this Z2 has officialy the best camera in a mobile phone...
Dude the g3 has the same ram and processor and the same battery lol and btw the nokia lumia 1020 has a 41 mega pixel camera which is the most on a phone and if you want the best battery life go for the nokia 3310 i think its called lol you will be surprised xD
Come on Joshua, this is not like you. Don't rush reviews, you have a loyal fan base that doesn't mind waiting for a thorough review with a proper testing period. 2 days is NOT a proper testing period. A week at the very least.
Yeah, I've been a fan of Josh's reviews so I feel Josh was too excited to have this review done. The time gap between unboxing and the review was the shortest I've seen from him. Not like the Z1 Compact where he did play around the device longer. The review would have been positively moving if Josh gave enough time. Still your fan though! :) Hope the feature focus review gets better focus on the capabilities of Z2.
I agree. He used the HTC One M8 for about a week it seems before posting the review. The same should have been done for this phone. Decent review anyway, though.
I know im randomly asking but does anybody know a trick to log back into an Instagram account?? I was stupid forgot my password. I appreciate any assistance you can offer me
@Javier Miguel Thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site through google and I'm in the hacking process now. Takes a while so I will get back to you later with my results.
You should've reviewed the Z5, I didn't like the review that Android Authority did with the Z5 mainly because it didn't seem like she understood anything about Sony.
yes,i want to buy the lg g3..but i have problems when the phone gets overheat. z2 looks more compelling to me..lg g3 is cheaper,so i guess it's lg g3 lol
I just got a Z1 and I must say I am mostly contented of my phone, but partially, a kinda felt bad for not waiting for the Z2. Still, it's only a minor upgrade in all areas and updating mine to KitKat would slightly put it on par with the Z2, but I won't for now seeing all the negative feedback. Anyway, nice review as always Josh! Hoping more content from you.
I don't know why Sony is behind Samsung in the android market! Samsung makes cheap phones with all the gimmicky features, and charge a fortune! Sony atleast gives a thought to the design n built quality! For me Sony and HTC would any day be placed over Samsung!
It's actually simple Removable battery. You can say whatever you want but to me a phone can have all the metal/glass you want but if my battery dies, i don't whant to send it in repair to change the battery. If it is removable you can do int in 5 seconds, you just have to buy a new one.
Lordie. I was waiting this WHOLE time for the Xperia Z2 to come to the US (which it only NOW has..) and while I waited for forever, I got the LG G3 instead. Damn it. Don't get me wrong, LG G3 is pretty nice. :]
I have only one complaint about the review Josh. Which is on the stereospeakers. First of all its in waterproof body, if it wasn't the speakers would be 2x better. When compared to HTC it indeed had more bass, but lost on clarity, but still with Clearplus audio setting it's amazing. Secondly was xloud even on, because it makes a big difference. Lastly look at the size of the holes which the sound comes from, it's very tiny, so it's still very impressive having stereospeakers in watercoated device.
I'm here watching this in 2020 cause i miss this phone WAYYY too much 😂😭 absolutely loved this phone and found it WAYYY better than an M8 back in the day
Question: If you set the Sony Camera with 20.1 megapixels to shoot at 8 megapixels, does it still utilise the entire sensor? It only reduces the resolution of the photo, therefore not as much sharpness when cropping, because of losing the finer detail.
I enjoyed mostly all the reviews you done to several devices, but this review didn't show the best of the phone. You didn't mention double tap to wake, didn't show 4K recording, noise cancellation and many features added to xperia Z2, that is completely different than Z1's. Anyway, I hope to that you make a video about these stuff. Great job anyway, Thanks for spending your time to show us important info when it comes to buying a new phone.
Poor review. The overall attitude towards this phone was very negative from the beginning and goes against all the other initial impressions of other reviewers. Will discount this "review".
I just got my white xperia z2 today. Coming from the galaxy s4, I can immediately say that the z2's camera is definitely a huge improvement over the s4. Low light pics are actually clear with detail and tolerable noise. Comparing this review with the review of the HTC m8, it seems to be slightly biased against the z2. No mention about built in noise cancelation? But one point I really disagree on is the speaker. Speakers on this phone is amazing. Try playing something with clearaudio+ mode turned on. It's really loud and clear with deep bass. Pretty amazing audio output for a waterproof device really.
The camera improvements are impressive, and your complain of scene modes seems a little unnecessary. Who really shoots with scene modes. Learn to adjust the settings on your camera instead of trying to rely on the camera to get it right.
1301407gl than you can use auto mode even if its 8mp its gonna be way better than htc m8 and the only thing you cant change is scene mode its realy not hard to change some stetting to how you like it you only have to do it once
I wish you would review all phones battery life like you did here like showing the battery drain and time and explaining how much of it was screen on time. Helps more than just saying "I got a decent days worth on regular usage" which really doesn't say much lol
I have been using this handset for two years now and I'm still happy with this. It has already been updated to Android Marshmallow 6.0.1 and it still functions pretty well. Camera is awesome that's why I don't want to give up this handset. :-)
What should I get? Z2, One E8 or G3? All have near identical specs, but leaning more towards the G3 since it has a 1440p display and expandable storage.
e8....its so much cheaper and quite frankly speaking, sony packs in too much bloatware in its phones. Also, the e8 is close enough to the nexuses price and is also better in all aspects
This review could've been a bit more thorough. Does the display show accurate colours out of the box? How's the battery life? How's the camera's low light performance? How are the noise cancelling earphones? Plus we haven't actually heard the speakers. Btekt said and showed they were nearly on par with the M8
I've had an IPhone for the past 2 years, it is the most overrated pile of crap I've ever had! It's 16gb but 10gb of that is wasted by the shitty IOS updates, the camera is shit and it is really slow! It's time to renew my contract and I'm leaving Iphone for this amazing device!
***** why you insult others people couse they got iphone?everybody buy what he likes..couse you dont like iphones it doesnt mean they suck,.stupid logic
Rikardo Trevino You suck,iphones works better even with low specs and you know nothing about cellphones you just another apples hater,if you dont like just say it not that a phone 500 euros and over are bad..
hello! just an advice! if you want that device go for it but I want to tell that I had one and now it's dead because of some water, it's not really waterproof, and also you can't make phone calls or internet connection unless using wifi, but generally it's a good phone, finally, if I were you I would skip this shit and go for the note 4. goodluck.
Josh, please do a comparison video between the Z2 and the Z1 like you did with the latter and the Z in the past. It would give a lot of people some insight on choosing either of the phones.
Nitsuga Shoj oh yeah! I forgot about that whole printing thing honestly. I do like to print my photos, but I usually only do that from my actual camera because of the aspect ratio thing
I just bought my dream phone here :) props to android authority for giving me an absolute honest review. There is not one flaw which I found in the phone that wasn't reviewed here. However I noticed that the phone is only capable of increasing the volume of the headset to maximum when the official Sony headsets are connected. Other than that, brilliant phone and so worth every penny!!
Dustin Tran Ah okay, apologies I wasn't aware of how long he had with the phone. It does seem strange to post it a few hours after he got it. Suggests he's rushed it to try and get the review out before other channels upload theirs.
itstimmehc Speakers are up pair with the new HTC One... he forgot to turn on xLOUD or something and maybe he should show us how its sounds! Battery life review is nothing... he should test it for a day at least for a judgement! I saw 7-8h screen on time on xda! He missed the noise cancelling headphones too!
Seriously guys. This is the best phone now considering everything. Its got it all. Love all the features. Used for few days switching from iphone and couldnt b more happy. Everythings just perfect
Exactly. HTC Sense looks better. Sense 6.0 is better. But this has water and dust proof, better camera, 3gb RAM, noise cancellation earphones, and a smart band (In India).
for the dust proof + water proof, im not the kind of guy to even have my phone near any liquids. better camera is true but htc's m8 does really have a bad camera and 2gb RAM is already fast on my m7, how about the m8. i already have noice cancelling earphones
Ali, But that's it ???............. You've more or less just admited this phone is a level above with features. How can you not want an underwater camera in your phone? Imagine how much fun the next 24 months will be compared with your last one. It's by far the most future proof and worthwhile on the market - and thats why i chose mine today without even seeing one in real life.
Have you tried seeing the 4 'ultrapixel' shots from the M8 on a high-res laptop? On Facebook and Instagram it works mighty well, but it's hopelessly average for Flickr. And besides, you know something is amiss with priorities on HTC when the front camera can capture CLEARER shots in some situations than the rear camera(s)...
Paolo Ariedo in my opinion both cameras are bad. U can have 1000mpixels, but that wont give u accurate white balance, good colors etc. Nokias have best cameras/camera apps(manual controls are much better). I wouldt buy sony or HTC being a photogeek. Also from what i ve seen, sony's photo samples have very poor details. Maybe its a software problem that ll be fixed...
If it is indeed a software non-optimisation, mlsterlous then it may be improved, the same went for the Nexus 5 for instance. I wouldn't be so harsh to down quickly Sony and its imaging capabilities. It's one of the better ones in the Android space for the moment, specifically wit the Z2 (we do have to wait for the GS5 though)
Are you gonna do the top 5 features video just like you did with HTC One? cause if not people will get mad at you for being biased, cause I know that you'll be doing one when you get Galaxy S5. Treat every phone the same way.
Gusti Muhammad Khairul Akbar yes , I have the Z2 since its release and it's a great phone , no problems whatsoever , still fast as ever , no lags , gorgeous screen , great camera even by todays standards , stereo speakers , and the phone doesn't have a single scratch !!!
Its normal for the camera to overheat in the Xperia Z2 as it is a Waterproof phone that doesnt allow the phone to "breath" through holes. This only occure while using the camera above a specific "time limit" for e.g having the camera turn on for over 8minutes can overheat the sensor.
I used yo be a samsung s4 user ...but when i dropped it the screen shattered and the plastic design sucks ..! Got my hands on the z2 earlier today and it is the beast !No doubt about it! Forever a sony user
***** Muhammad Aldhafiri I felt like Josh has somewhat rushed the review. He did indeed kept the Z1 in mind when reviewing this phone, which I felt is not good. He should at least review the phone on its own without judging its previous models When it comes to the Z2, There's a lot of big changes that happen to the phone, He didn't acknowledge the fact that the viewing angles were now improved better than they were before. And also the fact that they are focusing on fixing their mistakes and the negatives that they had from the Z1. There were new hardware and software features that were added it as well.
My Z1 is still looking fine and I'm pre-ordering the Z2 as soon it opens up in my local stores. Yes, Josh mentioned that the bezels have improved the overall phone when its dropped. These little design features really do improve the durability overall of the phone
Just want to point out that any phone that has that many apps open at once WILL eventually start to lag. Learn to be OCD with closing your apps after you're done with them, and only use a few things at a time (I always use one app at a time for maximum speed) and it will never lag. Coming from a longtime Xperia user.
Common guys. You're fighting and arguing about "the best phone on the market", but why? Let's be honest, the Z2 has the nose up slighlty with the 3GB Ram, but the new HTC, S5 and the Z2, all use the same processor. However, the S5 is clocked at 2,5GHz but has 1GB less RAM than the Z2, so in my opinion that makes them pretty equal. It looks like the M8 is loosing here, but keep in mind that it has awesome, truly awesome speakers and slightly better ppi than the Z2. When comparing the Iphone 5S to ANY Android phone, you're definitely mentaly ill. But for the sake of the comment, let's do it. While you get a massive amount of services, apps and other stuff free of charge for Android, you either cannot get it for Ios or you have to pay for it. With Android you're free and you have options, with ios, your forced to use this and that. Seen what I did here? When talking about design, there is no possible way that there is a better phone on the market.than what you think is good. I cannot stand the look and feel (apart from display touch feel) of any Samsung devices, but I like the HTC and Sony designs. You may think I am wrong, but that is MY opinion and I will not change it. When talking about built/material quality, Samsung is definitely loosing. Be honest people, plastic on a new "flagship"? The display is absolutely fine, no doubt about that. Also drop your Iphone and you have a 50/50 chance that your glass display is gone forever. In the end, don't look on what numbers of sold devices and hardware specs tell you, take what you desire. Hardware specs help to decide, but design needs to be taken into consideration as well. When you get the phone you like, it is the best phone.on the market, when you love to use it day by day. In my opinion, Sony makee the best phones on the market.
I own a Xperia Z and it's a great phone, glad to see that Sony has fixed most of the issues with the original Z in just two iterations. Front facing speakers, IPS+Triluminos display, thin bezels and the latest hardware make it a must have. However the aluminium sides and flaps might be a cause of concern, because the original Z has tempered glass sides and flaps that have a layer of semi-hard rubber that makes the device water proof but using the side flaps a lot causes the rubber to come off (this happened to flap on my phones 3.5 mm jack) the same can happen to the Z2 as it probably uses 2 different materials on the sides that can let go of each other. I liked the Sony's implementation on the Xperia Z1 that had only 1 material for the flaps. I hope I am wrong though and that Sony managed to address the issue while reverting back to the original design design, other than that I am sure the Xperia Z2 is a great phone. Can't wait for the Z2 compact.
Jefrey BB UltraPixels is only marketing term used to trick idiots like you in thinking it's better thsn 8mp or 20mp cameras. Ive own the m7 since day one and the 4mp camera is fucken shit when compared to the z1, 5s n s4 cameras. The m7 n m8 use the exact same camera but the m7 camera is better because it have ois and m8 doesn't. HTC removed ois in favor of second useless 4mp lol
Jefrey BB UltraPixels is only marketing term used to trick idiots like you in thinking it's better thsn 8mp or 20mp cameras. Ive own the m7 since day one and the 4mp camera is fucken shit when compared to the z1, 5s n s4 cameras. The m7 n m8 use the exact same camera but the m7 camera is better because it have ois and m8 doesn't. HTC removed ois in favor of second useless 4mp lol
Agree with Sean beans. There's obvious subtle differences in the UI and feature set, but both are great phones. I'll probably go with the m8 because it's camera is good enough for me and the metal design and headphone jack on the bottom are something that peaks my interest a bit more.
I already owned my Z2 but I just notice that lots of people including me having a heat problem with the camera when shooting a 4K video. The camera apps just turn off after give a warning.
ive had an s3 for almost 2 years of my contract and ive already changed to a custom version of 4.4 so im pretty sure i want a change as they are so slow to update their phones.
Ok , there is the thing .... I want to sell my iPhone and buy this phone . Can I still download instagram and other applications ? If someone an help me it would be lovely
Josh, you do a fantastic job. Your reviews are excellent. Now, on your camera portion, in the future, could you include a comment on the responsiveness of the focus on the devices you review? Those of us with children or pets would appreciate it. My LG G2 takes fantastic stills, but anything moving renders a HORRIBLE photo. The focus is just way to slow. That would have been a huge factor on my phone choice had I known of that issue.
***** I know that , but every thing in the M8 ,except the camera, is fantastic. The design, the processer , the new update of sence 6 , and the boom sound
They keep it simple and fast. I loved Sony's ui from the first device I got in my hands. The z2 keeps it fast and simple not only in software, but in hardware, too. Little upgrades here and there to make sure they'll remain on the top.
thats just stupid.. the whole point of a mobile phone is to be..Mobile. That thing is damn near a tablet. Defeats the purpose. and can you imagine the douchebags holding that thing to their ear?
that not close to a tablet? the ultra has a 6.4 inch screen. now thats almost a tablet. i have big hands to i think that 4.5-5.5 inch is the perfect screen size. and this is the best looking design on a mobile phone of then the iphone, and the htc m8. plus its water proof.
Yea I used to have a nexus 4 and spent quite a bit of money trying to get it looking half decent but never was happy! Android is ugly straight out the box unlike iOS and windows phone. only thing is they are hardly customisable, but maybe that's not a bad thing!
i had z2 for 7 years,what a beast of a phone
Do you still have it now 10 years later?
*Sony Xperia Z2 review*
Read full review: goo.gl/1KPqCj
Does Sony's bi-annual release cycle work, or will it be a disadvantage for its latest high-end offering? We find out in this detailed Sony Xperia Z2 review!
By *****
Complaint of US release incoming, LoL.😁😜
Why in the world would someone be complaining that Sony is upgrading their flagship every six months... more power to the consumer whether that means a discounted older model or the newest specs. I can't complain.
Nice review Josh!
Good colour reproduction camera performance but poor sharpness fro some reason...
Felix Bank grow up.....
Felix Bank obviously not with much intelligence....
Sony Xperia Z1 and Z2 uses camera oversampling, which means they are binding the pixels from the 20 MP sensor into one 8 MP picture, resulting in less noise. Nokia uses the same technique in their Pureview phones.
So that's why the auto mode is 8 MP.
Remember when phones were getting smaller and smaller?
Lols yeah! Way back 2002 , the smaller the better. Where were those days now?
In those days we didn't have touch screens on phones, or HD screens even, that were pretty to look at. A big phone back in the day meant it was bulky, ugly, with lots of plastic/metal. Now a big phone means big screen (since that's mostly what phones are now-a-days...a big interactive screen) which attracts lots of people like myself.
I remember having Siemens phone ( the one which came out after the first nokia phone) and it was HUGE with only 2" screen lol most of its size were dedicated for its internal parts which were gigantic at that time. Lucky they manage to shrink those sizes and put a large screen on phones today as im also a big fan of large screens :)
Hmmp but phone getting huge again...now average phones are like 6inch+
guys i need help, HTC M8 or SONY Z2 ?
Htc one, that my choice haha
Z2 bro:)
Z2
Z2 !
m8
The supersampling of the 21mp down to 8mp results in ridiculous levels of detail on my Xperia Z1 with very little noise of any kind. It's DESIGNED to oversample to 8mp - that's what makes it such a good camera. With respect, AA, you're treating a deliberate design choice as a flaw.
I never use my XZ1 at 20mp - it's too soft and too much noise. 8mp images are always outstanding, especially with the latest software.
I've never seen a review that said "Oh, the Lumia 1020 defaults to 5mp - what a dissapointment" because it's understood that the phone oversamples. Why do reviewers ignore this for the Sony?
Thanks for sharing that point! Never knew that about the Nokia as well.
So for best quality you should keep it at 8mp?? (assuming you don't need to blow up/print out huge prints).
Never knew!!
Absolutely keep it at 8mp. I've got some eye shatteringly good shots from my Z1. It has a superb camera. Examples; www.flickr.com/photos/167622...7635983420745/
Tim Austin Cheers Tim, can't seem to get that link to work though?
Also, I take it your advice is still the same concerning the 15.5megapixel option that's also available? (i.e. still keep it at 8?)?
William Paterson try this flickr.com/photos/16762205@N04/sets/72157635983420745/ take a gander at the last 5 shots in the set, especially the Bee and Ladybird ones. New firmware.
And no, don't bother with the 15mp shots, it's just a crop of the raw 20mp.
Definitely josh was comparing this to the z1 too much. He needs to compare it to the s5, m8, g3, etc. Compared to other flagships the z2 is best. Biggest battery, highest megapixel, highest image sensor size, most RAM, fastest processor, waterproof, micro SD.
Anton Beasley I love Samsung, but somehow, I preferred the Z2 to the S5 this time :)
(I realised that the S5 copied many features from other brands and put them together)
David Chen Everyone copies from everyone.
Anton Beasley
www.dxomark.com/Mobiles/Sony-Xperia-Z2-overview-Revised-model-takes-first-place-in-Mobile-rankings
Looking at this Z2 has officialy the best camera in a mobile phone...
I personally love my Galaxy S5 compared to the others.
Dude the g3 has the same ram and processor and the same battery lol and btw the nokia lumia 1020 has a 41 mega pixel camera which is the most on a phone and if you want the best battery life go for the nokia 3310 i think its called lol you will be surprised xD
Come on Joshua, this is not like you. Don't rush reviews, you have a loyal fan base that doesn't mind waiting for a thorough review with a proper testing period. 2 days is NOT a proper testing period. A week at the very least.
Yeah, I've been a fan of Josh's reviews so I feel Josh was too excited to have this review done. The time gap between unboxing and the review was the shortest I've seen from him. Not like the Z1 Compact where he did play around the device longer. The review would have been positively moving if Josh gave enough time. Still your fan though! :) Hope the feature focus review gets better focus on the capabilities of Z2.
I agree. He used the HTC One M8 for about a week it seems before posting the review. The same should have been done for this phone. Decent review anyway, though.
poor review!!!!
Still outperforming new smart phones in 2016 !!! One of the best Android Phones ever!
Yup. Still faster than any Samsung phones right now lol
Bruce Wayne and not exploding either 😏
I totally agree with you as I have been using this handset for two years now and it still functions pretty well!! Updated to Marshmallow 6.0.1
Manuel Jonathan Escudero mines still on 5.1.1. I wanted to keep stamina mode and my root lol.
Joshua L That's cool!
You need to turn xloud on to double the loudness of the speakers
yeah, there are comparisons between z2 and m8 and z2 is as good! depends on the music played. he should correct himself on the speakers.
I know im randomly asking but does anybody know a trick to log back into an Instagram account??
I was stupid forgot my password. I appreciate any assistance you can offer me
@Jayden Quentin Instablaster :)
@Javier Miguel Thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site through google and I'm in the hacking process now.
Takes a while so I will get back to you later with my results.
@Javier Miguel it did the trick and I now got access to my account again. Im so happy!
Thanks so much, you really help me out !
You should've reviewed the Z5, I didn't like the review that Android Authority did with the Z5 mainly because it didn't seem like she understood anything about Sony.
Josh, this is the first of your reviews that I'm watching and honestly, you are by far the best presenter I came across, well done mate 😊
Hey Josh just wanna say that I'm so much enjoying your work dude, keep going. :)
Sam Fouani
sorry, I thought the guy who is reviewing is called John. :/
Sam Fouani
oh my bad, I'll guess I'm watching way too much of these vids. xD
Sam Fouani
Can't disagree on that. :)
This is definitely better than HTC One M8. Kudos Sony has returned.
yea except for the part that availability a big unknown
lol fuck man pls bring it to the states
so tough to decide between Z2, G3 or M8 :(
g3
JUST CHECK OUT THE SCREEN
***** it's not just about the screen,i know it has a quadhd display
ItsBigDre performance wise too its a beast.
ItsBigDre or u can also go for galaxy s5 LTE-A . it too has a quad display
yes,i want to buy the lg g3..but i have problems when the phone gets overheat. z2 looks more compelling to me..lg g3 is cheaper,so i guess it's lg g3 lol
I just got a Z1 and I must say I am mostly contented of my phone, but partially, a kinda felt bad for not waiting for the Z2. Still, it's only a minor upgrade in all areas and updating mine to KitKat would slightly put it on par with the Z2, but I won't for now seeing all the negative feedback. Anyway, nice review as always Josh! Hoping more content from you.
I don't know why Sony is behind Samsung in the android market! Samsung makes cheap phones with all the gimmicky features, and charge a fortune!
Sony atleast gives a thought to the design n built quality!
For me Sony and HTC would any day be placed over Samsung!
Not only for you!
Pavel Chehlarov Glad to here that! :)
could not agree more. samsungs S5 look plastic and cheap! the M8 (metallic) and the Z2 glas/metallic looks more premium.
yes andorid authority is being bias...Sony phones are too good to be compared to samsung!!!
It's actually simple
Removable battery. You can say whatever you want but to me a phone can have all the metal/glass you want but if my battery dies, i don't whant to send it in repair to change the battery. If it is removable you can do int in 5 seconds, you just have to buy a new one.
A very big fan of yours... first of all I hit the like button then watch the full review only if you are reviewing it.. Love you Josh
I fell in love with this phone,seriously
Lordie. I was waiting this WHOLE time for the Xperia Z2 to come to the US (which it only NOW has..) and while I waited for forever, I got the LG G3 instead. Damn it. Don't get me wrong, LG G3 is pretty nice. :]
I'm thinking of getting that as well
Still as good as new phones...
i just got the z2 for 175 im not up to date when it comes to great phones so is it still great ?
I was waiting for this review! Awesome
I have only one complaint about the review Josh. Which is on the stereospeakers. First of all its in waterproof body, if it wasn't the speakers would be 2x better. When compared to HTC it indeed had more bass, but lost on clarity, but still with Clearplus audio setting it's amazing. Secondly was xloud even on, because it makes a big difference. Lastly look at the size of the holes which the sound comes from, it's very tiny, so it's still very impressive having stereospeakers in watercoated device.
Nice clear and concise review Josh, the Z2 looks like the type of phone I would like. Thanks for the review Josh.
Hello 2016 I'm getting this phone.
I got it, it's worth it.
+Jordan Left price ???
+Huzaifa Qader 180 $
Rosa Rodriguez z2 going below 150$ here
I'm here watching this in 2020 cause i miss this phone WAYYY too much 😂😭 absolutely loved this phone and found it WAYYY better than an M8 back in the day
Speakers are almost up pair with the new HTC ONE!!! So dont say they arent FKING GOOD!
I feel this review is a bit rushed. I mean even the Z1 review seemed to be a lot more informative and you seemed to have tested it a lot more
Question: If you set the Sony Camera with 20.1 megapixels to shoot at 8 megapixels, does it still utilise the entire sensor? It only reduces the resolution of the photo, therefore not as much sharpness when cropping, because of losing the finer detail.
Yes, the entire sensor is used. The idea is to reduce noise by condensing the photo.
This phone is the best Xperia yet, a lot better than anything they have made before.
You won't regret buying this : #amzn.to/1guXY6z
5 Years Later, I have a comment on this video.
I enjoyed mostly all the reviews you done to several devices, but this review didn't show the best of the phone. You didn't mention double tap to wake, didn't show 4K recording, noise cancellation and many features added to xperia Z2, that is completely different than Z1's. Anyway, I hope to that you make a video about these stuff. Great job anyway, Thanks for spending your time to show us important info when it comes to buying a new phone.
he made a seperate video for the sound features and stuff
A very in depth review as always, Thank you Josh!
2020 and i still have this phone :D
Me too ;)
Same
2021 and i still have it
How is it today
thank you for the review..I'm loving Z2
I can't wait for it!!!!
Poor review. The overall attitude towards this phone was very negative from the beginning and goes against all the other initial impressions of other reviewers. Will discount this "review".
I just got my white xperia z2 today. Coming from the galaxy s4, I can immediately say that the z2's camera is definitely a huge improvement over the s4. Low light pics are actually clear with detail and tolerable noise. Comparing this review with the review of the HTC m8, it seems to be slightly biased against the z2. No mention about built in noise cancelation? But one point I really disagree on is the speaker. Speakers on this phone is amazing. Try playing something with clearaudio+ mode turned on. It's really loud and clear with deep bass. Pretty amazing audio output for a waterproof device really.
My sister bought this phone to me! Cant wait to receive it :D
You're lucky! You have an amazing sister lol
You explane it well.
Good job doing that.
I am waiting for the release in holland.
I cant wait for it lol.
Thanks for the update.
one of the best product what Sony ever made! I love my Z2
Awesome review Josh! This is the review I've been waiting for. I'm definitely going to buy this phone!
2017 and I still think this had the best battery life ever. 6s Plus user here.
The camera improvements are impressive, and your complain of scene modes seems a little unnecessary. Who really shoots with scene modes. Learn to adjust the settings on your camera instead of trying to rely on the camera to get it right.
Anit no body got time to go looking through settings,
That's why my photos come out better than those who don't adjust their own settings.
1301407gl than you can use auto mode even if its 8mp its gonna be way better than htc m8 and the only thing you cant change is scene mode its realy not hard to change some stetting to how you like it you only have to do it once
People need to learn to take photos. Adjust the settings and play around, don't depend solely on the camera to make good photos
I wish you would review all phones battery life like you did here like showing the battery drain and time and explaining how much of it was screen on time. Helps more than just saying "I got a decent days worth on regular usage" which really doesn't say much lol
***** and ***** are the best phone/tech reviewers
You forgot about Jon Retenger
Danny Winget is on their level
You forgot +DetroitBorg
I have been using this handset for two years now and I'm still happy with this. It has already been updated to Android Marshmallow 6.0.1 and it still functions pretty well. Camera is awesome that's why I don't want to give up this handset. :-)
I am watching this on my xperia z2
the battery ? good
Yeah but it's also not the best phone battery I've seen
+Mr Kowalski Im buy new one today ? how long time best put in charge because new plz
+med karmoude well it takes about two hours to fully charge and lasts for about 7 hours
+Mr Kowalski 7 houre its nothing :-( im buy one z2 today shit battery
Just got my Z2 today, its awesome!!
What should I get? Z2, One E8 or G3? All have near identical specs, but leaning more towards the G3 since it has a 1440p display and expandable storage.
Sony xperia.
abdul muktar Probably going to get the Nexus 5 since its $140 cheaper and practically has the same specs.
e8....its so much cheaper and quite frankly speaking, sony packs in too much bloatware in its phones. Also, the e8 is close enough to the nexuses price and is also better in all aspects
Shyon Merchant Decided against the E8, I can't stand the ghastly looking plastic on it.
oh well, the grey one actually looks pretty good, but i suppose its upto individual choice. im getting it in sometime and am gonna put a skin on it
This review could've been a bit more thorough. Does the display show accurate colours out of the box? How's the battery life? How's the camera's low light performance? How are the noise cancelling earphones?
Plus we haven't actually heard the speakers. Btekt said and showed they were nearly on par with the M8
design matters...so Z2 is great
Love your reviews Josh...I am such a Big fan of yours
I've had an IPhone for the past 2 years, it is the most overrated pile of crap I've ever had! It's 16gb but 10gb of that is wasted by the shitty IOS updates, the camera is shit and it is really slow! It's time to renew my contract and I'm leaving Iphone for this amazing device!
***** why you insult others people couse they got iphone?everybody buy what he likes..couse you dont like iphones it doesnt mean they suck,.stupid logic
Rikardo Trevino You suck,iphones works better even with low specs and you know nothing about cellphones you just another apples hater,if you dont like just say it not that a phone 500 euros and over are bad..
Giorgos Rusinov i love iphones but you cant expand the storage
your comment made me laugh.
hello! just an advice!
if you want that device go for it but I want to tell that I had one and now it's dead because of some water, it's not really waterproof, and also you can't make phone calls or internet connection unless using wifi, but generally it's a good phone, finally, if I were you I would skip this shit and go for the note 4.
goodluck.
I loved my experia z2!! Too many feels watching this review again after almost 4 years
thats much better than the iphones and galaxy...
Josh, please do a comparison video between the Z2 and the Z1 like you did with the latter and the Z in the past. It would give a lot of people some insight on choosing either of the phones.
I never understand why phone cameras don't all take 16:9 photos by default! much nicer imo than 4:3
I guess 4:3 is more instagram friendly.
I have a galaxy s4 and I'm pretty sure it takes 16:9 photos
Nitsuga Shoj oh yeah! I forgot about that whole printing thing honestly. I do like to print my photos, but I usually only do that from my actual camera because of the aspect ratio thing
I just bought my dream phone here :) props to android authority for giving me an absolute honest review. There is not one flaw which I found in the phone that wasn't reviewed here. However I noticed that the phone is only capable of increasing the volume of the headset to maximum when the official Sony headsets are connected. Other than that, brilliant phone and so worth every penny!!
Nostalgia!
Lots of people saying "nice review" but the video is 11 mins and is only up for 2 mins... cool story bro
Pretty bad, rushed, misleading review!!!
Why is it misleading? :S
Dustin Tran Ah okay, apologies I wasn't aware of how long he had with the phone. It does seem strange to post it a few hours after he got it. Suggests he's rushed it to try and get the review out before other channels upload theirs.
itstimmehc
Speakers are up pair with the new HTC One... he forgot to turn on xLOUD or something and maybe he should show us how its sounds! Battery life review is nothing... he should test it for a day at least for a judgement! I saw 7-8h screen on time on xda! He missed the noise cancelling headphones too!
Seriously guys. This is the best phone now considering everything. Its got it all. Love all the features. Used for few days switching from iphone and couldnt b more happy. Everythings just perfect
I'm thinking of buying the htc one m8, but this has water and dust proof, 20.7 MP camera, and 3gb ram. But that's it. Everything else in htc is better
Exactly. HTC Sense looks better. Sense 6.0 is better. But this has water and dust proof, better camera, 3gb RAM, noise cancellation earphones, and a smart band (In India).
for the dust proof + water proof, im not the kind of guy to even have my phone near any liquids.
better camera is true but htc's m8 does really have a bad camera
and 2gb RAM is already fast on my m7, how about the m8.
i already have noice cancelling earphones
I got the m8. Words cannot describe how amazing it is
Ali,
But that's it ???.............
You've more or less just admited this phone is a level above with features.
How can you not want an underwater camera in your phone? Imagine how much fun the next 24 months will be compared with your last one.
It's by far the most future proof and worthwhile on the market - and thats why i chose mine today without even seeing one in real life.
You do realise not everyone wants a waterproof phone, right?
The Z2 was by far the best phone of its generation. BY FAR!
Still a better buy than the HTC One (M8.)
aluminium body + best speakers + everything sony has. How is sony a better buy? 20mpixels dont necessarily give u good quality photos
Have you tried seeing the 4 'ultrapixel' shots from the M8 on a high-res laptop? On Facebook and Instagram it works mighty well, but it's hopelessly average for Flickr.
And besides, you know something is amiss with priorities on HTC when the front camera can capture CLEARER shots in some situations than the rear camera(s)...
Paolo Ariedo
in my opinion both cameras are bad. U can have 1000mpixels, but that wont give u accurate white balance, good colors etc. Nokias have best cameras/camera apps(manual controls are much better). I wouldt buy sony or HTC being a photogeek.
Also from what i ve seen, sony's photo samples have very poor details. Maybe its a software problem that ll be fixed...
If it is indeed a software non-optimisation, mlsterlous then it may be improved, the same went for the Nexus 5 for instance. I wouldn't be so harsh to down quickly Sony and its imaging capabilities. It's one of the better ones in the Android space for the moment, specifically wit the Z2 (we do have to wait for the GS5 though)
Speakers are ! On this 4.4.4 update you select clear audio and you will see how good speaker is
it's pronunced : zet not zi
it's pronounced zee in the US
You must be from the Motherland on the other side of the Atlantic :-D
Its zee. -_-
Can't tell if British, or Canadian...
what ? whatever
Smart and concise review! Keep up the good work.
Sony = top
Ps4 beat Xbox one
Xperia z kill s3
Xperia z1 kill s4
Xperia z2 kill s5
.....
Are you gonna do the top 5 features video just like you did with HTC One? cause if not people will get mad at you for being biased, cause I know that you'll be doing one when you get Galaxy S5. Treat every phone the same way.
still worth if i buy z2 in 2016?
Gusti Muhammad Khairul Akbar yes , I have the Z2 since its release and it's a great phone , no problems whatsoever , still fast as ever , no lags , gorgeous screen , great camera even by todays standards , stereo speakers , and the phone doesn't have a single scratch !!!
wow cool, but i heard some issue about heat problem when use camera, is that true? and how to fix that ?
Its normal for the camera to overheat in the Xperia Z2 as it is a Waterproof phone that doesnt allow the phone to "breath" through holes. This only occure while using the camera above a specific "time limit" for e.g having the camera turn on for over 8minutes can overheat the sensor.
I used yo be a samsung s4 user ...but when i dropped it the screen shattered and the plastic design sucks ..! Got my hands on the z2 earlier today and it is the beast !No doubt about it! Forever a sony user
i dont like this review
Just got my one delivered and I am loving it
Terrible biased review, do you expect a smartphone speakers to be "enjoyable" by other people than yourself wtf is that?
The bias is when he didn't give credit to the dual speakers instead he said "they are not enjoyable by others" wtf that has to mean?
***** Muhammad Aldhafiri I felt like Josh has somewhat rushed the review. He did indeed kept the Z1 in mind when reviewing this phone, which I felt is not good. He should at least review the phone on its own without judging its previous models
When it comes to the Z2, There's a lot of big changes that happen to the phone, He didn't acknowledge the fact that the viewing angles were now improved better than they were before.
And also the fact that they are focusing on fixing their mistakes and the negatives that they had from the Z1.
There were new hardware and software features that were added it as well.
***** z2 speakers is louder than the m7 and shy of the m8.
***** Is the glass fixed? The Z and Z1 glass cracks by itself.....
My Z1 is still looking fine and I'm pre-ordering the Z2 as soon it opens up in my local stores.
Yes, Josh mentioned that the bezels have improved the overall phone when its dropped. These little design features really do improve the durability overall of the phone
Highly recommend this phone to anyone, it doesn't heat up like some people have said. It's a beautiful phone.
this phone was literally nokia 3310 but smart version
I am still using it in 2022
Just want to point out that any phone that has that many apps open at once WILL eventually start to lag. Learn to be OCD with closing your apps after you're done with them, and only use a few things at a time (I always use one app at a time for maximum speed) and it will never lag. Coming from a longtime Xperia user.
are this phone is upgradable to 4.4.4 kitkat ?
yes it is
Dascultu Cristian
aight thanks, i will get it at the end of the month
You're welcome :)
It will get 5.0 lolipop soon
xJTxDOnot PaNiC that's great. But i ended up bought the s5.
i haven't had a Sony for 4 years now i'm finally going back and getting this on contract for $100 cad. i hope this thing does not disappoint.
I really wonna buy this phone but how do u get Muisc??
What do you mean get music?
how do u put music on the phone??
you mean downloading music on the phone? or are you talking about getting a optional SD Card which this phone has
downloading muisc
just use a mp3 downloader app on the play store
Common guys. You're fighting and arguing about "the best phone on the market", but why? Let's be honest, the Z2 has the nose up slighlty with the 3GB Ram, but the new HTC, S5 and the Z2, all use the same processor. However, the S5 is clocked at 2,5GHz but has 1GB less RAM than the Z2, so in my opinion that makes them pretty equal. It looks like the M8 is loosing here, but keep in mind that it has awesome, truly awesome speakers and slightly better ppi than the Z2.
When comparing the Iphone 5S to ANY Android phone, you're definitely mentaly ill. But for the sake of the comment, let's do it. While you get a massive amount of services, apps and other stuff free of charge for Android, you either cannot get it for Ios or you have to pay for it. With Android you're free and you have options, with ios, your forced to use this and that. Seen what I did here?
When talking about design, there is no possible way that there is a better phone on the market.than what you think is good. I cannot stand the look and feel (apart from display touch feel) of any Samsung devices, but I like the HTC and Sony designs. You may think I am wrong, but that is MY opinion and I will not change it.
When talking about built/material quality, Samsung is definitely loosing. Be honest people, plastic on a new "flagship"? The display is absolutely fine, no doubt about that. Also drop your Iphone and you have a 50/50 chance that your glass display is gone forever.
In the end, don't look on what numbers of sold devices and hardware specs tell you, take what you desire.
Hardware specs help to decide, but design needs to be taken into consideration as well.
When you get the phone you like, it is the best phone.on the market, when you love to use it day by day.
In my opinion, Sony makee the best phones on the market.
Android 4.4.2 KitKat made SD cards almost useless
3rd Party apps can't write on the SD Card hope Google make it writable like in Jelly Bean again
***** oh sorry I meant 4.4.2
Custom ROM.
Problem solved.
ast5515 It's not a universal solution.
Most people don't use custom ROM
For sake of everybody Google have to make Android as it was before.
Kawshik Ahmed I know, it's only an easy solution for geeks... Yet I think CM11 is what AOSP KitKat should have been at the first place.
I own a Xperia Z and it's a great phone, glad to see that Sony has fixed most of the issues with the original Z in just two iterations. Front facing speakers, IPS+Triluminos display, thin bezels and the latest hardware make it a must have. However the aluminium sides and flaps might be a cause of concern, because the original Z has tempered glass sides and flaps that have a layer of semi-hard rubber that makes the device water proof but using the side flaps a lot causes the rubber to come off (this happened to flap on my phones 3.5 mm jack) the same can happen to the Z2 as it probably uses 2 different materials on the sides that can let go of each other. I liked the Sony's implementation on the Xperia Z1 that had only 1 material for the flaps. I hope I am wrong though and that Sony managed to address the issue while reverting back to the original design design, other than that I am sure the Xperia Z2 is a great phone. Can't wait for the Z2 compact.
Android Authority Please make a Video compare the Z2 VS HTC One M8 camera please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
20mp vs 4mp... Do you even need a comparison to know the 4mp is shit?
***** HTC One M8 is not only have 4mp it has 4ultrapixel. Get it? Make some research duse.
Jefrey BB UltraPixels is only marketing term used to trick idiots like you in thinking it's better thsn 8mp or 20mp cameras. Ive own the m7 since day one and the 4mp camera is fucken shit when compared to the z1, 5s n s4 cameras. The m7 n m8 use the exact same camera but the m7 camera is better because it have ois and m8 doesn't. HTC removed ois in favor of second useless 4mp lol
Jefrey BB UltraPixels is only marketing term used to trick idiots like you in thinking it's better thsn 8mp or 20mp cameras. Ive own the m7 since day one and the 4mp camera is fucken shit when compared to the z1, 5s n s4 cameras. The m7 n m8 use the exact same camera but the m7 camera is better because it have ois and m8 doesn't. HTC removed ois in favor of second useless 4mp lol
Jefrey BB moron :-P
Great review thanks. Can you tell what camera you are using for video? Quality is so good.
Z2 vs M8 please.
Agree with Sean beans. There's obvious subtle differences in the UI and feature set, but both are great phones. I'll probably go with the m8 because it's camera is good enough for me and the metal design and headphone jack on the bottom are something that peaks my interest a bit more.
Camera is far better on the Z2 but speakers are far better on the m8
Good review man! I used to be a Samsung user but with this phone it changed my mind
Does anyone know the price of this phone?
officially its £599...
wow... thanks...
dang :( its like my two years worth of my
budget lol.
Kram Alciso thats the "unlocked" version. you could always get it at a monthly cost instead.
***** getting one is so easy right?
I already owned my Z2 but I just notice that lots of people including me having a heat problem with the camera when shooting a 4K video. The camera apps just turn off after give a warning.
This or S5?
ive had an s3 for almost 2 years of my contract and ive already changed to a custom version of 4.4 so im pretty sure i want a change as they are so slow to update their phones.
None, get the M8.
might get this in july, when i can upgrade. seems well built and nice design
I recommend z2 for its good quality + water proof
Anas H i go for z2,,
Top 3 phone of the year hands down... love mine
Ok , there is the thing .... I want to sell my iPhone and buy this phone . Can I still download instagram and other applications ? If someone an help me it would be lovely
ummmm yes lol.... Of course you can
Android is more fun to us than iOS it's just a bunch of people use iOS. But the Z3 is coming out soon too.
you can always search the google play store to check the availability of apps you want :) play.google.com/store/apps?hl=en
Of course, install them on play store/google play. Most social apps are there. The app store is just like the play store.
Daffack ! Of course you can !
Bored when lockdown,so some old review video
Terrible review...
Then just dislike and go away
Hater wtf is your problem
You must be pretty stupid to say this was a terrible review
An even worse comment...
Josh, you do a fantastic job. Your reviews are excellent. Now, on your camera portion, in the future, could you include a comment on the responsiveness of the focus on the devices you review? Those of us with children or pets would appreciate it. My LG G2 takes fantastic stills, but anything moving renders a HORRIBLE photo. The focus is just way to slow. That would have been a huge factor on my phone choice had I known of that issue.
hTC one M8 is much better.....
hhhhh keep dreaming bro
4mp shitty camera
Rayyan Memon and he said in z1 review it's the best camera phone that he ever used ? so can u explain that for me ?
***** I know that , but every thing in the M8 ,except the camera, is fantastic. The design, the processer , the new update of sence 6 , and the boom sound
Mokhtar Mouhib Why!? What is the best smartphone in your opinion?
They keep it simple and fast. I loved Sony's ui from the first device I got in my hands. The z2 keeps it fast and simple not only in software, but in hardware, too. Little upgrades here and there to make sure they'll remain on the top.
thats just stupid.. the whole point of a mobile phone is to be..Mobile. That thing is damn near a tablet. Defeats the purpose. and can you imagine the douchebags holding that thing to their ear?
Are you serious ? Its only 5.2" there are many phones out there that are bigger. The Zultra is 6.4 and that's what I have. That's nearly a tablet
that not close to a tablet? the ultra has a 6.4 inch screen. now thats almost a tablet. i have big hands to i think that 4.5-5.5 inch is the perfect screen size. and this is the best looking design on a mobile phone of then the iphone, and the htc m8. plus its water proof.
JackHasAnLG lol u use a 6.4 inch phone? are u some kindof an idiot? i would love to see u pout that to your ear LOL
TheSkipinder Just check out Joshua's review of the xperia z ultra. He's showing how large is the phone in his ear.
Dante Nemo lol ok
Got this in purple and wow such an upgrade from my iphone 4s. Was so tired of iphones loving this phone so far
Android is STILL soo damn ugly!
You know you can customize it right? Unlike the iphone and its stupid layout
It's only as ugly as you make it. You can do basically anything with it to make it how you'd like.
Yea I used to have a nexus 4 and spent quite a bit of money trying to get it looking half decent but never was happy! Android is ugly straight out the box unlike iOS and windows phone. only thing is they are hardly customisable, but maybe that's not a bad thing!
***** fuck off you clown
***** Brilliant