Sony announced its new Xperia XZ Premium at its press conference in Mobile World Congress 2017. Among lots of upgrades, the phone also features the world’s first super slow motion video capture in a smartphone at 960 fps (frames per second). Yes, you read it right – 960 fps!
Check out the video below to see how shooting at 960 fps looks like:
In terms of design and build quality, the Xperia XZ Premium features almost the same excellent design and build quality that most Xperia phones of the recent past feature. The device’s front panel bears a ‘glass loop surface’ that is quite reflective. Also on the front is the 2.5D curved glass panel with Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
Since the body of the device is reflective, it is extremely slippery and is a fingerprint magnet. You might want to immediately go out and buy a casing for the device, before it slips over and damages itself. But then, a phone case will conceal the premium looks of the device.
The Sony Xperia XZ Premium follows the design principle of its Xperia siblings to have a fingerprint sensor embedded on the power button on the right panel of the smartphone. Immediately below it, you will find the volume rockers. The fingerprint scanner worked well enough to unlock the device instantly during our review procedure.
On the top of the device you will find a 3.5mm audio jack, while the latest USB Type-C port can be found at the bottom for all your charging and data-syncing needs. On the right edge you will find a dedicated camera button, while the left side is dominated by just the combined SIM card and microSD card slot.
In terms of dimensions, the Sony Xperia XZ Premium is 7.9mm in thickness and weighs 191-grams. The phone also comes with dust and water resistance, which is a great addition. On the front you get a 5.5-inch Triluminos screen with 4K resolution and HDR.
Under the hood, the phone runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor – the Xperia XZ Premium is the first phone we have tested with Qualcomm’s latest offering. You also get 4GB of RAM and 64GB of built-in storage, which can be further expanded by using a microSD card.
Turn the phone around and you come face to face with a 19-megapixel shooter which is equipped with Motion Eye camera technology. The rear camera is also capable of shooting slow-motion videos at 960fps (frames per second), as mentioned before. Most phones today can only shoot slow motion videos at 240fps.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium: Photography Sample 1
The Xperia XZ Premium runs the latest Android version 7.1.1 and it feels snappy and responsive. Sony has not done much to alter the usual Android experience, which is good. The app launcher scrolls horizontally, with the icons all spread out neatly.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium: Photography Sample 2
The Xperia XZ Premium is the first phone to utilise Sony’s own ‘Motion Eye’ capture system, which draws on the company’s digital imaging know-how. Since the phone is aimed at photography and videography enthusiasts, the phone comes with a dedicated camera shutter button. The shutter button also acts as a Camera app button, when long pressed.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium: Photography Sample 3
We were able to shoot some really good looking images with the phone. The Xperia XZ Premium was able to shoot good images even under low-light conditions. In our 960-fps slow motion video tests, we ended up with very good looking videos.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium: Photography Sample 4
In terms of performance, the Sony Xperia XZ Premium is a performance beast. It was able to clock a whopping 171107 points on AnTuTu benchmark. The phone also packs in a 3230mAh battery, that offers a full day worth of juice on a single charge.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium: Photography Sample 5
At a price of AED 2,699, the Sony Xperia XZ Premium might feel a bit expensive. But innovation comes at a price, and in this scenario, a smartphone’s ability to shoot at 960-fps is a major feat in itself. The Sony Xperia XZ Premium is a good phone. It’s powerful, well-made and has a high-end, impressive look. It also performs like a beast.
If you are majorly into photography and videography and need a dependable smartphone to handle all of that, you could consider the Sony Xperia XZ Premium.
Price: AED 2,699
