Sony Xperia Z3 hands-on, first impressions

A couple of days ago, Sony launched in the country their latest smartphone flagship the Xperia Z3. It is the successor of the Xperia Z2 which was just unveiled in February of this year. Read our thoughts about the device by reading our hands-on and first impressions below.

The first thing you’ll notice about the Z3 is how similar it is with Z2. Sony did not apply any radical change on the design of the Z3 which is understandable since its predecessor is barely a year old. This is not to say the the Z3 has not aesthetically improved. Physically, it is actually more refined which is evident when holding the device.

At the front we have the 5.2-inch Full HD IPS display with a pixel density of 424ppi. Above it are the earpiece, the 2.2-megapixel front camera, and the light and proximity sensor, while down below is the front-facing speaker. Found right on top of the device is the headset jack.

On the left-hand side are the microUSB port hidden by a flap and the magnetic charging port, while the opposite side has another flap which covers the microSD and nano-SIM tray, the power/lock button, volume rocker, and the dedicated camera buttons. Flip it on its back and you’ll see the 20.7-megapixel rear camera, LED flash, and NFC.

The Z3 has smooth curved sides unlike the Z2 which has chamfered edges. This is actually the “refined” part of the Z3 as its frame is now shorter, narrower, thinner, and lighter than its predecessor. The only disadvantage we see in this design is that it is harder to grip which increases the chances of it falling from your hands. Although very lean, the metal-clad Z3 is still, very much premium.

xperia z3 ph hands on_5

From left: Xperia Z3 Compact, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact

Sony Xperia Z3 specs:
5.2-inch Full HD IPS display, 424ppi
Shatter proof glass, Triluminos, X-Reality
Qualcomm MSM8974AC Snapdragon 801 quad-core CPU
Adreno 330 GPU
3GB RAM
16/32GB internal storage
up to 128GB via microSD
20.7 megapixel Sony IMX220 Exmor RS rear camera, f/2.0 aperture, LED flash
2.2 megapixel front camera
4G LTE, HSPA+
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
NFC
Bluetooth 4.0, A2DP
FM Radio w/ RDS
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
3,100mAh Li-Ion battery
Android 4.4.4 KitKat
IP68-certified (dust proof, water resistant)
146 x 72 x 7.3 mm
152 g

The Sony Xperia Z3 has an SRP of Php36,990 and comes in four colors – white, black, green, and copper. Stay tuned for our full review.

2 Comments

Nick says:

10 years ago

Anyone knows if the Z2 magnetic charging cable is compatible with this phone?
- Reply
Abuzalzal says:

10 years ago

Marginal performance boost =P
- Reply

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