Buzz
1. Technical Specifications Review
Sony Xperia XZs measures 146 x 72 x 8.1 mm and weighs only 161g, making it convenient for use, grip, and storage. You have three color options: silver green, black, and silver gold.
The device runs on the modern Android 7.1.1 operating system with flexible interface customization. The 5.2-inch LCD screen has a resolution of 1080x1920px. The surface is made of premium Gorilla Glass for durability. It features two nano SIM slots, with one also serving as the best-priced official high-capacity memory card. The built-in 2900mAh battery ensures extended usage.
Sony XZs is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor, 4GB RAM, and 32GB ROM, expandable up to 64GB, delivering fast and smooth processing. The device supports 4G, wifi, and Bluetooth connectivity as standard.
The rear camera boasts a 19MP resolution with integrated sensors for recognition, white balance, and 4K video recording. The 13MP front camera captures high-quality photos and shoots modern 1080p@30fps videos.
The dedicated microphone on the Sony Xperia XZs effectively reduces noise, delivering Hi-res standard audio quality. Additionally, the device is water and dust resistant, meeting the IP68 standard.
Furthermore, the product features a fingerprint sensor for easy unlocking. The device retains a 3.5mm headphone jack, USB type-C port, and stereo speakers.
2. Sony Xperia XZs Design Review
Sony is a brand that never follows the common trend in smartphone design. Despite the prevailing trend of soft, curved designs on current smartphones, Sony, the tech giant, remains loyal to its square, angular design with a masculine touch across all products. The Sony Xperia XZs is no exception. Upon close observation, you'll notice the Sony Xperia XZs frame is identical to the Sony Xperia XZ in size and details, with sharp corners. The noticeable difference is the camera cluster on the Sony Xperia XZs, which protrudes prominently from the surface of the device.
While lacking novelty in exterior design, the Sony Xperia XZs remains aesthetically pleasing and elegant. The product is designed as a solid piece, with a premium toughened glass front and a glossy metal back, providing a sophisticated and modern appearance comparable to other products.
With this design, Sony Xperia XZs leaves fewer fingerprints, making it less prone to dirt. Some argue that the square design suits men more than women, but this perception varies. For women, the impressive and beautiful emerald green version may captivate your attention, potentially overshadowing any concerns about the square design. In this case, the square design might assert its uniqueness, deviating from the common trend seen in other smartphones.
Looking from the front, Sony Xperia XZs doesn't differ much from other products. It features two speakers for calls at the top and bottom of the device. Particularly, the bottom speaker doubles as an external speaker when in hands-free mode, providing excellent sound that few phones achieve. On the right side of the device, you'll find the power button, and the fingerprint sensor is embedded here. However, to use this feature, you need to wake the screen, not utilizing the one-touch technology found in other products. Below the power button are the volume control buttons, slightly lower and less conventional than usual. If you're not accustomed, you might accidentally press the quick camera activation button just below.
On the left side, there's the SIM tray. However, instead of a ejectable SIM tray, the Sony Xperia XZs has an inconvenient cover-style tray that is susceptible to water leakage or breakage. At the top is the 3.5mm headphone jack and a recording microphone. At the bottom is the USB Type-C port, standard 2.0. This standard might be considered low, but Sony has no intention of upgrading it.
3. Display Review
The Sony Xperia XZs features a 5.2-inch Full HD display with a pixel density of 424ppi, delivering sharp, realistic, and vibrant images. However, some reviews find the Full HD resolution somewhat outdated for a smartphone in the nearly 14,000,000 VND price range. For those who enjoy virtual reality (VR) technology for entertainment and learning, this phone may have limitations as it lacks support for such applications.
On the bright side, the device performs well outdoors with a brightness of 564 nits. During nighttime use, the lowest brightness is 4.9 nits, ensuring eye protection against fatigue.
Sony Xperia XZs comes equipped with X-Reality technology and an LCD IPS display that delivers crisp and accurate images. The 2.5D curved glass creates an immersive feeling of images floating on the screen. Users can adjust brightness and color if they find a slight blue tint on the screen.
4. Sony XZs Phone Configuration Review
The Sony Xperia XZs configuration features a Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor with high processing speed and 4GB RAM. While not the latest and greatest from Qualcomm, it still meets all user needs, handling multitasking swiftly and smoothly. Moreover, this processor helps reduce the overall product cost—a reasonable trade-off.
RAM has been upgraded from the 3GB in the older Sony Xperia XZ to 4GB, creating a powerful configuration, lightening the CPU load, and improving overall performance.
Sony Xperia XZs runs on the Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system. Although not highly praised, this operating system offers smart features such as split-screen and screen size customization. However, adjusting screen brightness requires going into settings, a common drawback in Sony smartphones that the company has yet to address.
One notable feature in the Sony XZs review is its capability to periodically clear the cache of unused apps, making the device lighter and more responsive. Additionally, you can unlock the phone using pre-set facial recognition and voice commands. This means you don't need to use the Home button, fingerprint sensor, or enter a password.
5. Performance Evaluation
Sony reaffirms its unique strategy, not engaging in an 'arms race' with any competitors. With its powerful configuration, the Sony Xperia XZs meets users' needs, providing solid performance. The upgraded 4GB RAM alleviates concerns about loading heavy games and apps onto the device.
When measuring performance with specialized software, the Sony Xperia XZs produces impressive figures—not the highest, but far from 'mediocre.' Specifically, the device scores 126,855 points in the Details score, evaluating overall RAM, CPU, UX, and 3D performance.
In benchmark tests for multi-core and single-core processing, the Sony Xperia XZs achieves 1,527 points for single-core and 3,055 points for multi-core. In System Information tests, the device scores a commendable 2,148 points.
6. Camera and Image Quality Review
Despite being criticized for some aspects, the Sony Xperia XZs introduces a completely new approach to the camera world that no other manufacturer has ventured into. The standout feature is the brand-new Motion Eye sensor on the 19MP rear camera. This is one of the 3 reasons users decide to buy the Sony Xperia XZs. With this sensor, the Xperia XZs can shoot super slow-motion videos at a frame rate of 960fps, HD resolution. In comparison, current flagship smartphones only manage 240fps. However, mastering this feature requires practice, and note that the real-time duration of the super slow-motion video is 0.18 seconds, but it takes 2-3 seconds to initiate. For optimal results, practice shooting several times beforehand. Another note is to avoid using this feature in low light or artificial light conditions, as the video may be noisy with streaks, resulting in poor quality. It's best used in natural outdoor lighting conditions.
The camera of Sony Xperia XZs integrates a RAM buffer between the control circuit and image sensor, facilitating faster photo storage. This buffer also enhances the performance of the Predictive Capture feature, capturing moments just before you hit the shutter. However, this feature is random, sometimes activated, sometimes not, and users cannot intervene or adjust.
With an f/2.0 aperture, the sensor resolution is reduced, resulting in better photos in low-light conditions, and images are 19% larger than previous models.
With a user-friendly interface, the Manual mode allows you to adjust settings like white balance, shutter speed, exposure compensation, and manual focus. Additionally, you can adjust ISO through the settings. Despite being a bit intricate, it's a case of 'better to have than not.'
Reviews of the Sony XZs highly commend the camera's excellent face and scene recognition capabilities. Depending on the situation and subject, the camera selects appropriate modes for the best-looking shot. The camera focuses quickly, automatically toggles HDR in Auto mode, and excels at capturing backlight situations, even in bright outdoor conditions. In general, photos taken with the Sony Xperia XZs portray vibrant, lifelike colors, good white balance, and it competes with flagship iPhones from Apple, Oppo's selfie king, and Samsung's photography prowess.
However, in nighttime or low-light conditions, photo quality diminishes significantly, exhibiting considerable noise. This can be addressed by increasing exposure time slightly and reducing ISO.
7. Sound Review
Sony Xperia XZs comes with a dedicated microphone for excellent noise cancellation. The device delivers crisp and clear sound, especially when using the hands-free mode, turning the speaker into a secondary external speaker for enhanced audio quality.
8. Battery Life Review
In a detailed assessment of Sony XZs, battery life cannot be overlooked. The device features a non-removable 2900mAh battery, not the largest but sufficient for a day's use. Watching movies or browsing with Wi-Fi can provide continuous usage for around nine hours. However, gaming, web browsing, and video streaming on 3G reduce usage time to three hours.
Notably, the product integrates Qnovo software to manage user habits and optimize battery usage, promoting energy efficiency and extending battery lifespan.
These are the comprehensive and detailed reviews of Sony XZs. With this information, you'll gain a complete understanding of the product. Overall, as a premium mid-range device, Sony Xperia XZs offers designs, performance, and features that can satisfy many modern users.
