Sony's Xperia XZ has launched in India for Rs 49,990. But will you buy it over the likes of Samsung Galaxy S7 among others?
Sony was among the last companies to launch its flagship smartphone this year. At IFA earlier this month, Sony took the stage to reveal that its Xperia Z lineup had reached the end of the line, and will be replaced with the Xperia X lineup. Consequently, the company unveiled the Xperia XZ at the expo, which has been launched today in India. Sony’s Xperia XZ is priced at Rs 49,990, which makes it more expensive than the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, LG G5 and even the HTC 10.
The Xperia XZ is just another example of how Sony continues to grossly misunderstand the current market trends. Gone are the days when a handful of companies came up with flagship smartphones with the best technologies and charged a premium for them. The word flagship has been completely redefined recently, and it no longer gives companies the liberty to price their devices at whim. The likes of Xiaomi and OnePlus have changed the game by offering everything (if not more) that premium smartphones come with, and are yet priced at nearly 50 percent less. It is little wonder that the likes of HTC 10 that received rave reviews hasn’t really set the market on fire. On the other end of the scale, the OnePlus 3, priced below Rs 30,000, is widely regarded as one of the best Android smartphones launched this year.
This brings us back to the Sony’s new Xperia XZ. Though it is priced at Rs 49,990, it offers specs like full HD (1080p) display, Snapdragon 820 chipset and 3GB of RAM. The OnePlus 3 also offers a 1080p display, Snapdragon 820 chipset and double the amount of RAM (6GB). The OnePlus 3 also offers 3,000mAh battery with fast charging, USB Type-C port, which are on par with Sony’s smartphone.
If photography defines your choice, despite what Sony claims, you cannot miss out on the Samsung Galaxy S7, which offers the best set of cameras found on today’s smartphones. Yet, Samsung’s smartphone is priced at Rs 43,400. Like the Xperia XZ, Samsung‘s smartphone too is water and dust resistant.
With a market share of a measly 1.5 percent in India, Sony has to do a lot more to entice buyers and make them choose its smartphones over other established brands. With having exited the low and mid-range segments, the high-end segment is the only livelihood for Sony. But with such a heavy price tag, Sony seems to have missed a trick.
Sony Xperia XZ specifications
The Sony Xperia XZ flaunts a 5.2-inch full HD (1920×1080 pixels) Triluminos display with 424ppi, Gorilla Glass 4 protection, and a design feature called Loop that results in an almost bezel-free front panel. Under the hood is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 quad-core chipset paired with 3GB of RAM. There is 64GB onboard storage that can be further expanded up to 256GB using a microSD card.
Photography is one of the USPs of the Xperia XZ with a 23-megapixel primary camera with predictive hybrid auto-focus, 24mm wide-angle G Lens, 5-axis stabilization and 4K video recording capabilities. Up front for selfie lovers there is a 13-megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture, and wide-angle lens. The smartphone is also equipped with a 2,900mAh battery with a dedicated Stamina mode and quick charge support. On the side, the power button has a fingerprint scanner embedded.
Connectivity options include dual-SIM card slots, 4G with VoLTE support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC and USB Type-C port. The Xperia XZ is also IP65/68 certified that makes the smartphone resistant to water and dust. On the software front, the smartphone runs on Android Marshmallow out-of-the-box.
For Xperia XZ buyers, Sony has a few launch offers. These include three months of Sony LIV subscription worth Rs 349 for free, Modern Combat 5 credits worth Rs 780, and a pre-booking offer where those buying the flagship smartphone from Sony’s retail stores or Amazon India between October 1 and October 10 will get the SmartBand Talk – SWR30 for free.