Less than 2 months back, after it launched the Xperia XZ2 at MWC, Sony has brought out the Xperia XZ2 Premium that retains the same physical design of the XZ2, a deviation from its previous devices, but, improves display, battery and other specs. The new device will be available by the summer and though the price is yet to be announced, it will definitely not be cheap. Since the XZ2 is about $800 unlocked, the XZ2 Premium is probably about $900 – $1000.
The XZ2 Premium has a 5.8-inch 4K display as opposed to the 5.7-inch Full HD+ (1080 x 2160) screen on the XZ2. They both support HDR video and it has the same new vibration system on the XZ2 when you’re watching movies or listening to music.
According to Sony, the biggest upgrade is the camera, the XZ2 has two of them at the rear of the device. Sony split image capture between one 19MPs colour sensor and a 12MPs monochrome.
This is a path other Android makers like Huawei have taken, but where Sony is attempting to beat the others is in ISO performance. When shooting stills, the XZ2 Premium can reach a maximum ISO of 51,200. Videos go as high as 12,800. Usually, anything you get at those figures will look grainy but Sony says that its “AUBE fusion image signal processor” combines data from both sensors, optimize for low light and reduces noise to produce something useful. Sony also claims that it allows for “ultra-low-light capture previously only seen in interchangeable lens cameras.”
The dual camera system will also have a portrait feature which is referred to as Bokeh mode by the company and allows shooting only with the use of monochrome sensor for crisp detailed black and white shots. Unusually, both these features will not be available at the launch of the device but will come in a software update in the 3rd quarter of the year. The Premium can record 960fps slow motion video at 1080p resolution, an improvement over the 720p limitation on Samsung’s Galaxy S9 like the XZ2.
The XZ2 Premium has a 6GB RAM and battery capacity of 3,540mAh and a sharper selfie camera.
