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[MWC2018] Sony announces Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact — the most compact smartphones with the Snapdragon 845!
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[MWC2018] Sony announces Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact — the most compact smartphones with the Snapdragon 845!

by Vyncent ChanFebruary 26, 2018
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Sony designers would probably agree with you that their edgy rectangular slab design has gotten a little long in tooth. Used since the inception of the Xperia Z flagship series, Sony has kept that design for nearly 5 years. Huge bezels marred the appeal of the Xperia flagships when everyone was minimizing bezels as much as they could with 18:9 or edge-to-edge displays. This year, at MWC 2018, Sony has finally woken up from their lull and introduced the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact, both featuring 18:9 displays and ergonomic curved backs with a metal frame in between.

Sony Xperia XZ2

Leading the Japanese giant’s charge into 2018, the Xperia XZ2 packs a 5.7″ Full HD+ 18:9 HDR display. With Sony’s expertise in displays, you will be assured of visual enjoyment in exceptional color contrast. Thanks to the X-reality technology, standard content can be up-converted to HDR for a better viewing experience. The other side of the device is a lustrous fluid 3D glass surface that might remind you of the HTC U11 Plus.

Audio is yet another area that Sony has worked on for the Xperia XZ2. The new Dynamic Vibration System allows you to feel the action by analyzing the audio data to bring your movies, games and video to live. While the bezels are minimized with the 18:9 display, Sony didn’t skimp on the speakers and you still get powerful front facing stereo speakers. Sony claims these are their loudest Xperia speakers yet with S-Force Front Surround. DSEE HX upscaling together with Hi-Resolution Audio ensures a great audio experience, while the LDAC Bluetooth codec means you can enjoy hi-res audio wirelessly with compatible headphones. Sony has followed the trend and dropped the 3.5mm jack from the Xperia XZ2, forcing you to use an adapter if you want to use wired headphones.

[MWC2018] Sony announces Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact — the most compact smartphones with the Snapdragon 845! 21

The Deep Green is probably a bit too bluish…?

The camera is an upgraded 19MP Motion Eye camera that seems to be carried over from the Xperia XZ. However it has received an upgrade to make the Xperia XZ2 the first smartphone to be capable of 4K HDR movie recording. 960fps super slow-mo recording is now possible in FHD resolution, offering you even greater creativity freedom. The 3D Creator feature that was introduced in the Xperia XZ has also been upgraded with the ability to create 3D scans using the front camera now.

CPU/Chipset: Snapdragon 845 (4 x Kryo 385 @ 2.8 GHz + 4 x Kryo 385 @ 1.8 GHz)
GPU: Adreno 630
RAM: 4GB LPDDR4X
Display: 5.7″, FHD+ (2160 x 1080) 18:9 IPS panel, HDR, TRILUMINOS Display for mobile, X-Reality for mobile, Dynamic Contrast Enhancer
Storage: 64GB UFS (expandable with microSD up to 400GB)
Camera: Main Camera(s)
19MP f/2.0, 1/2.3″ IMX 400 sensor, 1.22μm pixel pitch, 25mm (35mm equiv.) G Lens, 5-axis OIS (SteadyShot), BIONZ image processing engine, Triple image sensing technology, 4K HDR Movie, HDR Photo, Hybrid Autofocus
Front Camera
5MP f/2.2, 1/5″ Exmor RS for mobile, 23mm (35mm equiv.) focal length
OS: Android 8.0 Oreo (Android One)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 5.0
LTE Cat 18 1200 Mbps DL / 150 Mbps UL
SIM: nanoSIM (dual SIM in certain regions)
Battery: Li-ion 3180 mAh (non-removable), Quick Charge 3.0, Qi wireless charging

The Snapdragon 845 is definitely flagship-class, but the 4GB RAM, smallish battery and FHD+ display seem rather poor for a 2018 flagship. The lower resolution is definitely there to help Sony eke out more life from the battery with software features such as Smart Stamina and STAMINA mode to extend your usage time, but 4GB of RAM in 2018 seems a tad too little, especially when mid-range devices like the ASUS ZenFone 4 are already pushing 6GB.

[MWC2018] Sony announces Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact — the most compact smartphones with the Snapdragon 845! 22

The Xperia XZ2 will be available from March 2018 in Liquid Silver, Liquid Black, Deep Green and Ash Pink.

Xperia XZ2 Compact

[MWC2018] Sony announces Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact — the most compact smartphones with the Snapdragon 845! 23

One of the things Sony does right consistently is that they always offer a flagship with smaller dimensions with the Compact moniker. The Xperia XZ2 Compact is no different, with a 5″ Full HD+ 18:9 HDR display. As 18:9 displays allow designers to shrink the width, the Xperia XZ2 Compact is the world’s most compact 5″ smartphone. And it is probably the most powerful one ever too, with a Snapdragon 845 under its polycarbonate back.

It shares its camera and audio chops with its bigger brother, but drops the Dynamic Vibration System. That means you are getting the latest Motion Eye camera, S-Force Front Surround, Hi-Res Audio, LDAC and also a USB Type-C to 3.5mm audio jack adapter. Yep, no 3.5mm jack here either.

CPU/Chipset: Snapdragon 845 (4 x Kryo 385 @ 2.8 GHz + 4 x Kryo 385 @ 1.8 GHz)
GPU: Adreno 630
RAM: 4GB LPDDR4X
Display: 5.0″, FHD+ (2160 x 1080) 18:9 IPS panel, HDR, TRILUMINOS Display for mobile, X-Reality for mobile, Dynamic Contrast Enhancer
Storage: 64GB UFS (expandable with microSD up to 400GB)
Camera: Main Camera(s)
19MP f/2.0, 1/2.3″ IMX 400 sensor, 1.22μm pixel pitch, 25mm (35mm equiv.) G Lens, 5-axis OIS (SteadyShot), BIONZ image processing engine, Triple image sensing technology, 4K HDR Movie, HDR Photo, Hybrid Autofocus
Front Camera
5MP f/2.2, 1/5″ Exmor RS for mobile, 23mm (35mm equiv.) focal length
OS: Android 8.0 Oreo (Android One)
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 5.0
LTE Cat 18 1200 Mbps DL / 150 Mbps UL
SIM: nanoSIM (dual SIM in certain regions)
Battery: Li-ion 2870 mAh (non-removable), Quick Charge 3.0

Aside from the screen size and battery, there really isn’t much differentiating the XZ2 Compact from the bigger XZ2. There is the missing Qi wireless charging, but will we really miss that? The rest of the specifications are similar, making this a great smartphone for those who prefer more compact devices that can easily be used with one hand.

[MWC2018] Sony announces Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact — the most compact smartphones with the Snapdragon 845! 24

The Xperia XZ2 Compact will be available from March 2018 in White Silver, Black, Moss Green and Coral Pink.

Pokdepinion: Anyone else thinks that the fingerprint sensor is a bit too low on the Xperia XZ2?

About The Author
Vyncent Chan
Technology enthusiast, casual gamer, pharmacy graduate. Strongly opposes proprietary standards and always on the look out for incredible bang-for-buck.

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