Sony Xperia Z2 specs review: A well-built flagship with great hardware

The long wait finally ends as Sony pulls the wraps off its new flagship Xperia Z2 in India. The new smartphone closely follows itse predecessor Z1 in terms of design, but the internals feature a slew of refinements. Sony is known to dish out smartphones with rugged water- and dust-proof capabilities, and the Xperia Z2 is not any different. Now, let’s take a quick look at the specifications it comes with:     OS - Android 4.4 KitKat  The Xperia Z2 gets the latest flavor of Android available in the market, Android 4.4 KitKat. Just like the Z1, the Xperia Z2 should allow users to easily change the order of their app icons in the menu to offer quick access to the most-used apps or any custom order that they prefer. Xperia Z2 owners are expected to have access to exclusive content offer that includes six blockbuster movies from Sony Pictures, including Captain Phillips, through the Video Unlimited service as well as 30 days free trial of the Music Unlimited service and a range of PlayStation Mobile games.   Cellular connectivity: LTE, GPRS, HSDPA Just like the other top-of-the-line smartphone offerings launched recently, the Xperia Z2 also comes with LTE connectivity. It gets 4G support for a range of networks, along with GPRS and HSDPA for areas where 4G cannot reach. [caption id=“attachment_223293” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] Take it for a swim[/caption]   Display: 5-inch Triluminos capacitive touchscreen with 1080p Compared to its predecessor, the Z2 gets a slightly larger 5.2-inch display. The Triluminos capacitive display maintains the same 1080 x 1920 resolution. Owing to the larger display, the pixel density is dropped slightly to 424ppi. However, it wouldn’t make much of a difference in the viewing experience. The display, like most other smartphones this year, comes with multi-touch as well as shatter proof and scratch resistant glass. Sony, apart from its patent Triluminos technology, has also added its X-Reality Engine to the Xperia Z2.   Form factor: Slim, smart, weather-proof The Z2 has taken design cues from the Z1. So, design-wise, it would be in line with the Z1 and Z.  It is crafted of one-piece aluminium frame with glass panel, strikingly similar to its older sibling. The frame is made from a single piece of metal which should help increase the sturdiness of the smartphone. The Xperia branding on the back, the camera lens in the top-left corner and the large power button on the right-hand edge are some other design similarities. The 8.2mm sleek device measures 146.8 x 73.3 x 8.2 mm and weighs 163 grams.   Wi-Fi - All the usual suspects The Xperia Z2 comes with the very best in Wi-Fi connectivity. This includes all the usual 2014 suspects going up to the ac band. Apart from that, the smartphone also comes with Wi-Fi Direct and DLNA for content sharing. Moreover, Wi-Fi hotspot is also present.   SoC-Snapdragon 801 Sony has stepped up the processing power with Xperia Z2. The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 801 SoC. Packed into the CPU are four Krait 400 cores clocked at 2.3GHz. In addition, the smartphone comes with an Adreno 330 GPU just like the Z1, but the RAM is creased to 3GB. The Xperia Z2 will definitely not lack in sheer processing power.   Internal storage-16GB with microSD up to 128GB The Xperia Z1 comes with 16GB of internal memory, just like the Z1. However, it has given a major boost to the expandable storage supported by the device. It will allow users to expand the storage up to 128GB via microSD  card slot. The card slot is also said to be water and dustproof.   Camera- 20.7-megapixel camera with 4K recording, 2.2MP front facing Last year, Z1 took a huge leap by going from 13MP sensor to 20.7MP snapper. The Z2 houses the same 20.7-megapixel camera but has added support for 4K recording along with 1/2.3-type Exmor RS for mobile CMOS image sensor, Sony’s G Lens and intelligent BIONZ. The 4K resolution (3840×2160 pixels/30p) helps capture four times the detail of Full HD. It is supported by STM10 Stereo Microphone for stereo audio recording. The company has also loaded the device with Xperia camera apps such as Timeshift video, Creative effect, and AR effect. The new Background defocus camera app simulates a shallow depth of field. Capture two photos at different focus settings and blend together the different depths, leading to a blurred out background for more professional looking photos. Added to the package is a 2.2-megapixel front facing shooter that can take videos at 1080p. [caption id=“attachment_223294” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] Loaded with a 20.7MP camera and 4K recording[/caption]     Sensors: Usual suspects The smartphone comes with all the usual suspects seen in recent models - accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, compass and barometer.   GPS: A-GPS, GLONASS Just like all other high-end devices in the market today, the smartphone comes with both A-GPS and GLONASS support thrown in. The latter should significantly reduce the location lock time for users.   NFC and Bluetooth 4.0  The Z2 comes with One-touch NFC support as well as Bluetooth 4.0.   Battery:  Considering the 5.2-icn display and massive 20.7MP shooter, Sony has packed in a competent 3,200mAh battery.   The bottom line:  All-in-all, the Xperia Z2 looks like a good smartphone. Sony has focused on the internals, while maintain the same design seen in the previous models. The massive camera and latest processor will ensure that users should not have any complaints with the smartphone.