Concluding Thoughts

The Z3 might not exist a significant change-up of Sony'due south flagship Xperia formula, but the combination of a bunch of minor tweaks and upgrades has made this handset 1 of the best on the market.

I'll start with the standout feature of this handset: its battery life. There'southward nothing more than frustrating than a high-end, powerful device that doesn't manage to last through to the end of the day. Sony has recognized this, packing a monster battery into a relatively slim smartphone body. The fact that I can use this handset normally for almost two days without running for a wall charger is something that every smartphone company should strive for.

The excellent 5.two-inch brandish on the Xperia Z3 perfectly complements its focus on media consumption. The powerful hardware leads to a smooth experience in both games and apps, while Remote Play is a very handy addition for those PlayStation 4 gamers out there. Combine that with loftier-quality audio playback and noise-cancelling headphones, and the Z3 becomes a daily part of your amusement.

Sony'southward elegant smartphone style returns with some improvements. The lighter, slimmer frame feels more portable despite its nevertheless-sizable bezels, and the curved edges are a amend fit for your hands. On top of that, the employ of premium materials in the Xperia Z3's structure such as aluminium and tempered glass makes it look and feel similar a high end device. And information technology'due south waterproof too, which is always a bonus.

As for the camera, the hardware that we commencement saw in the Xperia Z1 is still capable of some fantastic images. It's non the best camera on the market – a lack of OIS is starting to hurt – merely become information technology in the right conditions and you'll be capturing great photos and 4K video. Unfortunately the camera app isn't dandy, and comes with some stupid restrictions on full resolution photography. If Sony could fix the software side, the photographic camera might simply be able to really shine.

Speaking of software, Sony'due south offer is one of the chief downsides to the Xperia Z3. The skin the company uses is visually outdated, especially compared to Android 5.0, and only generally pretty bland. Although there are quite a few useful features scattered throughout, Sony needs to give everything a modernistic makeover. Oh, and the bloatware: there's a lot of it.

Just is the software feel enough of a deterrent? Non at all. The Sony Xperia Z3 is a fantastic, well-balanced device that scores well in near every department. It may be just half dozen months on from the launch of their previous flagship smartphone, merely the upgrades certainly feel worth it.

Pros: Awesome battery life without sacrificing loftier-end performance. Refined design is comfortable, stylish and waterproof. Fantastic brandish that'due south both crisp and vibrant. Familiar camera hardware is still pretty decent.

Cons: Frustrating app prevents the camera from reaching its true potential. Software feels bland and outdated compared to the competition.