Winning the coveted “Best New Smartphone at MWC 2017” award is surely no mean feat. With that in the pocket, Sony Mobile’s starts making available its most cutting-edge smartphone yet–the Xperia XZ Premium–to retail channels. Packing the best of Sony’s technologies, the stunning device boasts an incredible 4K HDR display, an advanced Motion Eye camera and a host of powerful hardware. The Japanese consumer electronics giant released its flagship device to the Malaysian market, alongside the Xperia XA1 Ultra phablet.
When you think about it, Sony is in a unique position. Simply because it has all the technologies to make the best smartphone. It’s got the best display technologies from its Bravia TVs. It has the very best camera technologies from its cameras. Not only that, it also has Hi-Res audio technologies from its audio business.
All that is fused together, aided in part by the most powerful mobile processor in Qualcomm’s stable and Android 7.1 Nougat, you can expect a hell of a smartphone.
For the most part, Sony delivers. The Xperia XZ Premium is the best phone that Sony’s ever built.
4K HDR or bust
First, let’s look at the display. The Xperia XZ Premium is the first ever smartphone to feature a 4K HDR display. Measuring 5.5 inches, the display is amazing, delivering incredible brightness, colour, clarity and contrast.
Combining Sony’s native technologies namely TRILUMINOS Display for mobile, X-Reality for mobile and Dynamic Contrast Enhancer, the 4K HDR viewing experience is like you’ve never experienced before.
Catch 4K content from Amazon Prime Video, bundled with the device.
Next, the Xperia XZ Premium is one of the first smartphones in the world utilising the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. In fact, Sony was the first to showcase the processor at a global stage – MWC 2017. Samsung though, was first to ship, with its Galaxy S8. Subsequently, Xiaomi’s Mi 6 also shipped in China, bearing the same power-packed SoC.
Having the SD835 under the hood has its advantages. It means it’s also one of the first few smartphones in the world to support Gigabit Class LTE (up to 1Gbps) via the Snapdragon X16 LTE modem. It also boasts 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage.
Audio is something very close to Sony’s heart. The Xperia range is synonymous with Hi-Res audio, thanks to Sony’s native DSEE HX technology. Whether you’re watching videos, listening to music or playing games, expect to hear every nuance and detail. And by the way, the Xperia XZ Premium comes with stereo speakers.
First seen on the Xperia XZs, the Xperia XZ Premium features Sony’s new Motion Eye camera system. It combines a new 19MP sensor with 19% larger pixels and a superfast f/2.0 aperture G lens. This helps it capture more light and with enhanced detail and sharpness, even in low-light conditions.
The sensor comes with SteadyShot electronic image stabilisation (EIS), which has 5-axis image stabilisation.
Motion Eye introduces a brand new trick – 960fps super slow motion video capture and playback. That’s four times slower than any other smartphone.
Thanks to the tweaked Bionz for mobile processor and new Exmor RS stacked sensor, the Xperia XZ Premium is able to track moving objects more precisely. It can also do Predictive Capture (capturing four shots before and after you press the shutter).
It’s hard to talk about the Xperia XZ Premium without first being mesmerised by its design. The new “Loop” design is clean and elegant, complemented by an exquisite glass surface. It’s beautiful to behold, I give you that. Make sure a cleaning cloth is nearby though.
It’s stunning, but it’s also highly durable. Rated IP65/68 in fact, so it’s dust-proof and water-resistant, and also protected by Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back.
The dual-SIM device comes with a large 3,230mAh battery, with battery life maximized with Smart Stamina. Battery Care and Qnovo Adaptive Charging are included out of the box to protect your battery, while Quick Charge 3.0 ensure you’re juiced up quickly.
The Quick charger UCH12 is bundled in the box for the device.
Pricing and availability
The Xperia XZ Premium is available for pre-order today until 4 June at selected Sony Stores, Sony Mobile Stores, authorized dealers and 11street. The device retails at MYR3,399.
It comes in Luminous Chrome and Deepsea Black. A Bronze Pink variant will be made available soon.
Pre-order deals
Xperia XZ Premium buyers will receive exclusive gifts worth MYR728. The gifts include a SBH80 Stereo Bluetooth headset worth MYR399, limited edition Touch n’ Go card preloaded with MYR100, Screen Warranty Care+ and a transparent case with tempered glass screen protector.
Official Photos
