At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Sony unveiled not one, not two, but four new additions to their Xperia smartphone line. In addition to cheaper models like the XA1 and XA1 Ultra, the much-anticipated XZ Premium was revealed, boasting the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor.
The chip’s not the only difference, though; several new features are sure to catch your eye. Keep reading to find out how the Xperia XZ Premium stacks up against its little brother, the Xperia XZs.
It’s almost unfair to compare these two phones. The XZ Premium, equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor (not in any currently available smartphone), is miles faster than the XZs, which is stuck with a that’s-so-last-year Snapdragon 820.
The Premium comes with 64GB of onboard storage, while the XZs includes 32GB or 64GB, depending upon whether you’re rocking a single or dual-SIM setup. Both phones’ capacities can be upgraded via SD cards, and both come with a relatively standard 4GB of RAM.
Neither phone boasts a notable advantage in connectivity, though the Premium uses Bluetooth 5.0 while the XZs uses 4.2. The XZ Premium’s 3,230mAh battery is also superior to the 2,900mAh battery in its sibling, though it does have a bigger, higher-resolution screen to power.
There can be no debate about this: The XZ Premium is bigger, badder, and better-looking than the XZs. Wrapped in durable Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and diamond-cut at the edges, the Premium — especially its chrome variant — is a joy to behold. Both phones feature curved edges, though the XZ Premium’s are more pronounced.
Even though large bezels may be out of style, Sony managed to make it work with the XZ Premium. It’s a handsome piece of tech, despite its fatal attraction to fingerprints. When placed side-by-side, the XZs definitely isn’t as eye-catching, but not too shabby. The ice blue model in particular is a nice departure from the traditional smartphone hues.
The XZ Premium’s 4K HDR display is absolutely stunning, though it’s likely that the device only runs at 4K when displaying 4K video content. The “HDR” tag means colors will be more vibrant and blacks will be, well, blacker. The XZs’ 5.2-inch Full HD screen simply can’t compare.
Both phones are part of the same Xperia family, and there are zero differences between the XZ Premium and XZs in terms of software.
Both phones run Android 7 Nougat, and both come equipped with Sony’s Xperia Actions adaptive software, which learns your behavior over time and makes suggestions (such as turning down screen brightness after dark, for example) to help make your life easier. Technically, all the software on the XZ Premium probably runs a bit faster (because of the processor), but the features are all the same.
This is where the Xperia XZ-series truly shines. Both phones boast 19-megapixel cameras in the rear, with Sony’s Motion-Eye predictive capture technology, which automatically buffers images before they’re taken, so if you time an action shot wrong, you can simply go back and choose from one of four pre-selected frames.
Motion-Eye also allows the XZ Premium and XZs to capture slow-motion footage at 960 frames-per-second. The cameras feature intelligent exposure control, improving image quality in low-light settings, and anti-distortion technology to smooth out photos of moving subjects.
Both phones also boast 13-megapixel front selfie cameras, though the XZ Premium’s has a 22mm wide-angle lens. The only other difference between the models’ cameras is the Premium’s predictive hybrid autofocus, which works with Motion-Eye to improve action shot clarity.
Right now, only the XZs has a set release date: April 5. It’ll cost $700 retail, which means that the Premium — slated for a Spring release, though that’s all we know — is certain to be even pricier.
Unless you’re big into photography (especially of moving subjects), neither of these phones seem like incredible value. If you’re looking to acquire one of the Xperia phones ASAP, you’ll have to go with the XZs, but a little patience will pay off, as the XZ Premium is simply better.
There are literally zero categories where the Sony Xperia XZs outshines its bigger sibling. Though impatient customers might decide to snag a XZs when it hits shelves on April 5, there’s little other reason to make that choice.
Both phones look to be rather expensive considering their capabilities, but if you’re looking for a big-brand phone that takes amazing photos and 4K video, the XZ Premium is a solid choice.
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