Sony has finally launched Xperia Z3+, which is a version of its Z4 smartphone, in India. It has been priced at Rs.56,000. Oh, sorry, it's Rs.55, 990. The company lets you keep Rs.10, just so you have something left in your pocket.
Unfortunately, in a country like India where consumers are extremely price sensitive and care for value, paying this much money for Xperia Z3+ doesn't make sense.
Unfortunately, in a country like India where consumers are extremely price sensitive and care for value, paying this much money for Xperia Z3+ doesn't make sense.
The smartphone. no doubt, has some really great specifications. It has top-of-the-line Snapdragon 810 processor coupled with Adreno 430 graphics chip and 3GB RAM. But it would be a shame if it were any less than that. But all this is on paper, we are yet to find out how it will fare in actual use.
So what are the problems that I see with the Xperia Z3+?
Design :
"Is that Xperia Z2?" I don't want to hear this, especially when my Rs.56,000 phone looks exactly like an old phone that sells for less than half its price.
So what are the problems that I see with the Xperia Z3+?
Design :
"Is that Xperia Z2?" I don't want to hear this, especially when my Rs.56,000 phone looks exactly like an old phone that sells for less than half its price.
Looking at the design of Sony phones, one can easily imagine how badly the company is dragging its heels on the looks and feel of its devices. And the dated design is reflecting in the sales of Xperia phones, which are no longer finding too many takers. Till last year even Samsung would have been blamed of being slow on the design front but then this year the Korean company came out with beautiful Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.
The Xperia Z3+ sports a design that is now almost three years old. It doesn't look like the kind of phone that we expect from a company like Sony. It is definitely capable of coming up with killer designs, but it's just that the Xperia Z3+ is not one of those devices that can be called iconic in design terms.
Hardware :
When I say Sony forgot to do better I am not talking just about the design. If we go back 10 months in history the company launched Xperia Z3. It's totally understandable that the new phone is supposed to be slightly faster compared to the earlier one. But does this slightly faster hardware should command the premium of Rs.18,000? No, that is not what we call progress and a worthy update.
Both the phones have same screen size, same camera resolution, same screen resolution, similar amount of RAM and both support 4G. Interestingly, the earlier version had bigger battery. So the only big difference is the processor. But is it worth Rs.18,000?
Competition :
While it seems Sony has failed to improve its game with the Xperia Z3+, its competitors are doing so much more. Phones like the iPhone 6 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 are not only cheaper but also look more attractive in almost all aspects compared to the Xperia Z3+.
The Sony Xperia Z3+ is out in Ireland, exclusively available from Vodafone from the 26th of June 2015. We got to grips with the new handset at a launch event last night, read on for our first impressions.
The Xperia Z3+ sports a design that is now almost three years old. It doesn't look like the kind of phone that we expect from a company like Sony. It is definitely capable of coming up with killer designs, but it's just that the Xperia Z3+ is not one of those devices that can be called iconic in design terms.
Hardware :
When I say Sony forgot to do better I am not talking just about the design. If we go back 10 months in history the company launched Xperia Z3. It's totally understandable that the new phone is supposed to be slightly faster compared to the earlier one. But does this slightly faster hardware should command the premium of Rs.18,000? No, that is not what we call progress and a worthy update.
Both the phones have same screen size, same camera resolution, same screen resolution, similar amount of RAM and both support 4G. Interestingly, the earlier version had bigger battery. So the only big difference is the processor. But is it worth Rs.18,000?
Competition :
While it seems Sony has failed to improve its game with the Xperia Z3+, its competitors are doing so much more. Phones like the iPhone 6 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 are not only cheaper but also look more attractive in almost all aspects compared to the Xperia Z3+.
The Sony Xperia Z3+ is out in Ireland, exclusively available from Vodafone from the 26th of June 2015. We got to grips with the new handset at a launch event last night, read on for our first impressions.
The Xperia Z3+ is Sony’s latest flagship handset, offering up the best of the brand and iterating on the successes of last year’s Xperia Z3.
And it looks very similar to the previous model in person – though it’s actually lighter and manages to be even slimmer at 6.9mm. In the hand, it feels as slick as ever thanks to a premium build which is also tough when you need it to be.
The front-facing camera has been boosted a wide screen lens at 5 megapixels so its perfect for getting everyone in the shot. And its backed up by that blazingly fast 20.7 MP shooter on the back.
The standard model now boasts 32 gigs of storage (up from 16) and is expandable via microSD. The slot for cards features a flap but the really good news is that all other ports are uncovered – so you won’t have to worry about opening them everytime you want to charge. Yet still the phone is water and dustproof – just let it dry out before plugging in any cables.
And it looks very similar to the previous model in person – though it’s actually lighter and manages to be even slimmer at 6.9mm. In the hand, it feels as slick as ever thanks to a premium build which is also tough when you need it to be.
The front-facing camera has been boosted a wide screen lens at 5 megapixels so its perfect for getting everyone in the shot. And its backed up by that blazingly fast 20.7 MP shooter on the back.
The standard model now boasts 32 gigs of storage (up from 16) and is expandable via microSD. The slot for cards features a flap but the really good news is that all other ports are uncovered – so you won’t have to worry about opening them everytime you want to charge. Yet still the phone is water and dustproof – just let it dry out before plugging in any cables.
The Xperia Z3+ actually has a smaller battery to help get the weight and thickness down but Sony says it still manages a full 2.2 days of normal use. With battery saving options, you could stretch that to a full eight days, which is very impressive indeed.
The 5.2 inch full HD display is great for consuming all kinds of media including blockbuster movies. Which is just as well because the handset comes with 8 high res downloads for popular films. Two come in the box, with one a month for the first six months.
The phone also supports High Res Audio, a breakthrough technology which restores the full range of sound in your tunes. The Z3+ also reinstates the placement of the front-facing speakers, offering up full stereo sound which was capable of getting very loud indeed in our brief test.
We also got a quick chance to test out the Remote Play on the handset. This allows you to synch with a PlayStation 4 to play full console games on your smartphone. There’s a special grip which goes around the DualShock 4 controller and holds your phone in the perfect position for play. Over Wi-Fi the frame rates were consistent and being able to use the full controller was a bit of a revelation.
The Sony Xperia Z3+ is a high quality handset with impressive specs and a gorgeous design and we’ll have a more in-depth review very soon.
The 5.2 inch full HD display is great for consuming all kinds of media including blockbuster movies. Which is just as well because the handset comes with 8 high res downloads for popular films. Two come in the box, with one a month for the first six months.
The phone also supports High Res Audio, a breakthrough technology which restores the full range of sound in your tunes. The Z3+ also reinstates the placement of the front-facing speakers, offering up full stereo sound which was capable of getting very loud indeed in our brief test.
We also got a quick chance to test out the Remote Play on the handset. This allows you to synch with a PlayStation 4 to play full console games on your smartphone. There’s a special grip which goes around the DualShock 4 controller and holds your phone in the perfect position for play. Over Wi-Fi the frame rates were consistent and being able to use the full controller was a bit of a revelation.
The Sony Xperia Z3+ is a high quality handset with impressive specs and a gorgeous design and we’ll have a more in-depth review very soon.
