Not the phablet we were hoping for
Counting is harder than it looks. The French get to 69 without much trouble, then panic and say ‘sixty-ten’ before moving on to ‘four twenties’. Microsoft goes 1, 2, 3, 3.1, 95, 98, ME, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10. Apple prefers 1, 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S, 5, 5s and 5c, 6, 6s. Google just lists snacks (KitKat, Lollipop and so on).
So we’re not too shocked that Sony’s much-anticipated successor to its Xperia Z3 smartphone isn’t the Z4, but the Z3+. In Japan, though, they’ve just called it the Z4. This raises all sorts of questions. Are we in Europe too tolerant of irrationality, while our Pacific cousins demand logic? And what are they going to call the next version – Z4 here, Z4+ in Japan? If they just go with Z5, they’ll never convince us we haven’t missed out on something.
For now, we’re already missing out on something: a new Xperia. This feels like last year’s. Not that we didn’t like last year’s: its squared-off aluminium frame, big (but not too big) screen and glass back look classy, and the whole thing is waterproof, now without a plastic flap on the microUSB charging port.
The 5.2in Full HD display comes close to the iPhone 6s Plus. It’s slightly smaller, so it looks incredibly sharp, although the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy S6 are even sharper. It goes very bright when required, but not very dark when it isn’t, so images can sometimes look a bit washed-out. On the other hand, you can see more detail in dark films. Almost the whole sRGB colour range is covered.
But this is still all pretty much the same as before. What’s new is the Snapdragon 810 processor chip, which beats most other current phones and makes all tasks, including web browsing, as smooth as an Android device can get. Sony’s version of Android is neat and tidy, and there are extra features for PlayStation owners. The 20.7-megapixel camera also gets more software options, but still doesn’t take pictures that look as nice as Apple’s, although it copes well with low light.
In making a skinnier phone with higher performance, Sony unfortunately forgot there was a battery to fit in. The Z3+ lasted just under 13 hours 20 minutes, compared to the Z3’s 18-and-a-half hours. That’s disappointing, but as good as the S6 and between the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.
VERDICT
We’re underwhelmed by the improvements, but the Z3+ is another well-made device, now with very slick performance.
SPECIFICATIONS
5.2in 1920x1080-pixel screen • 20.7-megapixel rear camera • 5-megapixel front camera • 32GB flash storage • MicroSD card slot • 802.11ac Wi-Fi • Bluetooth 4.1 • 3G/4G • Android 5.1 • 146x72x6.9mm (HxWxD) • 144g • One-year warranty