Geek Review: Sony Xperia Z2

Another year and another round of new smartphones to lust over. With more users jumping on the 4G bandwagon, there still is plenty of work to be done for smartphone makers. Year on year screen sizes have gone up but battery life for each has struggled to keep up. It seems that the Sony Xperia Z2 is out to set things straight.

Touting a massive 3200 mAh battery under it’s svelte body, the new Sony Xperia Z2 touts an even bigger battery than it’s older cousin, the Sony Xperia Z Ultra. While I cannot ascertain if it’s just the Z2’s battery performing at its peak or that battery management for Sony phones have jumped a great deal since the previous generation, you can be sure to go a full day (7am to 12am) without the phone going flat.

I’m pretty sure the above line is one that you would read in many other reviews but when it comes to phones, I’ve been told that I chew through the battery faster than hippos craving for plastic pellets. To a certain extent this is probably true. Streaming YouTube for one hour per session to and fro work, location services constantly on, redditing at every occasion away from the work desk makes short work of any of the 4G phones I’ve used so far until the Z2. While it had expected less, the Z2’s battery life has set the benchmark for all mobile phones.

Here’s a fancy graph that honestly don’t tell you that much apart from my anecdotal retelling. Like all mobile phones, your mileage would really vary. I can see light users going a good 2 days on a single charge.

The image on the right was taken on a day where usage wasn’t particularly intense. In fact, I probably forgot to give the Z2 a charge which resulted in the quick burst of energy towards the end.

Interestingly, I found that the phone charged rapidly when hooked up to the supplied charger. It would easily take the phone to go from zero to hundred in roughly 2 hours of charging and it does charge particularly fast for the initial 30 minutes. Great especially if you would need to rush off to another location at a moment’s notice.

While I’ve not tried the other flagship Android phones in the market at the moment. I feel that Sony really has nailed down one of the biggest bugbears for mobile phones these days. The great thing about using the phone would be that at periods of sustained video streaming, the phone does not feel hot in the hand.

Fastest draw in the west

The main defining feature of most Sony smartphones would be their superior camera. However, in recent years, that gap seems to have been narrowed. The Z2 still maintains it’s edge by having the fastest way to grab a shot with a phone camera.

With the handy and dedicated shutter button at the side of the phone, you will be able to grab a shot in a jiffy.

Oddly, it wasn’t able to capture that much light despite the subject being within a lightbox –

The Lens Blur feature is nice feature to have but it does require some work to it. As the feature comes as a stand alone app itself, expect many upgrades as Sony figures out how to achieve the bokeh effect.

Is AR still a big thing these days? That hasn’t stopped Sony from including stomping dinos into the Z2.

The Bells and Whistles

The Z2 is certainly a premium product from Sony and no one should expect less from them. Ergonomically, the phone does come across a little wide in my hands so one handed operation would be a challenge. There’s a new way to unlock the phone by tapping on the screen which is a feature seen in certain phones.

Despite the phone having implemented motion controls to assist the user answer phone calls by bringing up the device next to the ear, it does come across as a hit and miss in this aspect. Apart from this, the Sony Xperia Z2 is pretty much the go to device if you are looking for an Android experience that is very close to stock which is a feature that should be trumpeted.

Oh, did I forget that the phone is waterproof as well?

At the end of the day, if it went down to the wire to choose the top Android smartphone of this generation, I’d simply ask in return if you preferred metal or glass?

If you are the type who would love a phone with solid battery life without the bulk, look no further than the Sony Xperia Z2.