Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 launched,Key specs, features, India price,"" Sony Xperia XZ2: Everything that matters in 7 points , II Sony Xperia XZ2: High-res audio but no headphone jack

MWC18 Sony launched the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 compact at an early morning press event as Mobile World Congress opened in Barcelona.
A key feature in the Samsung S9, super slow-mo video enabled by a 960fps camera (for short 0.2 second bursts), was already a feature in last year's Xperia XZ1, Sony reminded those present.
Unlike Samsung, Sony Mobile does have phones on Google’s Android Enterprise recommended list: the Xperia XZ1 is there and the XZ2 can be expected to join it. At the same time, Sony is miles behind Samsung in business-oriented features, and indeed Sony marketing exec Hideyuki Furumi described the XZ2 as “the ultimate entertainment device”.
The XZ2 (72 x 153 x 11.1mm) is a little larger and substantially thicker than last year’s XZ1 (73 x 148 x 7.4mm), and the display has gone from 5.2" 1080 x 1920 to 5.7" 1080 x 2160 with HDR (High Dynamic Range).
This is the first smartphone to feature 4K HDR video recording, says Sony.
The processor is now the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 and there is a bigger battery (3180 mAh versus 2700 mAh on the old model), as well as support for Qi wireless charging. Video can now be captured in 4K with HDR. The microSDXC card support has been bumped to a maximum of 400GB from 256GB.
The XZ2 Compact has a 5.0" display though with the same resolution and many of the same specs as its bigger sibling, including the “Motion Eye” camera.
On the audio side, there is no Dolby Atmos but Sony does continue its support for high-resolution audio, despite the fact that even CD quality (16-bit/44.1 KHz) is good enough for a smartphone and arguably for human hearing. Leaving that aside, sound quality is excellent as you would expect given Sony’s audio heritage, though there is no headphone jack so you will need an adapter for your old wired headphones.
Haptic support called a Dynamic Vibration System “analyses audio data and lets you feel the action in your hands,” with music, games and video. However nobody asked for smartphones that behave like a game controller and this seems a pretty bad idea, especially with music.

There's a hole in my headset... thank goodness

Also announced at MWC was the Ear Duo headset, a wire-free solution which is designed to let you hear external sounds as well as your music or phone call, thanks to a deliberate hole left in the ear gels. This is a great idea – especially if you are in the habit of wearing a headset while running in urban areas, for example, with roads to cross.

The Sony Ear Duo is a headset designed to let you hear external sounds as well as your music. If you squint at the picture, you can see the hole in the ear gel that makes this work.

In combination with the Sony music app, the Ear Duo also lets you control volume, pause and skip tracks through head movements; so take care not to nod in time to the music. In my quick test, the track skip worked but not the other features, so it looks like you need the right kind of nod.
Sony has the right expertise in design, optics and audio, but its smartphones have failed to capture a substantial market share. “In 2017, Sony’s market share was 1 per cent which was little changed from 1.1 per cent a year before,” says IHS Markit analyst Ian Fogg.
“In the past, Sony has also offered on-smartphone audio noise cancellation, high quality audio formats, and the smartphone industry’s first 4K display all ahead of the market. But Sony has failed to market these features to consumers and use these differentiated features re-grow its business.”
Where is it going wrong? One of the issues is that the high-end Xperias are expensive for consumers, but Sony Mobile does little to attract business users. It could also do better on the software and services side.
The Xperia XZ2 launch looks unlikely to change that, despite being a nicely designed pair of phones with impressive cameras.
The price is not yet announced but will likely be similar to the XZ1 range, currently £549 and £449 for the XZ1 compact. Available next month.®

 

 

Following HMD Global's and Samsung's keynote events on Sunday, Sony also delivered its keynote at MWC 2018 on Monday where the company unveiled two new smartphone that come with a brand new design language. The Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact were announced highlighting 18:9 HDR displays along with an attractive curved design, stereo speakers with a new Dynamic Vibration System, 4K HDR Movie recording and Snapdragon 845 processors among other things.
Sony's new Xperia phones finally let go of those large bezels that previous Xperia phones were known for. The Xperia XZ2 in particular comes with a curvy liquid glass back that gives it a very HTC-like vibe and is a lot more appealing than the old blocky feel. Sony also joins the likes of Apple and Google to ditch the headphone jack on the XZ2. However, the phones do support AptX HD and LDAC codecs for high-quality Bluetooth audio. The new Xperia phones are filled with tons of other specs and features as well so read on to find out everything you need to know.

 

Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact specifications
Display: The Sony Xperia XZ2 sports a 5.7-inch 18:9 Full HD+ (1080X2160) HDR display, while the Xperia XZ2 Compact comes with a smaller 5-inch 18:9 Full HD+ (1080 x 2160) HDR display, both of which are protected by Gorilla Glass 5 on top.
Processor: Both the handsets are powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 845 chipset
RAM: The Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact will be offered with 4GB of RAM
Internal storage: The new Xperia XZ2 phones will also come in a single storage option of 64GB, which is expandable up to 400GB via a microSD card
Rear camera: The Xperia XZ2 bears a 19-megapixel Motion Eye camera with a 25mm wide G Lens f/2.0, predictive capture, autofocus burst, 8x digital zoom, super slo-mo video at 960fps at up to Full HD and 4K HDR movie recording among other things. The Xperia XZ2 Compact sports a similar rear camera setup.
Front camera: Both the phones come with a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with 23mm wide angle lens and f/2.2 aperture.
Software: The new Xperia smartphone will ship with Android Oreo out-of-the-box.
Battery: The smaller Xperia XZ2 Compact houses 2870mAh battery while the Xperia XZ2 gets a 3180mAh battery. Both the phones support Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 Sony's Qnovo Adaptive charging technology, but only the Xperia XZ2 gets an additional wireless charging support.
Connectivity: Both the handsets come with Wi-Fi Miracast, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C among other things, but no 3.5mm headphone jack.
Dimensions: The Xperia XZ2 measures 153x72x11.1mm and weighs 198 grams and the Xperia XZ2 Compact measures 135x65x12.1mm and weighs 168 grams.
Colour: The XZ2 comes with a glass back panel that will be available in a choice of Liquid Black, Liquid Silver, Deep Green and Ash Pink. The XZ2 Compact features a plastic casing and will come in Black, White Silver, Moss Green and Coral Pink colours.
Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact special features:
-- The Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact mark a brand new design language for Sony, which has been known for introducing phones with chunky bezels and a blocky form factor. The new Xperia phones now cut down on those bezels to offer an 18:9 display that is more in line with today's trend. In addition to this, the Xperia XZ2 also comes with a 3D liquid glass back that seamlessly flows into the aluminium frame. The glass back also allows the Xperia XZ2 to offer wireless charging support.
-- Sony has also finally moved the fingerprint sensor to the back of the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact. The company previously embedded the sensor on the side power button of its Xperia phones. Additionally, both the phones are IP68 rated for dust and water resistant.

 

-- The company stressed that the new Xperia phones are entertainment devices with full-screen HDR displays on both the Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact along with Sony's Bravia TV technology, X-reality for mobile, that up-converts content to HDR quality. In addition to this, the Xperia XZ2 also gets a Dynamic Vibration System which analyses audio data and lets you feel the vibrations in your hands. The XZ2 also comes with front facing stereo speakers featuring S-Force Front Surround.
-- The Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact are the world's first smartphones to record 4K HDR movies. The 19-megapixel rear Motion Eye camera has also been upgraded to allow for 960fps video recording in 1080p. The 3D scanning feature, which allows the phone to scan any object to create a 3D render of it, has also been updated to work with the 5-megapixel front camera as well.
Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact price and availability:
Sony is yet to announce the pricing of the Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact. Giving the top-of-the-line specs, the new phones can be expected to come with a premium price tag. Sony at MWC 2018 said that the phones will be available globally from March 2018. The company also announced Xperia Ear Duo wireless earphones that will also start shipping next month with pre-orders having begun in the US on Monday.
To recall, the Xperia XZ1 was launched in India last year at Rs 44,990 while the XZ1 Compact never made it to the country. This makes it unlikely that the Xperia XZ2 Compact will be announced in India. However. the Xperia XZ2 is expected to launch here and should carry a price tag somewhere near its predecessor.

Sony Xperia XZ2 with full screen displaySony official blog

 

From 'Omnibalance' to 'Ambient flow'
We couldn't be more thankful for the loss of those thick bezels, but they're not gone completely if you consider what Samsung, Apple, and others have done with their flagships. But it's a start nevertheless.
The longstanding "Ombibalance" design is now replaced by the "Ambient flow" design — as the company calls it. At first glance, we almost mistook the Xperia XZ2 for HTC U11, but there are some unique elements in it. The Sony smartphone appears more fluidic and has the fingerprint scanner and camera placed more towards the center.
Best slow-mo camera, literally!
We were awestruck by Sony's 960fps slow-mo video-recording capabilities in the Xperia XZ Premium (REVIEW), and the Xperia XZ2 upped the ante. From recording 960fps footage at 720p to now recording at 1080p, Sony Xperia XZ2 has set a new benchmark for others to follow.
It has perfected an already perfect camera feature, and we cannot wait to test it out in our review when the handset arrives in India.
The 19MP Motion Eye sensor at the back can also record 4K HDR, which is ideal for those who love details.

Sony Xperia XZ2Twitter/@SonyMobileNews

 

A classic PlayStation touch
Taking a page from its own PlayStation's playbook, Sony has introduced the new Dynamic Vibration System in its Xperia XZ2. This new technology makes your phone rumble when you're watching a movie or playing a game.
Sony Xperia XZ2 also lets you adjust the vibration intensity for individual apps or even turn it off.
Lost the jack, but not the voice
Several gains for the Xperia XZ2, but it lost a significant piece of history. The useful 3.5mm headphone jack is no longer a part of Xperia smartphones, which the company touts as music-first phones.
The loss is covered with support for AptX HD and LDAC codecs for high-quality Bluetooth audio. But it's a business-friendly move for Sony as it now has a wide range of wireless Bluetooth headphones. Its Xperia XZ2 gives customers some extra push so the shelves are cleared sooner.
Wireless charging
Thanks to the glass design (and industry trend), Sony Xperia XZ2 supports wireless charging.
Of course, there's a USB Type-C port to power up the 3,180mAh battery, but wireless charging has a completely unique appeal.
Sony's reply to Animoji

Sony Xperia XZ2 with front-facing 3D Creator appSony official blog

 

When Samsung and Apple have Animojis, Sony has something of its own.
The 3D Creator face-scanning app, which came with the Xperia XZ1, has made its way to the Xperia XZ2. It's worth mentioning here because the app only worked with the rear lens but in the Xperia XZ2, 3D Creator works with the selfie camera as well.