No small measures for Xperia Z2
SONY’S latest version of its flagship phone is very good-looking, in fact, it looks as good as the main character from Zoolander thinks he does.
It is also very big and Sony’s phones play to its usual, visual strengths and this device is no different. It has a greatlooking screen and watching anything on it is a pleasure.
It can also produce nice-looking content too, by being able take photos with its 20-megapixel camera and record in 4K (ultra-high definition). Both work well, with fast focusing and a nice interface. However, being good-looking will only get you so far. For any device, it’s all about a nice easy-to-use operating system.
The operating system is Android’s latest and will be familiar to current users, though it does have a Sony ‘‘skin’’ that makes it look a bit different. If you are moving from an iPhone it can take a while to get used to it.
The phone is big. It has a 5.2-inch screen and if you have small hands then you’ll struggle to use it in one hand. It takes quite a bit of adjusting if you’re used to a smaller phone and it makes an iPhone 5 look tiny.
However, it has a nice hefty feel and has a smooth finish with glass on the front and back. It had a rough few days during my testing and afterwards it was still as shiny as ever.
Another interesting physical attribute is that the phone claims to be waterproof for up to 30 minutes at a depth of up to 1.5m. While I’m sure this is true, it’d be a brave person to risk their expensive phone for a watery photo or video.
However, it’s good to know the phone is hardy and could handle an accidental splash here and there.
This is a great phone, but it’s also competing for your attention from other devices in the $1000 range such as the HTC One (M8), Samsung Galaxy S5 and iPhone.
It’s a tough market but Xperia holds it own. The Xperia Z2 costs $1049 from Sony stockists, though Vodafone has them available cheaper on plans.