The newest entrant into Sony’s XZ series of photographer-friendly smartphones, the Xperia XZ3 is the most impressive and powerful model yet. This new Sony flagship is the most capable Xperia, and it gives competitors a run for their money too. At $100 less than the price of the iPhone XS, the Sony Xperia XZ3 offers an incredible OLED display and a great camera to boot.
The OLED Screen
The OLED screen is the standout feature of the XZ3, but that is far from the only thing that makes it a worthwhile buy. Like its predecessor, the XZ3 features water-resistant Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back. It also features Sony’s loudest speakers to date, a pair of stereo speakers powered by S-Force Front Surround, plus it’s the first phone to come with Android 9.0 Pie installed. It includes 64GB of internal memory; and no need to fret if that seems small because it can be expanded to up to 512GB with a microSDXC card.
Sony has also added a handy feature in Side sense, an AI-powered personalized menu that you activate by double-tapping either edge of the device. From this menu, you can access your most-used apps and one-handed operation, a function that becomes essential once you train yourself to use it regularly.
Now about that screen: it’s Sony’s first-ever OLED screen, providing beautiful, bright, QHD+ high-resolution picture on a curved-edge display. And with no notch, this phone wastes no real estate. The XZ3 is the first of the XZ line to feature an 18:9 aspect ratio, allowing for easier multitasking and gaming. The 6” display is large enough to comfortably browse the web, read and watch movies, and the extra-slim bezel keeps it pocket-friendly while maximizing the use of space.
Dual Cameras
Let’s not forget about the cameras (yes, multiple!). The XZ3 features dual cameras, including a front/selfie camera with a solid 13MP sensor; the front camera is great for video, capable of shooting in 1080p. The main camera is a 19MP Motion Eye intelligent camera that offers slow and super-slow motion options, Bokeh mode, A.R. effects, clear night shooting and a neat new feature called Smart launch, which pulls your camera up automatically when you turn the phone to landscape orientation. This is a godsend for action photographers who don’t always have time to unlock their device before capturing their shot.
The Sony Xperia XZ3 is available now. It won’t be for everybody at the $899 price tag, but it’s a great choice for anyone looking to upgrade to the next generation of Android phones. Oh, and let’s not forget that it can function as a reliable and effective backup camera for photographers.
