T3’ S EARLY VERDICT

THE XPERIA XZ PREMIUM COULD BE SONY’S BEST YET

LIKE

We’re all over that 4K HDR screen - it really is massively impressive. This alone could be enough to sway those looking at a Galaxy S8. And with a plethora of 4K HDR content piped through Amazon, those who do make the choice will be able to make the most of it too.

LIKE

One of Sony’s strengths lies in its audio, and the XZ Premium offers the same hi-res audio support you’d find in its dedicated players, enabling owners to play high-quality files, such as FLAC or DSD, while support for LDAC means you can stream better-than-Bluetooth sounds to a compatible speaker.

DON’T LIKE

With only two colours available at launch, including Luminous Chrome and Deepsea Black, style gurus could be left wanting. Thankfully, Sony is offering brighter, if unimaginative, gold and pink options in its upcoming Xperia XA1 phablet, so there could be more choice at a later date.

DON’T LIKE

On paper, it seems that the only weak point in the XZ Premium’s armour is that battery. Even with smart energy management, a 3230mAh battery might be a little on the small side – if you’re going to be watching full-fat 4K HDR content, we’re worried making it through the day will be tough.