The Sony Xperia Z4 has been out for a while, and the company just announced the Xperia Z3+, a new flagship that should secure them an even better market share than the one they’ve been enjoying so far. But some of the company’s fans were quick to notice some peculiar details about the new device, such as the fact that its specifications were quite close to those that we saw in the Z4 before, leading to the obvious question – did Sony actually release the Xperia Z4 in disguise right under everyone’s noses?
The phone initially gives the impression that it has a phablet form factor, as it’s quite the large device, but it’s actually still technically a phone – a successor to the Xperia Z3, to be more precise, and it’s supposed to be a direct competitor to the Samsung Galaxy S6, HTC One M9 and LG G4.
Hardware-wise, it’s pretty much the same device as the Xperia Z4, but Sony have decided to release the international variant of the phone with a different name. There has been some speculation about the reason behind this, but Sony seem to have a good grip on their market presence in Japan and the rest of the world, so they know what they’re doing when it comes to their naming convention and release schedules.
More specifically with regards to the hardware, the phone features a 5.2 inch display running at a full HD resolution, 20.7 megapixel camera on the back, and 3 GB of RAM. However, it’s not 100% the same as the Z3 in terms of dimensions and weight, as it’s actually slightly thinner (by 0.4 mm to be precise), and lighter by 8 grams.
Those might not seem like much of a difference, but they can definitely be noticeable in everyday use as the user has the device in their hands all the time. The phone retains its waterproof and dust-proof capabilities, and of course Sony are still using their standard design language and ideas in the phone’s operating system. Users can expect a familiar feel of the interface, and an overall consistent experience navigating around the device’s menus.
Android runs quite fast on this device as well, owing in part to its great hardware, but also to the various optimizations that Sony like to do on their own version of Android. We’ve always seen Sony’s phones running Android without any noticeable UI lag or problems, and this one is no exception. Users looking for a stable, predictable Android experience should really look no further. Sony have also refined the physical design in some subtle, but noticeable ways.