The Xperia XZ2 ($799.99) isn't a groundbreaking phone by any means, but it represents a new beginning for Sony.
It boasts the latest specs, like a Snapdragon 845 processor, but even more notable is the change in design language, with Sony adopting the popular tall-and-narrow form factor, a marked step forward from boxy Xperias past.
Combined with a focus on HDR content, a solid camera, and a unique 3D face scanning feature, the unlocked Xperia XZ2 is a powerful flagship that has no problem going toe-to-toe with the latest from LG and Samsung.
Design and Features
The XZ2 ($429.99 at Amazon) certainly isn't a retread of last year's XZ1.
It sheds Sony's characteristic box-like design in favor of a rounded back panel that curves near the edges.
It comes in black, green, pink, or silver, and feels better in the hand than the XZ1, although the glass back is a little slippery.
Sony says the design is optimized to prevent damage from drops.
It's also rated IP68 waterproof.
The phone measures 6.0 by 2.8 by 0.4 inches (HWD) and weighs 7.0 ounces, making it a bit bigger all around than the Samsung Galaxy S9 (5.8 by 2.7 by 0.3 inches, 5.8 ounces) and the LG G7 ThinQ (6.0 by 2.8 by 0.3 inches, 5.7 ounces).
It's generally usable with just one hand, but if you want something a little smaller, the 5-inch Xperia XZ2 Compact is a compelling alternative, as it shares the same specs.
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Sony employs the trendy 18:9 aspect ratio to minimize bezel, and moves the fingerprint sensor to the back.
Better yet, the fingerprint sensor is actually functional in the US this time around.
A SIM/microSD card slot on the top can support cards up to 400GB, and it worked fine with the 256GB card we tested it with.
The volume rocker and power button are on the right, along with a camera shutter button.
The USB-C charging port is on the bottom, and stereo speakers are placed seamlessly between where the front glass meets the metal sides.
The only unfortunate design decision is the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is becoming an increasingly standard omission.
Sony includes a dongle to use with wired headphones, and the phone supports Bluetooth 5.0, along with a slew of audio codecs (like aptX, DSEE HX, and LDAC) for higher-quality wireless listening.
The front of the XZ2 is dominated by a 5.7-inch, 2,160 by 1,080 HDR display.
Its 424ppi pixel density is relatively low compared with the Galaxy S9's Quad HD panel (570ppi), but the XZ2 has one thing going for it that no other phone has: It not only supports the viewing of HDR content, it's capable of upconverting standard content to HDR for a brighter, more colorful picture.
This means you don't need HDR-specific media in order to take full advantage of the screen's HDR capabilities, which is a big leg up over phones like the S9 that support the standard, but only work with optimized content.
Beyond HDR, Sony is keen on making media more immersive through your other senses as well.
To that end, there are a pair of reasonably loud front-facing stereo speakers that support virtual surround sound.
And as mentioned, you have Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless audio, which lets you listen on two devices at a time.
You also get built-in headphone optimization software, along with the ability to customize equalizer settings.
Listening with the Bose Quietcontrol 30 headphones via Bluetooth and a pair of Meze 99 Classics plugged into the included dongle, the XZ2 does bring some additional richness to audio without sacrificing clarity.
However, true audiophiles will prefer the LG G7 for its headphone jack and 32-bit quad DAC.
Inspired by Sony's DualShock PlayStation controller, the phone can also vibrate accordingly with what's playing, including videos and music.
Playing certain videos on YouTube or launching certain games will prompt you to enable dynamic vibration, but there seems to be a limited amount of content it actually works for.
In GTA: San Andreas, the vibrations worked for car crashes, but not gunfire, and then abruptly stopped registering at all part way through playing.
Sony says the impact on battery life is minimal, but I'd leave it off if you're low on power.
Network Performance and Call Quality
Like its predecessors, the XZ2 isn't sold through US carriers.
It's available unlocked and supports AT&T and T-Mobile with LTE bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/19/20/26/28/29/32/38/39/40/41/66.
Band 66 is noteworthy, as it's useful for rural coverage on T-Mobile.
The phone also has 4x4 MIMO and supports Cat 18 LTE and dual-band Wi-Fi.
Network performance on T-Mobile in heavily congested midtown Manhattan was average.
Call quality is decent.
Voices sound a little raspy, and earpiece volume could afford to be louder, but noise cancellation is good at blotting out most background sounds and wind.
Processor and Battery
Under the hood, the XZ2 has the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor with 4GB of RAM, putting it on par with all the latest flagships.
Performance is smooth and responsive, with the phone scoring 8,306 in the PCMark benchmark, which measures a variety of tasks like web browsing, video editing, and writing.
That's quite a bit higher than the Galaxy S9+ (7,273), likely due to the lower screen resolution and Sony's lighter Android UI layer.
The XZ2 also excels at gaming, with 33fps on the GFXBench Car Chase on-screen benchmark, about on par with the S9+ (32fps).
Battery life is disappointing.
The XZ2's 3,100mAh battery lasted for 4 hours, 40 minutes of streaming full-screen video over LTE at maximum brightness, falling far short of the Galaxy S9+ (10 hours).
Sony includes a number of software-based power-saving modes to help you out in more normal use cases.
Wireless charging is supported, as well as fast charging, but a fast charging adapter isn't included.
Camera
The 19-megapixel rear-facing Motion Eye camera has seen relatively few changes from the XZ1 and still features a stacked memory chip that lets it take fast, crisp shots.
The XZ2 is a strong shooter, capable of taking sharp photos with accurate color reproduction in good lighting.
It's no slouch in lower light, either, though the Galaxy S9+ pulls slightly ahead.
In the image above, taken on a cloudy day shooting in auto, the difference is easy to see.
The Xperia XZ2's autoexposure overcompensates, blowing out the sky and background.
By contrast, the S9+'s image is darker, but you're able to see details like the clouds and buildings in the background more clearly.
Both phones support manual control, letting you tweak settings like shutter speed and ISO, and in this regard, the XZ2 stands out with the highest ISO we've seen on a phone, 12800.
By contrast, the S9+ tops out at ISO 800.
In the photo below, shot in a darkened studio room at PC Labs with ISO set to maximum, the S9+ takes a cleaner, less grainy shot than the XZ2.
The XZ2 has richer, more saturated colors for the reds and blacks of the sign, but the S9+ looks smoother overall.
However, the big new feature here is that the XZ2 is the first phone capable of stable 4K HDR video recording (30fps), which is a nice advantage over the S9+.
In addition, slow-motion video capture has been bumped to a full 1080p without any cropping.
You can capture 0.09-second of action for three seconds of playback at 720p.
The camera also supports 3D scanning for heads, faces, food, and other objects.
This feature hasn't really changed since the XZ1.
You can still upload scans to a 3D printer or printing service to print a physical model of your head or other objects you scan.
Sony is working on expanding the range of uses for what you can do with those scans, like putting your head into games.
The 5-megapixel front camera now supports 3D selfie scans as well.
It works the same as the rear sensor, requiring you to pan the camera in front of and around your face in order to map your features.
The haptics come in handy here, buzzing when the scan is complete, but I still found it difficult to use even with the guidance.
You're better off having a friend do it for you, especially for the sides of your face.
Software
The XZ2 ships running Android 8.0 Oreo with Sony's standard UI tweaks, which are pretty light compared with LG and Samsung.
Aside from some app icon and Settings menu changes, the look remains close to stock.
In terms of new features, you get the ability to have animations on the home screen, you can adjust the color gamut and white balance of the display, a Glove mode increases touch-screen sensitivity, and you can use the phone with PlayStation DualShock 4 controllers.
Bloatware is minimal.
Aside from a handful of Amazon and Sony apps, you get AVG Protection Pro and Facebook preinstalled.
Out of 64GB of total storage, 45.85GB is available.
That's ample space for more apps, but if you plan on shooting a lot of 4K HDR video, you can always add a microSD card.
Conclusions
Sony gets a lot right with the Xperia XZ2.
The design feels sleek and modern, it has solid multimedia capabilities, and it's no slouch in the power department.
If you're drawn to its unique features like 4K HDR video recording, 3D scanning, and dynamic vibrations, the XZ2 is absolutely worth considering.
That said, the Galaxy S9+, our Editors' Choice, costs just $40 more unlocked and has a sharper screen and longer battery life, two features you're likely to take greater advantage of than HDR video and a 3D scan of your head.
And you might want to hold out for the upcoming OnePlus 6, which promises to offer similarly high-end specs for a much more affordable price.
The Bottom Line
If you want to watch and record HDR video, the attractive Sony Xperia XZ2 might be just the phone for you.
