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Sony Xperia Z3
Sony Xperia Z3
Sony Xperia Z3
Sony Xperia Z3
Sony Xperia Z3
Sony Xperia Z3
Sony Xperia Z3
Sony Xperia Z3
...


8.6/10
Informr score
The Sony Xperia Z3 currently has an Informr score of 8.6 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 50 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

What's good

  • Water resistant
  • Bright HD screen
  • Blazing performance
  • PS4 Remote Play
  • Long battery life

What's bad

  • Camera Auto mode is hit or miss
  • Limited US Availability
  • Sony bloatware and interface tweaks
  • Speaker distortion at high levels

Hot on the heels of the Z2, Sony is taking another shot at the top of the flagship Android charts with the tweaked and optimized Z3. Reviews are starting to roll in and things are looking good for this one. How good? Let’s get into the details.

The design of the Z3 sticks to the Xperia aesthetic in most ways. Sharp lines, flat sides and flush buttons with little else. The Z3 adds the addition of nylon corners to help add a little resilience to the glass and aluminum design. Stuff magazine said the changes makes the Z3 “feel less like a big, heavy block of a tech and more like a standard premium flagship.”

Most reviews noted that the Z3 was more comfortable to hold than previous Xperia devices but edges were still very much noticeable in the hand. Forbes says, “expect the Z3 to be a touch more robust than the Z2.”

The phone is both IP65 and 68 certified for dustproofing and waterproofing to make sure its ready to go with you on your next adventure or survive the torture of little hands if you have children. Reviews that tested it said everything worked fine, just be sure to have the covers for the various ports firmly closed.

With a quad-core 2.5GHz processor, 3GB of RAM and a 5.2-inch 1080p display, the specs on the phone are certainly impressive. Forbes notes that this is “the very top end of the current specs for an Android smartphone.”
Stuff put the phone through its paces, including gaming and heavy multitasking and found that “As for performance, it's flawless.”

The powerful specs of the phone are paired with a 3,100-mAh battery which Sony claims will allow up to two days of use on a single charge. While reviews didn’t quite hit the two-day mark, most agreed that you should have no problem getting through the day. Stuff commented that phone features “the best battery life of any smartphone we've seen in a long time.”

For those constantly on the go, Sony has beefed up the screen brightness compared to other models. TechRadar points out, “the 5.2 display is brighter than ever before, perhaps more than anything on the market, with 600 nits of brightness.”

If you’re looking for a phone that will rival many point and shoot cameras, the 25mm lens and 20.7MP camera on the phone received rave reviews from most sources. However, to get the most from the camera, prepare to get comfortable with menus and settings as many reviews pointed out that the auto function, while effective, didn’t work well in fast action or low light conditions.

Other features include DCEE HX Audio--a feature that claims to breathe life into low-quality audio--and PS4 Remote Play functionality. Remote Play will allow PS4 owners to stream games to their phone via Wi-Fi and play using DualShock 4 controllers. While this sounds like heaven to gamers, the feature doesn’t officially roll out until late-2014 so reviews couldn’t assess how well it really works.

Overall, reviews are extremely positive despite the device being released so soon after the Z2. Forbes says there is “little to complain about in the package.” TechRadar applauds the device say its “the best phone that Sony's ever made... and it's better than I expected.”


Android
Operating system
Operating system
Android
2.5 GHz
Processor
Processor
2.5 GHz
5.2"
Screen Size
Screen Size
5.2"
20+ MP
Camera
Camera
20+ MP
3100 mAh
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


Gadgets 360
Gadgets 360

The Z3 might be newer than its contemporaries, but the downside of that is that its price hasn't had time to settle. The Z3 is significantly more expensive than the Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One (M8) and LG G3. You'll really have to consider whether it's worth the premium over the Z2 which now costs ar...

- Jamshed Avari, Gadgets 360
AndroidPIT
AndroidPIT

The Sony Xperia Z3 is beautifully designed, with a fantastic high-resolution camera and great battery life; it's a really difficult device to find fault with. You might not be a fan of Sony's Xperia user-interface, or the fiddly SD-Card/charge port flaps, but the minor flaws pale in comparison to th...

- Loie Favre, AndroidPIT
TechnoBuffalo
TechnoBuffalo

Sony might not have high hopes for its mobile future, but the company has made a winner in the Xperia Z3. The design is sophisticated, the camera is great, and battery life is excellent. Is it worth an upgrade from the Z2? Probably not—you should wait and see what Sony has next. But the Z3 has...

- Brandon Russell, TechnoBuffalo
GottaBeMobile
GottaBeMobile

The Sony Xperia Z3v is an impressive Android smartphone and it is about time Verizon offers a flagship smartphone from Sony. It is hard to find things not to like on this very capable smartphone. Before you walk in and upgrade from your old iPhone to the iPhone 6, or jump from one Samsung smartphone...

- Josh Smith, GottaBeMobile
BitBitByte
BitBitByte

The Z3v is the first Sony flagship to hit Verizon. If you’ve been waiting for such a day, we’re happy to say it was worth the wait. It’s a decent looking phone that has industry leading dust and waterproof abilities. It also happens to take great photos and has crazy long battery l...

- Mike Norris, BitBitByte


Prices (Where to Buy)




Common Questions


We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Sony Xperia Z3 user manual here.


Sony backs up the Xperia Z3 with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.


If your Xperia Z3 has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Sony support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Sony's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.




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Quick view

Screen Size
5.2"

The Sony Xperia Z3's screen size is 5.2 inches with 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution.

Processor
2.5 GHz

There is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AC Quad core 2.5 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The phone runs on the Android 4.4.4 KitKat (Update Available: 6.0.1 Marshmallow) operating system (OS).

Camera
20+ MP

You can take photos with the phone's onboard 20+ MP camera.

There is also a secondary front facing camera with 2+ megapixels resolution.

Storage
16/32 GB

Internal memory is 16/32 GB. An external, MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 128 GB) expansion slot is available for increased storage capacity.

Battery
3100mAh

The phone is powered by a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion), 3100 mAh battery. Sony's performance ratings are 960 minutes, 672 minutes Wi-Fi surfing.

Xperia Z3 Specs

Overview
Release Date September 25, 2014
Regions Available USA, United Kingdom
Operating System Android 4.4.4 KitKat (Update Available: 6.0.1 Marshmallow)

Compare Android Smartphones

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AC Quad core 2.5 GHz
Internal Storage 16/32 GB
RAM 3 GB
Hearing Aid Compatible Yes
TTY/TDD Yes
Noise Cancellation Yes
SAR Head: 0.885 W/kg
Body: 1.501 W/kg
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included USB Power Adapter, Manual, Data Cable
Cellular
Networks
GPRS, EDGE, HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE
Mobile / Cellular Data
4G/LTE
Push-to-talk (PTT) No
Wi-Fi Calling Unknown
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) Unknown
SIM card size
Nano-SIM
variations
Dual SIM No
Connectivity
USB Micro-USB 2.0
USB OTG Support No
GPS Type A-GPS
Infrared No
Bluetooth 4.0
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, AVRCP, OPP/FTP, HID, HFP, HSP, PAN
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC, aptX
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Mobile Hotspot Yes
Memory Expansion Slot Yes
Expansion Slot Info MicroSD, MicroSDHC, microSDXC (up to 128 GB)
NFC Yes
Data Tethering Compatibility Yes
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
20+ Megapixels
Zoom
8x digital
Flash
Yes (LED)
Additional Rear Camera Info
Auto focus, Effects, Face detection, Geotagging, Image stabilization, ISO, Panorama, Burst mode, HDR, Object tracking, Scene recognition, Sound & Shot
Video Recording Formats
3GP / 3GPP, H.264 / AVC, MPEG-4, XviD, AVI
Video Recording Parameters
Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels)
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
2+ Megapixels
Additional Front Camera Info
No
Video Recording Parameters
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology LCD (TFT)
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution 1080 x 1920 pixels
Pixel Density 424 pixels
Size 5.2 inches
Secondary Display No
Sensors Ambient Light, Proximity, Motion / Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Digital Compass
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating No
Additional Display Features Capacitive touch screen, Shatter proof glass
Power & Battery
Battery Type Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)
Battery Capacity 3100 mAh
Removable Battery No
Wireless Charging No
Fast Charging No
Video Playback Time Up to 600 minutes
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Up to 672 minutes
Internet Use (Cellular) Up to 729 minutes
Talk Time Up to 960 minutes
Standby Time Up to 38.3 days
Mixed Usage
Physical Characteristics
Design Type Bar
Material Plastic
Colors Black, White, Green, Copper, Purple
Dimensions [H x W x D] 14.6 x 7.2 x 0.7 cm (5.8 x 2.8 x 0.3 in)
Weight 152 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Water Resistant
Rugged design No
IP Rating IP 68
Headset Jack 3.5mm
External Speakers Stereo
Input / Navigation
Sleep / Wake Key Yes
Home Key No
Input / Keyboard Type Touchscreen
Navigation Type Touchscreen
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor No
More
Additional Information Other Names (AKA): Sony Xperia Z3v, D6603, D6633, D6643, D6653, D6616

Also available in a dual-SIM model. (D6633)

Additional Sensors: Barometer, Pedometer

Sony Xperia Z3v model
- Different design (last 2 images)
- Battery: 3200 mah
- Wireless charging enabled

Related Links Manual (PDF)
Sony Xperia Z3 Reviews
Where to buy Sony Xperia Z3
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