Sony Xperia Z3 Pro Reviews

There’s nothing wrong with the Sony Xperia Z3... except for the weird screen calibration, that is. When we think about what it takes to be slapped with the flagship status, it does carry almost all the qualities that come with the territory. It’s beautifully designed, armed with some lovely hardware, highly responsive, and even takes some dreamy photos and videos. Oh yeah, it also has a slight edge in the video gaming department because of its streaming PlayStation service. All the might and impressive things with the Sony Xperia Z3 are to be commended, however, when it’s pitted against the Samsung Galaxy S6, it’s just eclipsed by something more grandiose. And that, folks, is what makes Samsung’s flagship the phone to beat in the space at the moment. Not only is it oozing with highly prized specs and hardware, but this flagship line has undergone a tremendous transformation with its design – one that we can safely proclaim to be one of the best out there. Best of all, it’s able to go beyond its rival in several key areas to make it the more impressive handset. Pricing, though, favors the Xperia Z3 now that it’s been making the rounds far longer than its competition. With that, it’s possible to snag a phenomenal deal with the Xperia Z3, which naturally will appeal to those on a tighter budget. Now, if money is of no concern to you, the money you’ll fork over in buying the Galaxy S6 will be justified. The higher cost is warranted! Trust us, you won’t be disappointed in the decision.

Right off the bat, there’s something to say about a smartphone that’s just beginning its life. From the specs standpoint, the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge clearly has a lot to offer over the Xperia Z3. Comparing the two on paper, it’s almost a knock out for the newer Galaxy S6 edge, not only for its cutting-edge specs, but also for the tremendous effort on Samsung’s part to deliver a premium looking smartphone. However, as we’ve experience several times, specs alone don’t dictate a phone’s true performance – and the Sony Xperia Z3 proves that in this particular comparison. True, its hardware is older and not quite as pushing the boundaries as its rival, but nevertheless, the end result is a smartphone that impresses on several fronts. Solidifying things even more, it’s one of the few remaining flagship smartphones to offer true water-resistant protection against submersion, which is something it has over Sammy’s new pride and joy. From a cost standpoint, all fingers point to the Sony Xperia Z3, which, at this point, can be grabbed at a fantastic discount if you search in the right places. To be fair, though, the lower cost attached to the Xperia Z3 now makes perfect sense, as the Xperia Z3 has been on the market for some time. Conversely, the Galaxy S6 edge has just recently become available, so it’s going to cost a pretty amount to pick up at the moment. Of course, the mounds of money you fork over to pick up the Galaxy S6 edge is worth it, as it’s an impressive thing that’s best experienced up close and personal – albeit, the Xperia Z3 is still worth a shot even now, more so if you’re all about savings.

The Sony Xperia Z3 is a fantastic, well-balanced device that scores well in nearly every department. It may be just six months on from the launch of their previous flagship smartphone, but the upgrades certainly feel worth it.

The slender, long-lasting Sony Xperia Z3 appears iterative, but delivers one of the most roundly excellent Android experiences on T-Mobile and features exclusive PlayStation 4 game streaming capability.

The Sony Xperia Z3 is undoubtedly a decent and desirable smartphone but Z2 owners will have little reason to upgrade unless PS4 Remote Play or High-Res audio are must-haves. In terms of the wider market, the Z3 is up there with the best and a solid choice even if it doesn't have the amount of bells and whistles which others do.

Both the iPhone 6 and the Xperia Z3 are the best efforts that design juggernauts like Apple and Sony managed to come up with this season, and there's no room for disappointment with either result. Thin and stylish, they look and feel premium in the hand, yet don very different experiences. The iPhone 6 is more manageable in the hand, compared to the largish Z3, and goes almost unnoticeable in your pocket. It also offers better camera than the Z3, especially for low-light shots, and a picture-perfect screen. To these advantages, we have to add the iOS ecosystem synergy that received a boost with the unique Apple Pay purchasing system, and the fact that the iPhone 6 will more than likely depreciate in value much slower than the Xperia Z3. Sony's phone, however, has a lot going for it that the iPhone doesn't offer, if you can stomach the larger size. Granted, you don't always need a waterproof phone, or you might not care for stereo speakers, but it's nice to know these are there if needed. We saved the best for last, though, and it is the remarkable battery endurance of the Xperia Z3. Its “two-day battery” is the best in the flagship category for now, and this got confirmed through our own benchmarks, too. Thus, if you are tired of charging your smartphone each and every night, which would happen with the iPhone 6, the Xperia Z3 should be on top of your list.

Sony's OmniBalance design language is epitomized in the most stylish Xperia to date with the Z3, while the plasticky nature of Samsung's phablet line barely budges in the Note 4. Samsung's handset is bigger, but comes with a 20% larger, ultra high-res screen, which sports excellent color reproduction, while the Z3 display is very inaccurate in that department. On the other hand, the more aesthetically pleasing and more compact Z3 is also waterproof, and houses stereo speakers at the front – features that are more useful than the heart rate and UV sensors, or the clunky fingerprint scanner that Samsung included in the Note 4. Since the camera pictures and video quality are rather comparable between the two flagships, there aren't true advantages of the Note 4's bombastic spec sheet before the Z3, too, despite the higher chipset speed and pixel density on paper. When it comes to multitasking, productivity and media consumption, though, the Note 4 is the undisputed king, with its large ultra high-res display, the extra stylus input, and the split-screen functionality. If you don't need that extra input, though, you will certainly appreciate the Z3's record battery life for the category, and the nicer feeling it leaves in the palm, pocket, and in the eye of the beholder.

If you are coming from the Z1, the Z3 is a worthy upgrade, as it will upscale your Sony phone in all directions. For the Z2 owners, the situation is a tad murkier, as you might not want to shell out two Benjamins more for a tad slimmer handset with a bit better outdoor visibility, and a more balanced camera. Looking at the chief Z3 competitors, these boil down to the usual suspects. The plasticky Galaxy S5 offers a 5.1” 1080p display, whose colors are every bit as inaccurate as the Z3's out of the box, and a camera of similar quality, with waterproof chassis as well. The HTC One (M8) has a very premium build, and flaunts stereo speakers as well, but its Duo Camera is the weakest in the flagship pack. LG's G3 brags with a high-end QHD display and optically-stabilized camera in a chassis only a tad wider than the Z3, but its battery life is shorter than the rest. This competitor trio, however, sports one important advantage before Sony's newest Xperia – it is now about a hundred or more cheaper, and the category is pretty crowded for the new Z3 to dent a lasting impression there. Alternatively, you can eschew Android altogether, and take a dive in the iOS pool, as the new iPhone 6 now comes with a much larger display than before, thinner body, improved camera, Apple Pay, and is a better value-keeper, for roughly the same price as the Z3, though you'd have to wave goodbye to the waterproof wrapper, record battery life, and the stereo speakers of the Z3.