Sony Xperia Z2 in the flesh, first impressions

One of the more packed booths here at MWC in Barcelona is the one by Sony. yesterday, they announced the new generation Xperia Z2 and the Xperia Z2 tablet. We went and checked out the Z2 looked like.

There was not much improvement in the over-all design of the Xperia Z2 compared to the Z1. In fact, even if you are very familiar with the Z1, you would have a hard time distinguishing the two from each other. The additional 0.2-inch increase in display size is not that very evident.

The Z2 is still the same blocky, heavy and metal-clad handset we’ve already known in the Z1. The hardware is where Sony placed a lot of effort on — better chip, bigger display, more RAM, better battery and some Kitkat-loving.

Sony Xperia Z2 specs:
5.2-inch Triluminous display @ 1080×1920 pixels, 424ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 2.3GHz quad-core processor
Adreno 330 Graphics
3GB RAM
16GB internal storage
up to 64GB via microSD
LTE 100Mbps
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
NFC
GPS with aGPS support
20.7MP rear camera, f/2.0, 1/2.3-type Exmor RS
Android 4.4 Kitkat
IP58 Certified
Li-Ion 3,200mAh battery
146.8 x 73.3 x 8.2mm

It’s not noticeably thinner (8.2mm vs 8.5mm) and lighter (163g vs. 170g) but we have to give it to Sony for still shaving off a few grams and millimeters on the Z2.

We were also quite curious with that Snapdragon 801 chip but after we did a stealthy Antutu benchmark test (the folks manning the booth forbade us to do it) we got a score of 31,659. That score should improve a little bit once the final firmware is set on the device.

The Xperia Z2 is still beautiful and perhaps one of the nicest-looking device out here in MWC.

Next week, once we arrive back from Barcelona, we will be flying out to Jakarta to attend the regional launch of Sony where we will have more time with the Xperia Z2, the Z2 tablet and a few more products.

By then, we should get a better experience and hands-on with the devices, take sample photos and see how that 4K video pans out.