Sony has just unveiled its latest flagship at IFA 2016, the Xperia XZ just six months after announcing the X Performance. The new Xperia XZ follows a different design with flat front and back but rounded sides similar to Nokia Lumia smartphones. You have a 5.2-inch 1080p display up front running on the Snapdragon quad-core processor with Android 6.0 Marshmallow doing the heavy pulling. You get 3GB RAM here alongwith 32GB onboard storage which is expandable.
What has improved much from last time around is the camera, Sony has now gone for a laser assisted autofocus system which also makes use of on-sensor phase-detection autofocus to get faster focus on a subject. You still have a 23MP 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS sensor with f/2.0 lens but now we have 5-axis stabilization which should mean better low light images. The combination of two focusing techniques gives the ability to predict motion to the camera and according to Sony it can predict movement to focus quicker and better.
The front camera has also got a bump to 13 megapixels with wider 22mm f/2.0 lens and now supports 1080p video recording while the rear camera can do 4K. The fingerprint sensor is still on the side masquerading as the power button and you also have a dedicated camera shutter key here too.
The Xperia XZ is Sony's first smartphone to come with a USB Type-C port and support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 for the 2900 mAh battery which is slated to last 2 days on a single charge. All this is neatly packaged in an 8.1mm thin metal shell with a polycarbonate frame weighing in at 161 grams which is both dust and water resistant with IP68 rating.
The Sony Xperia XZ will be available in October in dual as well as single-SIM offerings with a choice of Forest Blue, Mineral Black and Platinum color options. There is no word on pricing yet.
