The Sony Xperia Z2 was announced earlier during the day at Mobile World Congress and the hands-on videos have started reaching us from all over the show floor, revealing more details about this flagship device. Here is a round-up of what we’ve learned so far.
FoneArena did a short and sweet overview of the device, listing the specs and showcasing the hardware in a very clear manner.
Engadget’s coverage of the Z2 brought forward the one piece of information that everyone was wondering about: has Sony finally fixed their display woes on the Z2? And the answer is a resounding “yes!” as evidenced by this side-by-side shot of both the Z1 and Z2’s screens. If even Sony is willing to admit that their previous flagship device’s screen was utter garbage compared to the new one, then you know they did something to fix it. GSM Arena’s hands-on video of the Xperia Z2 showcases the speaker placement on the device that should make the sound a lot clearer and louder, as well as the TimeShift video recording feature — practically slow-motion — that lets you specify a portion of the video to slow down.
In their hands-on with the Z2, Android Central focused on the device running KitKat with the transparent notification bar and on-screen buttons. They also mentioned the Lifelog app, the 4K video recording feature, the built-in Vine support in the camera app, and they finished by demoing the phone next to its predecessor, the Xperia Z1.
PocketNow’s video of the Z2 brings to light more details about the device, including the dedicated camera shutter button, the mix of aluminum and plastic build, the LED notification bar on the top of the phone, the bigger sensor on the camera compared to the Z1 — despite the megapixel count remaining the same — and the Superior Auto mode for picture snapping.
PhoneArena spent a lot of time comparing the Xperia Z2 to other devices, including the Xperia Z1, Galaxy S4 and Note 3, iPhone 5S, HTC One and LG G2. Of these, the most interesting ones are the Z1 and LG G2. In the first one, you see how the Z2 is slimmer but slightly larger than the Z1, how the new display compares, and how you can control the white balance setting on the Z2’s screen to adjust it to your liking.
In the second, you see clearly the effect of Sony’s ridiculously large bezels on their phone’s size. Both the LG G2 and the Sony Xperia Z2 have a 5.2″ display, but the G2 looks small by comparison, thanks to LG’s minimalist design. The Z2 is significantly taller and slightly larger. The difference is a bit staggering.
What do you think of this Xperia Z2? Will you be getting one, and if so, which features are the ones swaying you in its favor?