Sony's Xperia XZ Premium was finally unveiled and it isn't lacking with innovative specs that will convince buyers to shell out hard-earned cash. The smartphone's 4K HDR display is probably its biggest feature that aims to take on LG G6's immersive screen.
Sony touted the Xperia XZ Premium as the world's first smartphone equipped with an extremely high-resolution, 4K HDR display. The technology is similar to what was seen in Sony's Bravia TVs and allows users to watch HDR videos in impressive color, contrast and clarity.
Expert Reviews pointed out that although vivid, the smartphone's 5.5-inch screen is still loaded with pixels - 801 per inch to be exact. That's double the amount that the iPhone 7 Plus has. Sony's latest handset comes with an LCD display rather than OLED, making it unsuitable for virtual reality.
The Xperia XZ Premium may have a hard time beating the LG G6's 18:9 aspect ratio crammed in its 5.7-inch screen. It makes LG's device nearly bezel-less and great for multi-tasking and split-screen tasks -- not to mention a better viewing experience.
The 960fps slow-motion camera of the Xperia XZ Premium was highlighted, too. That feature allows users to shoot videos at an extremely slow, 960 frames per second.
It's worth noting that the tech giant didn't utilize the dual camera trend seen in new smartphones, but they chose to improve their single sensor. The device's 19-megapixel camera is also equipped with the Predictive Capture feature, which will take photos once it detects movements instead of waiting for your finger's bidding.
The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm's octa-core Snapdragon 835 chipset paired with the new Adreno 540 graphics processor. Those processors are responsible for the device's 4K HDR screen, while the Hexagon 682 DSP and Spectra 180 ISP companion chips power the Predictive Capture functionality and 960fps slow-motion capture.
A 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of internal storage plus a microSD card slot further improve the phone's performance. The Xperia XZ Premium also has IP65/68 rating, meaning it can effectively protect itself against dust and 1.5m of water for 30 minutes. Its two front speakers' S-Force Front Surround immerses users in a "natural three-dimensional sound field" audio experience.
Official pricing for the smartphone hasn't been released yet, but it's guaranteed to be costly. The device looks expensive, too, and is incredibly thin when held. Wired, however, pointed out that the handset could use improvements in its design.
