I wonder what they are kings in? Phones are not their element, TVs are also somehow not very good, the sound
, they would get even a step closer to Yamaha, PS remained, but this is already an amateur. So where are the Sony kings?

Facts? It would be interesting to read.
I know about the former glory of Sony, I can enlighten you on this myself. I’m asking now what revolutionary new Sony is releasing, developing now? Why does Sony have a Samsung matrix in TVs? Where are their vaunted acoustics now? For the price tag that they beat, and in everything, there are more interesting things. I'm asking for the facts of today, and not 20 years ago. then there is nothing to waste your tongue threshing.
We live in the age of consumption, and before buying any thing, each person compares the functionality, design, quality and, most importantly, the price for himself. And he doesn’t throw himself at everything that Sony or another brand. Any company has successful products, but there are not very .
I really tried to force myself, at one time, to like the Xperia Z1, but it didn’t work out. As a result, I bought another device. The Z2 review was also not impressed. There were too many flaws.
Firstly, Sony TVs have different matrices ... it all depends on the model! they have their own matrices and elzhyshnye and so on ... not an argument at all! on TV, Sony remains the best manufacturer, which has been outperforming its competitors in price since last year! on laptops... I heard about drivers... but alas, the division is already 95% sold and left on the domestic market!
acoustics? where is the acoustics? acoustics as was one of the best, and remained! now, except that the pioneer is actively pushing them, the rest are somewhere in the tail ... nothing has changed in terms of sound from Sony! the sound remains one of the best on the planet! I myself am a happy owner of a wokman (in comparison with the players of other manufacturers, they are the best)...
data? well, ok ... from the photo area: what do you think whose matrices are in most of today's smartphones? Sony has developed a unique thing - smartographs ... are there analogues in the world that can compete with them? NO! more... from the field of portable players: Sony was the first to decide last year to combine a player, headphones, speakers... and they did it brilliantly! there are two solutions - plugs and monitors... I am the owner of the second option!
smartphones: who was the first to propose a projected capacitive sensor in 2012? nokia? No! sony! again, an innovation ... who was the first to propose in 2012 smart watch, which the whole planet is now so famously copying? sony! ... who created and most importantly optimized the work of dualshock 4 with a new helmet virtual reality morpheus? sony! the list can be very long, because I am not aware of professional solutions, for example, from the field of prof. Sony camcorders, projectors, etc. ... and yes, I almost forgot ... this year, Sony offered the world to test a new full-frame matrix that accelerates right up to unthinkable 409600ISO ... by the way, this sensor is already on the Nikon D4S sold for unthinkable money like...
here's my advice to you: don't know the equipment, don't get into an argument, but keep your personal impressions (subjective attitude to the company's products) to yourself... you didn't like the Z1... well, that doesn't mean that it turned out really bad ! many, for example, liked it, and many, on the contrary, consider it the best smartphone 2013 ... and the camera ... I will say this! you need to turn on your brains and put your hands on the settings, and not shoot on the machine! and there will be better pictures than competitors!
Those. the Samsung matrix on the Sony TV looks better. And it shows better. Did I understand correctly? It’s clear about the driver, there are no options. even an entry-level? Player, the taste and color of the felt-tip pens are different, but compare at least with Cowon. Sony first crossed the player with ears, read here http://lenta.ru/news/2006/06/13/playerphones/ . Read about smart watches here http://habrahabr.ru/post/212483/ .Pro touch screens here http://fgadgets.ru/2010-06-19-13-28-31/. And so on ... Just tired of looking for links.
the first point: if you think that the Samsung matrix looks better than Sony's on TVs, then I simply have nothing to talk about with you! Do you like to watch animation or do you prefer to watch the realism of the picture? the choice is yours... further: you can argue about acoustics for a long time, but Sony's experience in this area has already proved to be a leader, or one of the best! here, as elsewhere, you can agree, you can disagree - everyone's personal business, but it's a fact! Cowon?? is this a joke?)) No, of course, the portable company is not bad and even good, but it will not be in line with such monsters as the iPod, Airiver and Wokman ... whatever one may say! and this is also a fact! As for your first link: pick up what is on the site at the link and the wokman that I wrote about above and you will understand that the devices are fundamentally different! and where is this very development of the first headphone player? Yes, for some reason she remained for Sony! smart watches ... well, ok, I agree, but options like smart watches with a calculator and other things are not considered ... again ... where were those same smart watches from manufacturers earlier? and why did everything stir with the advent of Sony on this market? try to answer this question yourself!... and it suddenly became relevant! your last link does not open at all and again I doubt that there is some kind of objectivity in the field of the sensor! in short, Sony has been and remains a trendsetter and trendsetter ... you are looking for context in my words and are trying to find a refutation through googling! Let Sony smartwatch not be the first smart watch, but they are the first in how they had to be made to make it relevant and interesting!

Market competition mobile devices every year it only gets worse and from that it becomes more and more interesting. As a result, we all win - end users, receiving a wide range of devices for every taste and budget. The division of the Japanese company Sony Corporation - Sony Mobile Communications AB actively continues its struggle in this market segment. This is evidenced by the adopted strategy of releasing new flagship smartphones every six months, which enables the company to more quickly respond to market needs and fully satisfy them.

A vivid example of this is a top-end smartphone that has incorporated the main advantages and lost the key disadvantages of its predecessors. As befits a flagship, the novelty is equipped with a 5.2-inch Full HD IPS display, a high-performance Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, a 20.7 megapixel main camera and a number of other equally interesting features, which we will discuss in detail below. We suggest starting the review of new items with technical characteristics:

Manufacturer
Type, form factor	Smartphone, monoblock
Communication standards		850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
		850 / 900 / 1700 / 1900 / 2100 MHz
		700 / 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700 / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 / 2300 / 2600 MHz
High speed data transfer	GPRS (32-48 Kbps), EDGE (236 Kbps), HSDPA (up to 42.2 Mbps), HSUPA (up to 5.76 Mbps), LTE Cat.4 (up to 50 Mbps) UL, up to 150 Mbps DL)
SIM card type
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AB): 4x Krait 400 cores, up to 2.3GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 28nm HPm process technology
Graphics adapter	Qualcomm Adreno 330: up to 550 MHz, support for OpenGL ES 3.0, OpenVG 1.1, OpenCL 1.2 and DirectX 9.0c
	IPS, 5.2" TRILUMINOS, 1920 x 1080 pixels (423 ppi), touch, capacitive, multi-touch up to 10 touches, protective glass Asahi Dragontrail Glass, X-Reality and Live Color technologies
RAM	3 GB Dual Channel LPDDR3
Persistent memory
card reader	microSD (up to 128 GB)
Interfaces	1 x 3.5mm mini-jack audio jack
Multimedia	Sound processing
	Acoustics
	Microphone
	Main	Exmor RS (1/2.6"): 20.7 MP, BSI, f/2.0 aperture, autofocus, LED flash, SteadyShot digital image stabilization, HDR shooting, 4K Ulta HD video recording (30 FPS)
	Frontal	2.2 MP, f/2.8 aperture, fixed focus, 1080p video recording
Communication options		802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz) (Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot)
	Accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, light sensor, LED indicator, geomagnetic sensor (compass), barometer
Battery	Li-ion, non-replaceable: 3200 mAh
Charger	Input: 100~240V AC e.g. at 50/60 Hz Output: 5V DC e.g. 1.5 A
	Dust and moisture protection according to IP55 and IP58 standards
	146.8 x 73.3 x 8.2 mm
Operating system	Android 4.4.2 KitKat + proprietary shell
Official guarantee	12 months
Products webpage

Delivery and equipment

The smartphone comes in a traditional compact square package made of relatively thick cardboard. It has a restrained and concise design. On its front side there is an image of a smartphone with the name of the model, as well as the logos of the company and the World Cup in Brazil. In addition, the image of a complete headset, which is equipped with a digital noise reduction function, attracts attention.

See the back for the main features. Sony Xperia Z2, which are presented as pictograms. Here are images of new items in available color variations.

In the kit you can find everything you need to fully work with your smartphone:

• user's manual;
• warranty card;
• charger (5 V, 1.5 A);
• micro-USB↔USB cable;
• Sony MDR-NC31EM Stereo Headset with Vacuum Design Headphones and Digital Noise Canceling.

There is also an additional range of accessories that can be purchased separately. A complete list can be found on the manufacturer's website.

Appearance, arrangement of elements

Although we already have the third generation of flagship smartphones, they all have in common the features laid down back in the days of Sony Xperia Z. Sony decided not to experiment with appearance its next flagship, but to use the time-tested concept of OmniBalance. At the output, we have the most symmetrical monoblock, which looks quite beautiful and stylish. It should be noted that a similar approach to the release of flagship smartphones is used, for example, by Samsung (all representatives of the series samsung galaxy S are quite similar to each other). Like its predecessor, the Sony Xperia Z1, the main body materials of the Sony Xperia Z2 are glass and metal. The front and back panels are made of strong mineral glass (Asahi Dragontrail Glass), and the frame is made of anodized aluminum, which is protected from corrosion and has electrical insulating properties. The novelty is available in three color variations (white, black and purple).

Despite the rather larger screen (5.2 vs. 5 inches), the smartphone has become only slightly larger (146.8 x 73.3 mm vs. 144 x 74 mm) and even thinner (8.2 mm vs. 8.5 mm), and also lighter (163g vs. 170g) compared to the Sony Xperia Z1. In addition, the novelty has lost rather controversial protective films on glass surfaces, which actively collected scuffs and were problematic to remove. If necessary, the user will be able to independently find the necessary film and stick it.

Along the contour of the glass there is a shock-absorbing matte plastic edging, which rises above the glass by a fraction of a millimeter and thus can protect it in the event of an unfortunate fall from a small height. The width of the frames around the display is: on the sides - 5 mm, on the top - 17 mm, and on the bottom - 16 mm. Above the display are located: proximity and lighting sensors, the company logo and the front camera peephole. At the very edges, at the bottom and at the top, there are slots for stereo speakers, covered with a black metal mesh (in previous flagships there was only one speaker, which was located at the bottom). The top one also acts as a conversational one and has an integrated alert sensor that flashes in different colors (white, green, orange and red) depending on the event. Illumination can be turned off in the settings. The lower part is empty, since the buttons are on-screen.

The metal edging (quite pleasant to the touch) is somewhat beveled at the edges and has rounded ends. Its central part is left in its original form, and along the edges and on the ends it is painted black with a noticeable purple tint.

At the top there is an additional microphone and a universal audio jack (3.5 mm mini-jack). The latter is devoid of a plug, but it will not allow water to seep further into the novelty. However, the manufacturer does not recommend using it within 2 hours after submerging the smartphone in water. The bottom edge contains holes for the main microphone and a mount for a strap or key fobs.

On the right side of the Sony Xperia Z2 housing are located: a microSD slot (covered with a metal plug with a seal), a proprietary round “Power / Lock” key (you can unlock it by double-tapping the screen, but this method must be activated in the settings), a volume rocker and a two-position key cameras. The left side (under the cover) contains: an MHL connector that combines the functionality of HDMI and micro-USB interfaces; red button to restart the device in case of freezing; plastic tray for Micro-SIM, which can be easily removed without additional tools. Below you can find open contacts for connecting new items to the docking station.

On the back, non-separable surface of the smartphone are: the lens of the main camera, framed in a metal ring; a bright single-section LED flash (a flashlight software is included) and an NFC module antenna icon. Below is the "Sony" logo, and near the very edge - "Xperia".

Like its predecessors, the Sony Xperia Z2 is dust and water resistant according to Ingress Protection (IP) 55/58 standards. Thanks to this, the smartphone is able to painlessly survive immersion in fresh water to a depth of 1.5 m for up to half an hour, especially since it is able to shoot photos and videos in this mode. And this, of course, will be useful to many when traveling, because the device is quite realistic to use in sea water, but in this case it will need to be washed in running water, thereby protecting it from all kinds of salts. By the way, Sony Xperia Z2 asks for a careful attitude and every time after charging is completed, it reminds the user of the need to check the tightness of the closure of the corresponding plugs.

The novelty is assembled at the highest level: there are no gaps or backlashes. The case is characterized by sufficient rigidity, although it has some pliability during torsion, but this is not critical and is a consequence of the specifics of the materials used.

In general, the Sony Xperia Z2 is quite easy to manage, but the size makes itself felt. Although users who are used to working with modern flagships or phablets will be quite satisfied. The controls are located in good places and are well found blindly. But, unfortunately, the smartphone came out quite slippery and easily soiled, despite the high-quality oleophobic coating. You should be careful that it does not slip out of your hands, especially wet ones.

In previous flagships, one of the most controversial decisions was mediocre screens, which spoiled the overall positive impression of smartphones. And it was quite surprising, given the colossal experience of Sony in the production of TVs. Finally, on the third attempt, she took this factor into account and corrected this shortcoming. The Sony Xperia Z2 is equipped with a proprietary TRILUMINOS display (IPS-matrix), which uses X-Reality image processing technologies (can be turned off in the settings) and Live Color LED, which have a positive effect on contrast and color gamut. There is no air gap between the glass and the sensor (using OGS technology - One glass solution). The display is protected by tempered Asahi Dragontrail Glass, which has a relatively good anti-reflective filter and a high-quality oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating. Thanks to the latter, a rather comfortable and easy sliding of fingers is provided and the rate of accumulation of prints is reduced, which can be easily removed with microfiber or a simple napkin.

The resolution of the 5.2-inch screen is 1920 × 1080 (Full HD), which, in our opinion, is the best indicator for such a diagonal. At the same time, the pixel density is 423 ppi, which is quite enough to display very smooth fonts and obtain a highly detailed image as a whole. It is hardly possible to examine individual pixels with the naked eye, even with all the desire.

Traditionally, for IPS matrices, the screen is characterized by maximum viewing angles and a high level of contrast (although it is slightly inferior to competitors at maximum backlight brightness). The image boasts bright and saturated colors (especially when viewing photos and videos), which are subjectively correct, although somewhat oversaturated. But from this the picture becomes only more realistic.

As in most modern flagship smartphones, the novelty provides settings for white balance and primary color channels (RGB). Thanks to this, each user will be able to adjust the display to their own taste.

The screen brightness can be changed manually or set to automatic. The maximum level is enough to view the information on a sunny day. But the minimum brightness indicator is quite comfortable for working in the dark. The proximity sensor blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear. The touch substrate of the display recognizes up to 10 simultaneous touches, while their processing is carried out without any complaints. There is support for high sensitivity mode for working with gloves.

In general, according to subjective impressions, the Sony Xperia Z2 display has reached a qualitatively new level: bright, contrasty, with maximum viewing angles and saturated colors, although somewhat oversaturated.

Sound

As already mentioned, the Sony Xperia Z2 smartphone is equipped with stereo speakers, which are located at the very edges of the front panel (bottom and top). Multimedia speakers give out a rather pleasant and rather loud sound, especially given the security of the novelty. There are no distortions over the entire volume range: a fairly wide frequency range is reproduced, there is even a hint of low frequencies. In general, they provide high-quality sound, which is enough for games, videos, hands-free calls, and even listening to your favorite songs.

The novelty provides a bright branded Walkman player, which traditionally has a large number of technologies and settings (surround sound, equalizer, the ability to edit tags, etc.). Among them, I would like to highlight the ClearAudio + function, the activation of which not only increases the volume, but also improves the clarity and richness of the sound. At the same time, the activation of individual options (Clear Stereo, Clear Bass and Clear Phase), which are part of ClearAudio +, subjectively only worsens the sound quality.

The complete Sony MDR-NC31EM stereo headset with vacuum-type headphones supports digital noise reduction (enabled in the settings). It is equipped with a 5-pin connector and two microphones that monitor the sound background of the environment. The reproduced sound in the headphones is clear and is characterized by relatively good quality and a large margin of volume. The maximum benefit from the noise reduction system can be appreciated at a low volume: in this case, the noise is eliminated quite well. But at high volume they are not audible.

The smartphone has a built-in radio module that allows you to listen (without the possibility of recording) the air of FM radio stations operating in the frequency range from 87.5 to 108 MHz. Traditionally, to turn on the radio, it is necessary to connect a headset, which is used as an antenna.

During testing of the earpiece speaker, no shortcomings were found: the voice quality is clear, loud enough (even too much, but it depends on the operator and the interlocutor's phone) and with a rather pleasant sound transmission.

All in all, the Sony Xperia Z2 sounds quite good with or without headphones. Music lovers should appreciate. In addition, thanks to a high-quality complete headset, there is no need to buy headphones.

Camera

The Sony Xperia Z2 is equipped with two digital camera modules. The front one has a 2.2 megapixel sensor and an f / 2.8 lens. It is capable of recording photos and videos with a resolution of 1920 x 1080, that is, Full HD. The focus here is fixed.

The video and photographic material captured by the camera is characterized by a sufficiently high quality. Its capabilities are enough for video calling and now popular selfies. Detailing is at an acceptable level. The viewing angle is not very large, but quite sufficient and does not cause complaints.

The main camera received a proprietary Sony Exmor RS module (1 / 2.3 '') with a resolution of 20.7 megapixels and a fairly fast six-lens lens (Sony G Lens series) with an f / 2.0 aperture. The focal length in 35 mm equivalent is 27 mm, which gives a fairly large viewing angle. The image received from the sensor is processed by the proprietary Bionz processor. There is also a bright single-section LED flash, fairly accurate and fast autofocus, as well as digital image stabilization (SteadyShot). The maximum photo resolution is 5248 × 3936 (20.7 MP) at 4:3 aspect ratio and 3840 × 2160 (8 MP) at 16:9 aspect ratio. Video shooting is possible in 1080p (at 30 and 60 fps) and 4K Ultra HD (3840 × 2160).

Note that the light-receiving matrix is ​​quite large for a smartphone (1/2.3" versus the more usual 1/3"). Similar solutions can be found in entry-level cameras, which should have a positive effect on the quality of the images obtained (the larger the matrix, the better).

The overall quality of photos and videos is fully consistent with the status of a modern flagship. This time, Sony did a good job on the algorithms for processing the data received from the photomodule. The resulting picture is characterized by excellent detail across the entire field of the frame with a pleasant and natural reproduction of colors and high contrast. Of course, in low light, blurring is possible, but you can turn on digital stabilization, which will partially correct the situation by raising the ISO. The "HDR" mode deserves high praise, which copes well with its direct duty - expanding the color gamut, although it is somewhat inferior to its main competitors. All of the above can be applied to video as well. Sound and picture do not cause any complaints.

It is important to note that when you start the camera with a mechanical button, it goes into super automatic mode (iAuto), which always shoots at 3840 × 2160 (8 MP). But from this the picture absolutely does not lose quality. Those who are used to simple pointing and further shooting will be very pleased. And for those who want to dig into the settings, you should start the camera in "Manual" mode using the on-screen button. Although at the maximum resolution for some reason there is no access to all functions, which is somewhat disappointing.

Also noteworthy is the fact that thanks to the presence of protection against moisture and a mechanical camera button, shooting can be done even under water.

The main camera settings menu visually looks very simple and intuitive. It has a huge number of settings, functions and modes. Among them are: "HDR" ("Dynamic mode"), "Info-eye" (the ability to add virtual reality objects to the frame), "Timeshift burst" (the camera takes 61 frames before pressing the shutter, which makes it possible to select only the best ones) , "Social live" (the ability to immediately upload photos to Facebook), "AR effect" (the ability to add various animation effects and elements of additional reality to photos and videos), "Timeshift video" (HD video shooting mode at 120 fps and further selection of a segment with slow motion), "Background defocus" (the ability to get blurring of the background), "Creative effect" (effects for video type mirror reflection, motion reflections, color correction and miniature). If this is not enough for you, then when choosing modes, press the “+ Applications” button to download new ones.

Shooting examples

Movie examples

An example of daytime shooting from a Sony Xperia Z2 smartphone at 1080p resolution at 30 fps

An example of daytime shooting from a Sony Xperia Z2 smartphone at 1080p resolution at 60 fps

An example of daytime shooting from a Sony Xperia Z2 smartphone at 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) resolution at 30 fps with basic settings

An example of daytime shooting from a Sony Xperia Z2 smartphone at 1080p resolution in the “Timeshift video” mode

User interface

The Sony Xperia Z2 comes preloaded with operating system Android 4.4.2 KitKat, on top of which it is installed latest version proprietary shell Xperia UX, which minimally changes the appearance of stock Android. At the same time, there is an optimal number of applications, settings and functions designed to simplify the life of the user. Let's take a closer look at the most interesting moments and innovations.

The look of the lock screen, like the desktops, has remained quite similar since the days of the Sony Xperia Z. As before, from the lock screen, you can launch the camera and place the necessary widgets. There are five desktops, with the ability to add new ones or delete unnecessary ones. Widgets and applications can be placed on them. There is also an option to group programs into folders. There are flexible appearance settings: desktop background and lock screen, installed themes with the ability to download new ones.

The main changes include the appearance of the "Quick Settings" menu (the second tab in the notification curtain), which gives you quick access to the most necessary smartphone functions. Calling up the recent menu running applications, the much-needed Close All button appears. There are already ordinary mini-applications here that provide quick access to a calculator, calendar, voice recorder, notes, etc. (you can edit and upload new ones). In addition, there is a multi-window mode that allows you to work simultaneously with several applications from the list.

The application menu is divided into matrices of 20 icons (5 x 4) and has its own settings panel. It is called by a simple swipe from the left edge of the screen. There is the possibility of sorting applications, grouping them into folders and quick search. Quite a convenient solution, especially if you have a large number of programs installed.

The branded keyboard is visually quite ordinary, except that it lacks an additional row of numbers, so you need to switch to them every time. Like competitors, there is the ability to shift the keyboard for more comfortable one-handed operation and the Swype input method. "Phone" has support for Smart Dial, that is automatic search contacts by first letters or numbers.

Among installed applications mention should be made of What's New, Sony Select and TrackID, which make it possible to quickly find and download the necessary content (music, games, films, etc.). In addition, we can note the file manager (File Commander), a proprietary navigation system ( Navigation), a simple photo editor (Pixlr Express), a drawing application (Sketch) and an office suite for viewing documents (OfficeSuite).Download from Google Play for all free content from Sony Store application Xperia Lounge. Omnivorous branded music and video players deserve special attention: Walkman and Gracenote, which have a nice appearance and excellent functionality.

The smartphone settings menu is made in bright colors and has the form of vertical bars, which are divided into sub-items. There is access to almost all the parameters of the novelty: communication capabilities, appearance, screen calibration, sound effects, etc.

The Simple Home Screen mode looks interesting, which will make it easier for people with disabilities to manage their smartphone. The presence of a full-fledged tool deserves special attention. Reserve copy and data recovery.

In addition, the item "Energy" deserves attention, where the settings are concentrated to increase the duration of battery life. So, the "Stamina" mode stops applications and unnecessary background processes (you can configure which of them will remain active) when the screen is locked, which has a positive effect on power consumption.

In general, the interface has a rather pleasant and discreet appearance, but it all depends on personal tastes. The speed and smoothness of the interface does not cause any complaints. During testing, no slowdowns or twitches were noticed: everything works relatively quickly and smoothly.

Hardware platform and performance

The Sony Xperia Z2 is based on the high-performance processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (modification MSM8974AB). It is manufactured on a 28nm process and includes four proprietary Krait 400 cores based on the ARM Cortex-A7 microarchitecture, which operate at a nominal clock speed of 2.3 GHz (2.27 GHz according to CPU-Z). The L2 cache is 2 MB. As a graphics subsystem, the Qualcomm Adreno 330 solution integrated into the CPU is used, which has support for API DirectX 9.0c and OpenGL ES 3.0. The graphics adapter works at a clock frequency of up to 550 MHz.

Volume random access memory is as much as 3 GB (dual-channel LPDDR3), and permanent - 16 GB (11.5 GB is available to the user). You can expand this space with microSD memory cards (up to 128 GB). This platform supports OTG mode, which will allow you to connect an external USB drive, keyboard and mouse using the appropriate adapter.

As expected, the performance of the novelty is enough for most mobile tasks, including for comfortable work with relatively demanding games. For example, such a popular game as Dead Trigger 2 shows a high level of frames at maximum settings, but in the new game, Asphalt: Overdrive, with the same settings, stuttering can be observed. However, you should reduce the graphics performance and you can get a comfortable level of frames per second.

We should also mention the heating of the smartphone, which only with prolonged maximum load (shooting video in 4K Ultra HD or protracted gaming battles) can become noticeable and cause some discomfort. So, the upper part of the back side can warm up to 50°C, and the temperature of the side faces reaches 35-40°C. In addition, be aware of the properties of heated glass and do not place it on cool surfaces. Note that such heating is a payment for high performance and is found in most modern flagship devices. If you do not overload them, then you will not notice this when performing most everyday tasks.

Communication and communications

The smartphone works in all modern mobile networks: GSM, UMTS / HSPA + and 4G with support for LTE Category 4. There is only one radio module, exactly like the number of SIM cards. The plastic Micro-SIM tray is easy to remove without any tools, but putting it back together with the card is not so easy. Call quality is at a high level: there are no interruptions or self-drops, and voice transmission is clear, but depends on the location of the user and the quality of the network itself.

A set of communication capabilities is represented by NFC modules, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi. The latter has support for 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac protocols, Wi-Fi functions Direct and WiFi Hotspot, and is also capable of operating in two frequency bands: 2.4 and 5 GHz. In addition, thanks to Miracast support, it is possible to transfer multimedia content (audio and video) and display images via Wi-Fi. Traditionally, there is support for DLNA. And thanks to the support of the MHL standard, which combines the functionality of HDMI and micro-USB interfaces, the smartphone can be connected to compatible monitors or TVs. In this case, the interface cable is not included in the scope of delivery.

The global geopositioning navigation module supports GPS and GLONASS satellite systems. The first of them in an open area (it is also possible to connect indoors) simply instantly detects about 21 satellites and connects to them just as quickly. Communication is stable with most of them. Under test conditions, the determination accuracy was up to 3 meters.

Offline work

The Sony Xperia Z2 is powered by a relatively large capacity lithium-ion battery (3200 mAh). With an average and moderate load, this should be enough for the user for a day and a half of uninterrupted work. And if you use the new features to a minimum and turn on the Stamina power saving mode, then you can expect more than two days. battery life. If we talk about the maximum load (games, GPS, Wi-Fi, shooting video in 4K Ultra HD), then the device can be discharged in a matter of hours, especially at elevated battery temperatures. According to the manufacturer, the smartphone is capable of working in talk mode up to 19 hours and up to 740 hours in standby mode. In music (headset) mode, it should stay on for up to 110 hours and video will play for 10 hours. The last figure is confirmed by our traditional autonomy tests.

As a result of watching HD video (MPEG-4 / AVC, MKV container, stream 4 Mbps) using the MX Player (50% display brightness, Wi-Fi and GPS enabled), the phone ran out of battery in 10.5 hours (if to be precise, then 10 hours and 32 minutes). A game simulation using the Epic Citadel app (Guided Tour mode) at 100% display brightness and Wi-Fi and GPS turned on took just over 3 hours to run out of battery power. The estimated battery life of the smartphone according to the GFXBench benchmark is 213 minutes, that is, over 3.5 hours.

The battery charging time from the complete unit (5 V, 1.5 A) is about 2.5-3 hours.

Results

Summing up the results of a rather detailed acquaintance and testing of the flagship smartphone, we can safely say that Sony managed to release a flagship that fully meets all modern market requirements. The novelty has absorbed all the advantages of its predecessors and has lost its annoying shortcomings.

In addition to the stylish appearance, the Sony Xperia Z2 can offer high build quality, an excellent 5.2-inch Full HD IPS display with maximum viewing angles and pleasant color reproduction, fairly good sound, and a high-quality Sony MDR-NC31EM stereo headset with support for digital system noise reduction, modern digital camera modules (2.2 megapixels and 20.7 megapixels), which can boast of the high quality of the received content, as well as a high-performance Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, which is enough for most mobile tasks, including quite demanding games. In addition, all modern communications are in place and work properly. Like its predecessors, the new Zetka is protected from dust and moisture (IP55 / 58) and has a mechanical camera key that allows you to shoot even underwater. All this is running the current version of Android OS 4.4.2 KitKat, on top of which the latest version of the proprietary Xperia UX shell is installed. The latter has a pleasant and discreet appearance, ample personalization options and sufficient functionality.

The only unpleasant moment in the novelty can be considered the heating of the case during prolonged use of resource-intensive applications. But if we recall modern flagship smartphones, it becomes clear that this is a payment for high performance, which is quite common in devices of this class.

In general, we have an excellent modern smartphone, with its own style and charisma, which can also offer high-quality workmanship and remarkable functionality.

Advantages:

• stylish appearance;
• high-quality body assembly;
• protection against dust and moisture (IP55/58);
• excellent 5.2-inch Full HD IPS display with maximum viewing angles and pleasant color reproduction;
• good sound quality;
• high-quality stereo headset Sony MDR-NC31EM with support for digital noise reduction;
• excellent photographic capabilities of digital cameras (2.2 MP and 20.7 MP);
• productive hardware platform;
• support for global positioning systems GPS / GLONASS;
• the presence of NFC, Miracast, Bluetooth 4.0 and dual-band Wi-Fi with support for 802.11ac;
• pretty good autonomy;
• support USB OTG specification and cards microSD memory up to 128 GB;
• current version of Android OS 4.4.2 KitKat;
• discreet and quite functional proprietary shell Xperia UX;
• MHL 3.0 support.

Flaws:

• noticeable heating of the case, especially when shooting video in 4K Ultra HD format;
• slippery and rather smeared glass surfaces.

We express our gratitude to the Ukrainian representative office of the company Sony Mobile Communications AB for the smartphone provided for testing.

All prices for Sony+Xperia+Z2

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The concept of releasing new flagships as often as possible, which has been adopted by Sony's mobile devices division, has two consequences. On the one hand, this approach allows the company to quickly update the hardware of its top models to the level of "very-most". As a result, if you buy an Xperia smartphone, you can be sure that the filling in it is really the most advanced.

On the other hand, updating the design as often is problematic. Don't stock up on fresh ideas. Therefore, the new flagship Sony - Xperia Z2 - in terms of appearance turned out to be exclusively evolutionary. Recognize in Z2 really new smartphone it will succeed only if you put it next to Z1 - slightly changed dimensions will not allow you to confuse. If you just see the Z2 in someone's hand, then you may not understand that this is a novelty - the new one differs little from the previous “zetka”.

Or you will have to look closely at the details - in the design there are many tangibly changed little things. For example, in Z2, unlike Z1, there is no plastic display substrate. Rather, there is a plastic substrate, but now it is not a separate part, but “flush” inscribed in a metal frame (the darkest stripes on the frame are plastic).

This decision made it possible to get rid of one of the most unpleasant design features of the current Xperia - too wide margins on the sides of the display. But with tactile qualities it got a little worse: before the rounded substrate touched the palm, and now a sharp edge of the back side of the frame cuts into it. It’s not that strongly and completely unpleasant, but still the “ribbing” is felt.

One more detail: the “loud” speaker has moved from the bottom end of the case to the front side. To be quite precise, there are now two loud speakers: the top one, which was used only for conversations in the Z1, now also can sound loud. Stereo, in a word, albeit weak due to the small spacing of the speakers. Not to say that the quality is breathtaking - HTC One M8 is more interesting in this sense, but still the sound has become better - and certainly louder.

The factory film has been removed from the display and glass back, so the Xperia Z2 won't scratch as quickly as the Xperia Z1. But if it gets scratched, then it's forever.

Like all the flagships of 2014, the Xperia Z2 turned out to be too large - both in length and in width. However, in terms of size, this smartphone is far from even the first Galaxy Note, not to mention larger "shovels" like Xperia Z Ultra.

Like all previous Sony flagships, the Xperia Z2 is protected from dust and liquids according to IP55 and IP58 standards. That is, it is completely invulnerable to dust (dust can get inside the case, but does not affect the performance of the device), withstands water jets at any angle and can be completely immersed in water to a depth of one and a half meters. So you can wash the Z2 under the tap, swim with it in the bath and take underwater photos - the latter is especially convenient, since the smartphone has a hardware camera button.

The scheme for protecting the connectors from water is the same: only the headphone jack remains on the surface, and everything else is hidden under the plugs. If in Z1 there were three plugs - for microSD, SIM cards and micro-USB, then in Z2 there are two of them: a SIM card and a universal port are hidden under one large cover.

⇡ Specifications

Sony Xperia Z2 (D6503)
Display	5.2" 1920x1080 IPS
Touch screen	Capacitive, up to 10 simultaneous touches
Air gap	Not
Oleophobic coating	There is
Polarizing filter	There is
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AB v3: four cores Qualcomm Krait-400 (ARMv7), frequency 2.27 GHz; process technology 28 nm HPm
Graphics controller	Qualcomm Adreno 330, 578 MHz
RAM	3 GB LPDDR3-1600
Flash memory	16 GB (about 12 GB available) + microSD
Connectors	1 x micro-USB 2.0 (MHL) 1 x 3.5mm headset jack 1 x microSD 1 x micro SIM
cellular	2G/3G/4G Qualcomm MDM9x25 modem (built into processor), WTR1625L transceiver One micro-SIM card
Cellular 2G	GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Cellular 3G	WCDMA 850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz DC-HSPA+ (42.2/5.76 Mbps)
Cellular 4G	LTE FDD band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 20 (2100/1900/1800/1700/850/2600/900/700c/700b/800MHz) LTE Cat. 3 (150/50 Mbps)
WiFi	802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4 and 5 GHz
Bluetooth	4.0
NFC	There is
IR port	Not
Navigation	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
Sensors	Ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, accelerometer/gyroscope/pedometer, magnetometer (digital compass), barometer
Main camera	20.7 MP (5248x3936) 1/2.3-inch Sony Exmor RS back-illuminated sensor Autofocus, LED flash
Front-camera	2 MP (1920x1080) Sony Exmor R back-illuminated sensor
Food	Non-removable battery 12.16 Wh (3200 mAh, 3.8 V)
The size	147.2x73.4mm Case Thickness: 8.3mm
Weight	163 g
Water and dust protection	IP55, IP58
Operating system	Google Android 4.4.2 (KitKat) Sony Xperia's own shell
recommended price	29 990 rubles

⇡ Hardware and communications

In terms of platform, the changes are minimal: the processor has been upgraded from the already terribly powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 to the slightly more powerful Snapdragon 801. In numbers, this means an increase in the maximum clock frequency of the processor cores from 2.15 to 2.26 GHz. There are still four cores themselves, and the architecture is the same - Krait-400. In general, not God knows what major changes.

Barometer added to Xperia Z2 sensor suite

However, it must be borne in mind that the power consumption and heat dissipation, depending on the frequency, do not grow linearly, but abruptly. So a slight increase in the number of megahertz while maintaining the same technological process 28nm HPm seems to result in a rather serious increase in heating at "maximum speed". On this occasion, such a curious detail as a heat pipe appeared in the Xperia Z2 - not as powerful as in coolers of desktop computers or laptops, but still a real one.

An adult cooling system is all the more relevant because the graphics subsystem integrated into the chip is overclocked more noticeably than processor cores: from 450 to 578 MHz. So in graphics tasks, performance has grown more than in purely processor ones. It is difficult to say how much this is in demand in modern applications - except for benchmarks: it will hardly be possible to recall such games in which the Snapdragon 800 would not have enough power.

The amount of RAM has increased from 2 to 3 GB - of the existing smartphones, only Samsung can compare with the Xperia Z2 in this part Galaxy Note 3. The volume of the built-in storage remained the same, 16 GB, of which a little less than 12 are available. However, the microSD memory card slot has not gone away, so you don’t have to worry too much about the amount of flash memory - microSDXC cards are also supported up to 128 GB.

Architecturally, Snapdragon 801 is almost identical to Snapdragon 800. In particular, the built-in modem has not changed: it is still the same MDM9x25, in addition to 2G / 3G networks, it can also work with LTE Cat.4 networks - with theoretical speeds up to 150 Mbps "down" and 50 Mbps "up". But the transceiver is now new: the place of the well-deserved WTR1605L was taken by the more advanced and omnivorous WTR1625L. In practice, this means one simple thing: with the new RF chip, you can ensure that your smartphone supports more bands at the same time.

If Samsung and HTC chose to ignore this opportunity in favor of a more rigid division of devices for different markets, then Sony continues to practice the “worldwide connection” approach, which is very pleasant for a frequent traveler. The set of frequencies in the Xperia Z1 was also very extensive, in the Xperia Z2 they added a couple more LTE “bands”: the 13th and 17th (different blocks of the 700 MHz band). Combined with Sony's 1700MHz 3G and 4G support, this makes it compatible with most US networks. Of course, in Europe, Asia and Africa there will be no communication problems either.

Another piece of good news for avid travelers is that the Xperia Z2 uses a "micro" SIM card, which is generally easier to find than "nano" SIMs, especially in developing countries. About support for Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC, you can probably not mention - for modern flagships this is a standard set. But there is no infrared port in the Xperia Z2, so it will not work to control ordinary household appliances using this smartphone.

GPS/GLONASS reception one minute after a cold start, from left to right: Samsung Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z1, Sony Xperia Z2

However, support for the Chinese system in the Xperia Z2 is not announced and, apparently, does not work. In any case, during testing, we did not manage to catch a single Chinese satellite. At the same time, the Samsung Galaxy S5 successfully caught them in exactly the same conditions. Even more surprisingly, we found support for Beidou in the Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet - it's not very clear on what principle the Japanese operate, including the network in some products and not including it in others.

Contents of delivery

• Telephone
• Charger with USB cable
• Noise canceling headset
• Desktop charging stand
• Instruction

Positioning

Sony has been creating visually interesting smartphones in recent years that always suffer from minor technical flaws, each of which can be tolerated, but together they give the impression of incompleteness and can annoy users. Sony's flagship Xperia Z was announced in September 2013 at IFA in Berlin and after a short time appeared on the shelves.

Literally from the first days, buyers began to complain about the not very high-quality screen, which has small viewing angles, it had to be looked at strictly perpendicularly. There were quite a few shortcomings in the device, as a result, the company took an unprecedented step and decided to correct the shortcomings by releasing a new model, which was called Z2. The work on the bugs was announced on February 24, 2014 in Barcelona. None of the smartphone manufacturers except Nokia, and now Sony, breaks the yearly cycle of launching flagship products - they come out once a year. This is justified both from an economic point of view and people's perception - it's a shame when you shell out a round sum for the company's flagship, and after a short period of time it turns into an obsolete device.

On the other hand, it was necessary for Sony to fix the problems of the Z1, but not to admit that there were flaws, but to quietly withdraw the model from the market, replacing it with a new one. It is curious that it is for the Sony Z1 that the company is fighting to maintain the price of the device by any means - it does not want to discount, as this will affect everything model range. An amazing situation has arisen when the price of Z1 is holding up despite the market situation - this is an artificial restraint against the backdrop of very low sales in its price segment. In Russia, at the time of writing the review, the cost of this device was 24,990 rubles in federal retail, and at the start the device costs 29,990 rubles.

The release of the Z2 was scheduled for the end of March 2014 in most markets around the world, this was the official position of Sony. In particular, this was stated by the official Twitter account of the company in Russia, the same data was provided to all publications, but the cost of the product was not reported.

Already in March, it became known that the deadline was postponed to an unknown date - sales began in limited quantities in a small number of markets. Unofficial rumors have linked this to a lack of components, which is partly true. Firstly, the company does not have enough screens made using the new technology, since their production turned out to be not so simple. Also, the screen has a number of serious shortcomings that came as a surprise - the level of brightness, the display of colors, in particular, the white color here is gray and has a purple tint. Secondly, there were technical problems with the assembly at the production site - the glass panels covering the device have gaps, which, in theory, violates the tightness of the case, the IP58 protection standard is declared for it. There are a number of other shortcomings that Sony began to correct in order not to face mass negativity. In the countries where the device appeared, users complain about some of these problems.

Design, dimensions, controls

The Z2 model is the successor of the previous device in full measure - the same body materials, almost the same size (Z2 - 146.8x73.3x8.2 mm, Z1 - 144.4x73.9x8.5 mm), comparable weight - 158 grams (Z1 - 169 gram).

Sony Xperia Z2 and Z1

Compared to HTC One M8

Compared to Samsung Galaxy S5

Compared to Sony Xperia Z

It is impossible to call this device compact, it comes close in size to the Galaxy Note 3, which, however, does not prevent it from being comfortable in the hand. Current flagships are quite comfortable, and the fear that big phone in everyday life is inconvenient, as it seems to me, has left most people. In terms of size, there are no complaints and cannot be.

Compared to Samsung Galaxy Note 3

The model is available in three colors: white, black and purple.

I love each of these colors, they are quite bright and the purple has a metallic effect in the light which gives it a certain charm. The case materials differ from competitors, the side frame is made of metal, and the screen and the back surface are covered with DragonTail glass, this is a feature from Sony - today Alcatel and a number of other companies use such glasses, this is an inexpensive analogue of Corning Gorilla Glass. For Sony, it seems to me, the question was not the cost of glass as such, but the desire to distinguish itself from competitors, to show that they have something unique. But in fact, such glass has no difference in its characteristics - plus or minus they are the same.

Unfortunately, the oleophobic coating of the glass is such that fingerprints remain on it, it is very dirty - and on both sides. A rag with this device is simply a necessity.

The use of glass leads to the fact that it is impossible to provide the IP67 / 68 protection standard, the device is fragile, and if dropped, the glass may crack. We've seen this happen many times on the iPhone, but the design of the Z2, just like the Z1, is completely different - the force of impact is transferred to the internals of the device, and most likely, you will not break the glass at all, but the electronics. This is confirmed both by user experience and unsuccessful drops of the phone, as well as by independent tests.

Display

Shoemaker without boots - this is the slogan that best describes the situation in the mobile division of Sony and the quality of screens for phones. The company, which is known for its developments in the field of LCD panels, was one of the leaders in the TV market, could not create decent screens for its mobile devices.

The Z1 was equipped with an LCD screen that could easily be called the worst of those that we saw in the flagships of that time (only six months ago). It was possible to look at it only at a right angle, any deviation, and the screen faded. However, the same problems were in the previous device Sony Z, which disappointed with its screen. For example, screen technologists have taken a number of measurements and noted that the results are shocking.

Another disadvantage that is known to many users Sony smartphones, this "genius" solution in the form of a non-peeling film on the phone screen, which annoyed many users.

There is no film in the Z2, for which we can say special thanks to Sony, it finally happened, and you can not be annoyed by its presence. For many of my acquaintances, this was a factor that convinced them not to buy Sony phones. Such a trifle, but had such an impact on the process of choosing an apparatus.

Specifications The screen in Z2 is as follows - 5.2 inches, resolution - 1920x1080 pixels (423 dpi versus 440 in Z1). The screen uses technology with the big name Triluminos, which suggests that the picture has better RGB coverage than conventional LCD screens. In theory this is true, in practice there are certain flaws. An explanation of the technology can be seen in a promotional video from Sony.

Also, in connection with this device, they often mention the Live Color Led technology, which, in fact, is responsible for the color gamut, which is somewhat misleading for the user - the head is spinning from these names. From a marketing point of view, it is noted that the red and green subpixels are made using phosphor, which improves the quality of the color gamut, the colors look saturated.

Unfortunately, big words and reality are somewhat at odds with the case, since, in addition to color gamut, the screen has other parameters that should be taken into account. In particular, the main parameter is the brightness of the backlight, which helps to see the contents of the screen in most places. Here, Sony obviously went too far with energy savings, in terms of brightness the screen is much inferior to modern devices - it is worse than the HTC One M8, which means it is much worse than the Galaxy S5, where the brightness at half is already very comfortable, and the maximum value is unnecessary and many just won't be needed.

In my opinion, it is the brightness of the backlight that is the Achilles' heel of this device, it is comfortable at maximum, but has no reserve, which is frustrating. In terms of picture quality, the phone is quite comparable to competitors - as usual, I'm not sure that photos can convey the difference in the picture, its differences. But in most cases, the images are comparable, the only question is which color option do you like more ().

From top to bottom: HTC One M8, Samsung Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z2

In the sun, the screen behaves well, it is quite comparable with the same Galaxy S5 - everything is read without any problems.

In the off state and in the light or on the street, a touch grid is visible on the screen, this can annoy someone - on most other phones it is never visible. When turned on in the sun, it can also be seen.

The device has a technology for improving pictures in videos and images, it is called X-Reality and replaced the Bravia Engine, which proved to be absolutely useless and even harmful - the picture deteriorated irrevocably, and it was worth turning it off. It's nice that this parameter remains unchanged - in X-Reality, the picture on the screen also deteriorates, although this technology should have exactly the opposite effect. It's good that it can be turned off.

In the screen settings, you can set the white balance, but it's better not to touch these settings, they still won't give you anything. See how different white color is compared to Galaxy S5, HTC One M8 on Z2 screen (From top to bottom: HTC One M8, Samsung Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z2).

From top to bottom: HTC One M8, Samsung Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z2

But the difference is visible only in direct comparison. In everyday life, when you use the device, you will not notice any white tints or incorrect color rendering for other colors. Therefore, it is definitely not worth considering this as a disadvantage.

For Sony, the arrival of a screen like the one found in the Z2 can be considered a breakthrough - no film, viewing angles are good, color reproduction is better, but the backlight has limitations that, on the other hand, will affect few people. This is not the best screen on the market, the same Galaxy S5 has a display that has no analogues, as experts say.

But Sony is catching up with the market and doing it slowly, but in the end they got a digestible screen, which, although different from other flagships, is not as strong as in previous devices.

Battery

The phone has a 3200 mAh lithium-polymer battery (Z1 has 3000 mAh). For a flagship, this battery capacity is excellent, it is quite comparable with Note 3, however, these devices are similar in terms of operating time.

Under normal load, the device will work from morning to evening - during this time you can spend several hours on the network (500 MB of data in 3G / 4G, about 100 MB of Wi-Fi), two hours of screen time or so, about 20 minutes of calls and minimum SMS.

With less consumption, the device will work quietly for about 2 days. The weak point is the screen time, that is, all functions that do not require it, for example, radio or music, will be quite long-playing, but as soon as the display is activated, the time is greatly reduced.

For music playback, the manufacturer claims 110 hours of operation, while in other modes the figures are much less. It is curious that the Sony website is full of errors in device descriptions, for example, the video playback time is indicated as 400 hours, although in reality it is about 8-9 hours (which is less than competitors, with smaller batteries - that is, this is a screen problem and its power consumption).

Full charge time (2A charger) - about 3 hours to one hundred percent. Up to 90 percent is enough for 2 hours with a little. From my observations, the device is very sensitive to the quality of the network and its coverage, if you have data transfer and the network is not of very high quality, then the discharge will go faster than on other phones. But if the network is good, then the operating time, on the contrary, will increase. In any case, this device is different in terms of operating time compared to its classmates (Galaxy S5, HTC One M8), outperforms them and can only be compared with Note 3.

In my opinion, this phone can be recommended to anyone who wants to live quietly until the evening without charging during the day, this is a huge plus of the model. Of the branded chips, I want to note the ability to see how long the device will work in the selected mode, there is also the Stamina function, which increases the operating time by turning off data transfer in the background, unloading applications from memory, and so on. This is a lifesaver if you need to hold out until the outlet appears. In principle, the function works, although there are some rough edges in the implementation. Most people do not use it, especially since this device will rarely need it.

Memory, memory cards

The phone has 3 GB of RAM (933 MHz, dual channel), which is unusual for models of this level, until recently only Note 3 could boast of this, and only 2 GB was installed in the same Galaxy S5. Just an increase in the amount of RAM does not solve anything at all, it all depends on how it works with the processor, what is the overall performance of the system. Below in the tests it will be clear that here the increase in memory did not give a breakthrough in performance. After launch, about 1 GB of RAM is free.

Built-in memory is 16 GB, of which 11.57 GB is free for you, this can be considered sufficient and typical for Android smartphones. You can connect memory cards of any capacity, which is also good.

Hardware platform, performance

The model is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AB) chipset, it is a quad-core processor with a frequency of up to 2.3 GHz per core. At the moment, this is the most productive solution, exactly the same processor is in the same Galaxy S5 (however, the frequency is higher there - 2.45 GHz). But depending on the casing, the performance may differ from those decisions made by the manufacturer, it cannot be compared only by paper characteristics. I was genuinely surprised that with more memory than the S5, this device shows worse results in synthetic tests.

In real life, when working in the interface, the difference is almost imperceptible, if it exists, then it is minimal. Some say it's faster than Sony, some say it's faster than the Galaxy S5, and some praise the HTC ONE M8. As for me, they are all roughly comparable and you can feel the difference only in individual applications, and then it will be measured in fractions of a second.

In resource-intensive applications (games, 4K video recording), the device heats up a lot, due to the glass case, this is more noticeable than in the same HTC M8 or Galaxy S5, where the heat is not so strongly felt on the surface of the case. Sony has already responded to this claim and suggested not shooting 4K video for more than a few minutes, since then overheating can cause applications to close spontaneously, plus the camera will turn off automatically.

In most situations, the average user will not (shouldn't) experience overheating of the device, but it is a possible situation. In this case, we can only recommend turning it off and waiting for it to cool down, this will happen in 10-15 minutes. It is possible that in new firmware the software will be configured to avoid this local overheating, and then everything will be much better. It's impossible to say that the problem is very serious - yes, the device heats up more than other flagships based on the same chipset, you can feel it, but it's not a cosmic problem.

Communication options

The device has NFC, which has already become a good tradition, Bluetooth version 4.0 with ANT + support. The microUSB connector supports the MHL v3.0 standard, which allows you to output video to external sources. USB 2.0 version, USB Host supported. Support for LTE Cat 4, download speed up to 150 Mbps. Wifi version a/b/n/ac.

Camera

The device uses exactly the same Sony EXMOR RS module as in the previous Z1 model. In theory, this should have given exactly the same characteristics when shooting, in practice a lot depends on the image processing algorithms, and here Sony did their best, did a lot of work on the bugs, which resulted in a better quality of the final images.

First and foremost, the device has a camera button, which allows you to quickly launch it. This is a huge plus, which Sony spoiled with the implementation. The camera has an intelligent mode that selects best parameters shooting and taking a picture. It turns on when a key is pressed, always by default, and there is no way to fix this! The resolution of the picture with this shooting is 8 megapixels, and not 20.7, as in manual mode. I am sure that many would like to shoot on the machine, but with the maximum resolution. For some reason, Sony did not allow this to be done.

The matrix in the device is 1/2.3 inch, which is larger than on the vast majority of phones today, and in theory the matrix can give a better picture. In practice, Z1 did not give a more interesting picture than his classmates. The Z2 has greatly improved image processing, and in automatic mode it is quite good. This is not the case in manual mode.

However, look at the quality of the pictures in comparison with the Galaxy S5, I think that you will say that they are approximately comparable, somewhere one device wins, somewhere else. And this can already be considered an achievement, since the Z1 lost a lot in terms of white balance to the Galaxy S4 and other devices. Here we observe approximate parity, although the detail in some scenes may suffer.

From the point of view of the average user, the quality of the photos will be good, because few people will compare it with other cameras in practice. On the screen, the pictures look good, and okay. Here are dozens of pictures for you to check out.

In terms of settings, this camera has many additional features, each of which is more or less familiar from Sony cameras. To begin with, what is advertised with great fanfare is 4K video recording. In my opinion, this function does not make much sense, you can watch this video on a computer and on a device. While it is more of a toy than something serious. However, look at examples of shooting in 4K.

Just like in previous models, there is an AR Effects option, these are drawings that are superimposed on a photo in real time, you can create a background of flowers or something like that - a great option for entertainment, however, the same can be done in any graphics editor .

TimeShift video - high frame rate and slow motion effects, some may be interested, especially when shooting sports.

The defocusing of the background is implemented quite controversially - adjust the focus with the slider, then there is a blur, you can choose the geometry of this blur.

Artistic effects - a whole range of different effects, each of which can be applied to a photo. It also replaces a graphic editor, but usually do not use effects, since they spoil the original image, it is easier to edit it than to get a modified photo.

Info-eye - the ability to point the camera at a famous building or similar and get a quick hint about what it is. Explicitly borrowed from the Googles program.

The camera settings are quite simple and clear, you can look at them in the screenshots, I will not describe them separately.

For those who want to upload photos and videos to the network, there is a proprietary PlayMemories service, also familiar from cameras. You can only download via Wi-Fi, but I prefer to use DropBox for this purpose, it is more convenient.

Videos can be recorded in FullHD, the quality of shooting videos is not bad, there are no complaints.

The bottom line about the camera is the following - formally, this is the same module as in the previous model. But in reality, the shooting algorithms have changed, as a result, the quality has changed a little - the device shoots best at a resolution of 8 megapixels and with automatic settings. For the layman, this camera is enough for the eyes, in the “point and shoot” mode, it copes with its tasks with a bang, autofocus is quite fast, although it is inferior in speed to the same Galaxy S5, in some modes it smears, and the result is a blurry picture. But these are, rather, individual shortcomings that can be found in one mode or another in almost any camera on the market. In terms of image quality, this camera is already above average and quite at the level of top solutions, outperforms all devices in the Lumia line (plus or minus, but usually it is), takes pictures at the level of Galaxy S4/Note 3, which can be considered a good achievement .

Multimedia features - player, video, sound

The Walkman brand is well known to Sony fans and has found a second life in phones. Until recently, this meant the presence of various equalizers, the SensMe service, music recognition and other proprietary chips. In terms of the number of different sound enhancers, Walkman is clearly ahead of the rest of the planet, but this does not mean at all that it plays your mp3 files much better - after all, in addition to the software component, the headphones that come with the phone also play an important role.

Included with the device is a headset MDR-NC31EM, which has a 5-pin connector, and also has a built-in noise reduction function. Separately, such a headset costs about 1,700-2,000 rubles, its presence in the delivery set makes the device much more interesting. It should be noted that before buying, you should check what exactly is included in the package, since in China the device comes with a regular headset, there is no desktop charging stand, and so on. The kits directly depend on the country in which the device is sold, and can vary greatly, this is a normal practice for Sony.

The device itself also has a noise reduction system, but the fact that together with headphones you can achieve very good sound is undeniable. Unfortunately, there is no answer button on the wire - that is, using these headphones as a headset, you cannot answer by pressing, you must use either a voice command or get your phone out.

I checked the sound quality on a noisy street (almost complete isolation, the music sounds very good, the main thing here is not to get hit by a car), on an airplane it also sounds good, although it is somewhat inferior to models with active noise cancellation, but these headphones require a separate battery and a little more.

How big is the contribution of headphones to the sound of music? Of course, this is one of the most important parts. I tried the DNA headphones with the device, which give a good sound, in general, for the vast majority of people, this device will be interesting in terms of sound out of the box.

It is also worth mentioning that, like HTC, there is a built-in FM radio, which is absent in the Galaxy S5 (I consider it a mistake to refuse the radio).

In the picture below you can see the supported codecs for audio and video out of the box, they are enough to work with most files downloaded from the network.

Impression

All models from Sony have a loud ringtone, and this unit is no exception. When a call comes in, only one of the two speakers is activated, which frustrates some buyers, they want even louder, even more. After all, there are two speakers, why not use both? Particularly impressionable people even "hear" how the second speaker sounds. On two Z2 models (for Russia and for Taiwan), I was not able to hear the sound of the second speaker, but by and large, this is not necessary - a loud, clear ring is heard in all conditions.

The vibrating alert is not very weak, but not strong either - it differs from the devices of other companies, which may seem unusual to someone. But I could not miss calls on this device, I always heard or felt it.

The review says nothing at all about Sony's shell, which runs on top of Android 4.2.2. It has flaws in localization into Russian, some inconsistencies, but in general it is exactly the same level as similar Samsung and HTC shells. Something is implemented worse, something better and more interesting. I want to talk about the shell in a separate article, since it will also come in handy for reviews of other models from Sony - after all, the shell is the same for everyone.

If the Z1 turned out to be an unsuccessful device, and there were many reasons for this - raw camera software, a mediocre screen with small viewing angles, inefficient work in Stamina mode due to the new chipset and a number of other shortcomings, then in Z2 most of the issues were removed, this device can be considered not just a continuation and development of the line - de facto, it is exactly the same model with slightly changed specifications, which offers a modified version of the same features.

The display has become better and almost at the level of competing solutions, the brightness of the backlight is not enough, but for many this will not be an obstacle. Color rendition in isolation from direct comparison with competitors is quite normal, it should not bother you much. The touch grid on the screen can be annoying for some, but it is only visible in strong light or in bright sunlight.

The phone has no serious and critical flaws, but at the same time, there are many minor flaws that can be evident, but in the aggregate they do not make the device bad or worsen its perception. Unlike all previous models of the family, the Z2 turned out to be more successful and is quite comparable with the Galaxy S5, HTC One M8. A separate comparison of these models will appear in a week, but for now I note that Sony can deservedly be considered one of the flagships of the season, which should be seriously considered as an option for purchase.

Separately, I want to note the delivery package (depending on the country in which the device is sold). Noise canceling headphones, desktop charger- all this undoubtedly distinguishes the model from similar offers from other companies, makes its purchase more profitable.

At Rs. And, of course, he outperforms HTC One M8, since the latter costs 32,990 rubles, but he had a head start of a month and a half, which made sales.

Thank you for the provided phone store BoomMarket.ru.

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Sony Xperia Z2 is an evolutionary update of the stylish line, there are no revolutionary changes here, but the manufacturer has clearly worked on the bugs. This mainly affected the display - now it is an IPS matrix with acceptable viewing angles and good brightness. The diagonal of the device has also slightly increased - by 0.2 inches. An additional gigabyte of RAM has also appeared (3 GB versus 2) - but is it really necessary? The camera now shoots 4K video, and the battery has become more capacious and "tenacious". We also note a complete set of interfaces, protection against moisture, a case made of glass and metal, high-quality sound with good headphones in the kit. True, we were a little upset by a slight crunch of the case after water procedures, saving on brightness compared to other flagships, and a non-removable battery, which, according to user reviews, is not a minus for everyone. In general, we recommend a smartphone for purchase. You can buy the Sony Xperia Z2 phone in three colors: white, black and purple.

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Dimensions and weight - 3.9

Sony Xperia Z2 is a typical five-inch, or rather, 5.2-inch smartphone. Compared to the Xperia Z1, the diagonal has increased slightly, but the dimensions of the device have not increased much. Xperia Z2 even managed to lose a few grams of weight (163 g vs. 170 g), and the diagonal increase was mainly due to the side frames, which became thinner - all this can be noted as positive changes. The body of the smartphone is far from the thinnest, only 8.45 mm, it is noteworthy that it is 2 millimeters thicker than its namesake tablet, the Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet. Nevertheless, the smartphone is quite wide and elongated, holding it in one hand is not so convenient, but it's nice thanks to the body materials.

The front and back of the phone is covered with glass. As already mentioned, it is pleasant to the touch, looks spectacular, but prints are easily collected, which, however, are easily cleaned. The disadvantages of this material are that the body of the device is rather slippery: the smartphone sits well in the hand, but it can move off the inclined plane. In addition, the glass may not withstand an accidental fall on the asphalt and become cracked. So instead of asphalt, it’s better to drop it into water, the manufacturer has kept the chip with dust and moisture protection.

By the way, we tested this feature of the smartphone — the device was subjected to water procedures. I must say that the Sony Xperia Z2 adequately passed our tests for moisture resistance, despite the small gaps along the edges of the protective glass. In general, the model looks stylish and attractive, the build quality is not bad, but after moisture resistance tests, the case began to slightly crackle with a slight pressure on the lower right corner.

The smartphone can be bought in three colors: white, black and purple.

Screen - 4.7

The need to improve the displays of this line has been brewing for a long time, and here we finally see tangible improvements. Basically, this is the type of matrix: TN-matrix is ​​a thing of the past, long live IPS! Screen diagonal, as already mentioned, 5.2 inches, resolution 1920 × 1080 pixels, the display is covered protective glass, the PPI value is high - 424. Viewing angles can be called normal, although not the best among top models. But the manufacturer still saves on the maximum brightness of the display, the screen, in our opinion, could be brighter. In the sun, the display behaves well - the information remains readable, in addition, the smartphone supports the operation mode with gloves.

Cameras - 4.7

The Sony Xperia Z2 has a 20.7 MP camera with LED flash, autofocus, face detection, image stabilization and a wide range of settings and modes. The maximum photo resolution is 5248x3936 pixels, but it's better and easier to shoot in "Super Auto", which lives up to its name and takes good 8-megapixel photos, the quality of which drops noticeably only in poor lighting conditions. In addition to the main camera, there is also a front camera of 2.2 megapixels, with the ability to shoot Full HD video.

Now, actually, about video shooting - the main camera of the smartphone allows you to shoot 4K video - 3840 × 2160 pixels at a frequency of 30 fps. Sound is recorded in stereo, and tracking autofocus is also available. Want Slow Motion and More FPS? Please - shooting Full HD video at 60 fps and HD video at as much as 120 fps!

Working with text - 5.0

The standard keyboard in the Sony Xperia Z2 is comfortable, it has the function of entering text using strokes (Swype), as well as the ability to change the appearance using themes. There is also a marking of additional characters on the keys, more precisely, it can be added in the keyboard settings. Switching between languages ​​is fast - at the touch of a button.

Internet - 1.0

Installed as a browser Google Chrome, with support for syncing tabs with desktop version. There is no support for multiple page scaling and a separate reading mode. But you can manually set the font size of the text with a single scaling and then, by double clicking on the page, fit all the text to the selected size.

Communications - 5.0

The manufacturer has provided the phone Sony Xperia Z2 (D6503) with everything you can. The device has dual-band Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi modem mode, Bluetooth 4.0 with support for A2DP, A-GPS and GLONASS, NFC. There is also support for Russian LTE frequencies. The smartphone works with Micro-SIM cards and micro-SD cards up to 128 GB and is equipped with a micro-USB 2.0 port. True, it is worth saying that due to moisture protection, you will have to open and close the plugs every time in order to use the connectors. Interestingly, in the tablet of the same name, this looked like an inconvenience (tablets, as a rule, do not have plugs). In the case of a smartphone, this looks normal - usually, in order to access the SIM card or memory card, you also have to open the covers or even remove the back cover of the device.

Multimedia - 4.6

The Sony Xperia Z2 (D6503) audio player supports many formats and plays MP3, FLAC, WAV files and a number of less popular formats. Included with the smartphone are good headphones with noise reduction technology. The built-in video player supports most popular video formats, but could not, for example, play videos in MOV format. The player supports only internal subtitles without the ability to select external ones.

Battery - 4.0

The model has a non-removable lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 3200 mAh, the capacity has increased slightly. We tested the device in our two standard tests - the smartphone demonstrates excellent battery life. The device played HD video at maximum brightness for 10 hours. In the mode of listening to music with the screen off, the device was discharged in 87 hours - that's just over 3.5 days!

Performance - 3.6

The device uses the Qualcomm MSM8974AB Snapdragon 801 platform with a 2.3GHz quad-core processor, Adreno 330 graphics and 3GB of RAM. For normal operation in everyday use, in our opinion, two cores in a processor with 1 GB of RAM would be enough. Cores and gigahertz fade into the background, where optimization from the manufacturer is more important. It is worth noting that the Sony Xperia Z2 (D6503) does not experience any performance problems: the smartphone is fast, does not slow down and allows you to play demanding games.

The device is perfect for any games and applications, according to the results of our synthetic tests, the smartphone occupies one of the leading positions. For example, in the AnTuTu benchmark, the smartphone received 34661 points, and in 3D Mark Ice Storm Unlimited - 18690 points. The chipset used in the Sony Xperia Z2 is one of the most powerful on the market today.

Memory - 4.0

The total amount of built-in memory in the Sony Xperia Z2 is limited to 16 or 32 GB, there is a slot for a micro-SD memory card, cards up to 128 GB are supported. There is also a “hot-swappable” memory card, without turning off the device, you only have to open and close the waterproof plugs every time.

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Peculiarities

The smartphone is IP58 certified, which means that you can spill a glass of water on it accidentally or even on purpose, or talk on it while in the pouring rain or in the shower, while the device will continue to work stably. We tested splash protection and even bathed the Sony Xperia Z2 - everything works fine, however, after bathing in the fountain, the case began to crackle slightly.

The device uses a proprietary shell from Sony: all standard applications have been changed: from home screens to a browser and a music application. The dialer contains Russian letters, music player can search for album covers, there is support for third-party themes. Pre-installed applications include Evernote for taking notes, OfficeSuite 7 office suite with the ability to view documents, a file manager and Smart Connect for connecting various devices. If this is not enough for you, then you can “get” everything you need in the Play Market.

Competitors

Specifications Sony Xperia Z2 correspond to the level of modern flagships, the model has only a few strong competitors: Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8. The Xperia Z2 outperforms both competitors in terms of price and screen size.

No longer bathe in water. It loses out on cameras and battery life, but beats the Sony Xperia Z2 perhaps only in display brightness.

Made of plastic, the Sony smartphone is made of glass and metal, both are protected from moisture, but the Galaxy S5 is protected by a more demanding standard (IP 67 vs IP 58). The cameras of these two smartphones are about the same, however, the display of the Galaxy S5 is brighter; both also support gloved operation. But the Xperia Z2 has the ability to hot-swap SIM and Micro-SD cards, besides, it has more long time battery life than the Galaxy S5. In general, both devices are approximately the same not only in terms of characteristics, but also in price.

The price of Sony Xperia Z2 for the summer of 2014 is 26,790 rubles. For this price, you get a full-fledged flagship smartphone with good screen, excellent appearance, thin body, decent headphones in the kit and moisture protection.