Xperia XZ1/XZ1 Compact, particularly disappointing in the US

From September 1st to 6th, 2017, the gadget festival IFA will be held in Berlin, Germany. It is customary for Sony to announce the new Xperia at IFA every year, but the Xperia XZ1 (hereafter XZ1) and Xperia XZ1 Compact (hereafter XZ1 Compact) released this time have various specifications, especially for the United States. It seems to be a pity. Gizmodo's Sam Rutherford takes a hands-on look at what's good and what's disappointing. Below, please!

***

The season for IFA, the new Xperia, has come again this year. Recently, they seem to have stopped branding "Xperia + Z + number" and started using "Xperia + Alphabet = X". Aside from that, what worries me is that, at least in the United States, there is an atmosphere of something like a rushed job, or something like, "It's okay to put out something new."

refers to the just announced XZ1 and XZ1 Compact. Prices are $700 and $600, respectively, and the sizes are 5.2 inches and 4.6 inches. You can also take it as an interesting antithesis to today.

In terms of specs, the processor is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835, the RAM is 4GB, the rear camera has a sharp 19 million pixels, 5-axis image stabilization, and can shoot ultra-slow movies at 960FPS. They all run Andriod 8 Oreo, and Sony says they'll be pretty much bare Android, so they'll probably get updates sooner than other companies (or Samsung, for that matter) with their dorky skins.

It has a trendy front stereo speaker, a microSD card slot, IP68 water resistance, and USB-C and 3.5mm audio ports.

Of the two models released this time, I think the XZ1 Compact is doing particularly well. In today's world where smartphones are all about getting bigger, iPhone SE is the only option for people who want flagship-class features but small size. On the other hand, the XZ1 Compact does not compromise on high-end points such as processing speed, camera, and product quality, and has achieved a small size that is easy to hold. The big difference from the XZ1 is 32GB or 64GB of base storage, 720p or 1080p resolution, and no or no HDR video.

So far so good, but it's after this that things get crazy. First of all, neither the XZ1 nor the XZ1 Compact can use the fingerprint scanner in the US. Other countries where the XZ1 and XZ1 Compact are released, including Canada, have a fingerprint reader built into the power button on the side of the body. But in the US we don't have that. This is likely due to Sony having some trouble with some carrier in the past, but what about the lack of features that have become almost commonplace, like a fingerprint reader? Fingerprint readers are pretty much standard on all $300+ phones these days, and it's not a "fingerprint sensor that's a nuisance?" increase. And this is only in the United States.

Furthermore, the design of the XZ1 hasn't changed much compared to last year's Xperia XZ and the Xperia Z series that preceded it. The material may have changed from glass to aluminum, but the angular body remains the same. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's ugly, but the design with generous top and bottom bezels is about to get outdated.

While there are some things that are not working, the XZ1 also has a mysterious 3D scanning function that seems to ignore it. You can create a 3D model of your face and send it to a game or social media app. The problem is that none of the game or app makers support 3D scanning, so the feature is currently a pure tech demo.

And in the US, we don't even have partnerships with carriers. Even newer smartphones like the Essential have signed up with Sprint to get exposure. Even OnePlus has opened pop-up stores and collaborated with fashionable shops. It also doesn't support CDMA, so your only carrier options in the US are AT&T or T-Mobile.

I think both the XZ1 and XZ1 Compact are interesting devices. For example, I think it's good to have functions that other companies don't have, such as Sony's two-step camera button. However, there are too many mysterious gimmicks for not being able to do many things.

Unfortunately, neither the XZ1 nor the XZ1 Compact will be able to boost Sony's position in the US, which is neither in the top five nor even in the top ten. In town, Xperias are as rare as four-leaf clovers, and even if someone does own one, it's nothing more than a quirky existence, like a Volkswagen Beetle with a broken headlight. No matter what unique new features you have, you should include the features that everyone wants, or at least the ones that you take for granted. Otherwise, even if we go to great lengths to release an attractive device, people will continue to turn a blind eye...

Images: Gizmodo US

Source: Sony, Android central, Android authority, Highsnobiety

Sam Rutherford - Gizmodo US [original]

(Miho Fukuda)