Sony Xperia XZs: Pricey but reliable

Sony's excellent camera and a fast processor make this smartphone a good choice

Sony products have always attracted users, irrespective of whether they are worth the price tag or not. Perhaps, because Sony focuses on quality that makes it a reliable brand.

Its latest offering, the Xperia  XZs, is a successor to the XZ and retains the same “Alkaleido” metal design. Much like most Sony smartphones, the XZs is a good looking product and looks premium. It comes with a Corning Gorilla Glass protection, but I would recommend getting a tempered glass installed to prevent unforeseen damage. While you’re at it, invest in a back cover as well since the back attracts a lot of fingerprint smudges. Since we're talking about fingerprints, it's prudent to mention that the phone comes with a fingerprint sensor that is quick enough to register your print.

The phone comes with a 5.2-inch Full HD display with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels that ensures a sharp display and is bright enough to be viewed under sunlight. The vivid colours also make it suitable for watching videos. I watched a few episodes of Mad Men and Chewing Gum on Netflix and found the experience to be quite enjoyable.

Under the hood, the XZs houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with 4GB of RAM. Though it is not the best processor there is, it doesn't give you any reason to be disappointed. I played RAM-heavy games such as Injustice for a few hours and I didn't experience any lag. In order to take it a notch higher, I started playing an online multiplayer game while multitasking by using memory-draining apps such as the Facebook Messenger. The phone didn't stutter and neither did it heat up to an unbearable level.

The phone runs the latest version of Android — the Nougat 7.1. Sadly, it also comes with pre-installed apps, most of which are useless.

The XZs comes with a 2,900 mAh battery and lasts for a day on low to moderate usage. However, on Doze mode, the battery life increases significantly. It supports a USB Type-C charger much like other smartphones these days.

Sony is known for its camera and the XZs doesn't disappoint. The phone comes with a 19 megapixel (MP) primary and a 13 MP secondary camera. The primary camera is a “Motion Eye” that shoots videos at 960 frames per second, thus providing for a video in super-slow motion. The output pictures from the primary camera have brilliant clarity and almost negligible noise. Also, unlike other smartphones, it performs well in low light. It comes with five-axis optical image stabilisation and prevents pictures from being blurry and distorted.

The secondary camera provides for great selfies and that too, without the help of trendy dual-sensor camera.

The Sony Xperia XZs is a great phone with no hiccups. At Rs 49,990, it might be on the higher side but Sony has definitely not made this phone for the masses. For those looking for a reliable brand and a great mobile experience, look no further.