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Sony Xperia Z3+ First Impressions

Underdeveloped. The spec sheet of Sony's new premium-range phone has quite a bit to offer. However, it exhibits some shortcomings in practice. For example, our review sample struggled with multiple small and big peculiarities that we did not expect.

For the original German preview, see here.

Modifications are first noticed when studying the spec sheet of Sony's Xperia Z3+ premium device. The screen still has a Full HD resolution and still has a size of 5.2-inches. The smartphone looks a lot like its precursor just from the outside. However, the charging port has disappeared. It is now powered by a swift Snapdragon 810 that, like HTC's One M9, struggles with temperature development. There have already been reports about overheating issues of Sony's new top line phone.

Sony Xperia Z3+ (Xperia Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994 8 x 2 GHz, Cortex-A57/-A53
Graphics adapter
Qualcomm Adreno 430, Core: 650 MHz
Memory
3 GB 
, LPDDR4
Display
5.20 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel, capacitive touchscreen, 10 multitouch points, tempered glass, anti-fingerprint finish, IPS, X-Reality for mobile, Triluminos technology, glossy: yes
Storage
32 GB eMMC Flash, 32 GB 
, 20.87 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: combo microphone and headphone jack (3.5 mm), Card Reader: micro-SD max. 128 GB (SD, SDHC, SDXC), Sensors: motion sensor, position sensor, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, game rotation vector sensor, accelerometer, geo and G sensor, pedometer, digital compass, magnetometer, barometer, GPS, Glonass, BeiDou, MHL 3.0, OTG, Miracast, Wifi Direct, DLNA, Ant+, Hi-Res-Audio, LDAC
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1 LE, GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz), UMTS/HSPA+ (850, 900, 1900 and 2100 MHz), LTE Cat. 6 (700, 700 a, 700 b c, 800, 850, 900, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2100 and 2600 MHz (all FDD-LTE) and 2300 MHz (TDD-LTE)), head and body SAR: 2.0 W/kg
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 6.9 x 146.3 x 71.9 ( = 0.27 x 5.76 x 2.83 in)
Battery
Lithium-Ion, 2930 mAh, Talk time 2G (according to manufacturer): 12 h, Talk time 3G (according to manufacturer): 17 h, Standby 2G (according to manufacturer): 580 h, Standby 3G (according to manufacturer): 590 h
Operating System
Android 5.0 Lollipop
Camera
Webcam: 5 megapixels, Exmor R, 25 mm wide angle; primary camera: 20.7 MP, Exmor RS, UHD video
Additional features
Speakers: two stereo speakers, Keyboard: virtual, power supply, USB cable, OTG adapter, headset, Sony Apps, Xperia Care Support, Lifelog, PlayStation Network, OfficeSuite, Garmin Navigation, TV SideView, Path, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
144 g ( = 5.08 oz / 0.32 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)
Price
699 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

First Impressions

Classy, yet not impeccably built: Sony's Xperia Z3+
Classy, yet not impeccably built: Sony's Xperia Z3+

The pure looks of Sony's Xperia Z3+ have barely changed, and there is no doubt that it is a Sony smartphone. The docking pins have disappeared and the USB port no longer needs a flap but remains to be protected in compliance with IP68. It is thus dust and waterproof. Sony is now the only manufacturer that supplies the customer with such a well-protected device after Samsung did an about face with its Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. It is again too bad that the precursor's charging station cannot be used.

Compared with its precursor, the smartphone is a bit slimmer at the sides and now allegedly has a height of 6.9 millimeters. However, it looks a lot bulkier especially beside Huawei's P8 (6.4 mm). The frame of the Xperia Z3+ is aluminum, and only the corners are plastic. They not only protect against bumps but are also to ensure a better reception for the antennas. Mineral glass protects both the front and back. The two speakers on the front are merged unobtrusively into the design. Unfortunately, the gaps are somewhat too wide in some places and not absolutely even.

The connectivity is impressive and does not leave anything to be desired. Sony's Xperia Z3+ offers almost all transmission standards, whether video or audio, wireless or cabled. From dual-band ac Wi-Fi with MIMO via LTE Cat.6, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Miracast, MHL, or Ant+ - everyone will find their preferred interface. Sony also places special focus on the smartphone's audio performance and includes its brand new LDAC audio standard on the device. It offers a three-times higher bandwidth for audio data and a conventional Bluetooth connection, making wireless audio codecs transmissions possible without losses - providing that a compatible receiver and corresponding audio material are at hand. Sony's DSEE HX beefs up the data should the latter not quite function.

The Japanese manufacturer also increases the storage capacity of its smartphone to 32 GB eMMC flash memory. It can pleasingly be expanded via a micro-SD card. The manufacturer relies on Google's Android 5.0.2 Lollipop operating system. The somewhat newer version, like already found in LG's G4, would certainly have been nicer here.

159 mm / 6.26 inch 83 mm / 3.27 inch 10 mm / 0.3937 inch 184 g0.4057 lbs158.1 mm / 6.22 inch 77.8 mm / 3.06 inch 7.1 mm / 0.2795 inch 172 g0.3792 lbs148.9 mm / 5.86 inch 76.1 mm / 3 inch 9.8 mm / 0.3858 inch 155 g0.3417 lbs144.6 mm / 5.69 inch 69.7 mm / 2.74 inch 9.61 mm / 0.3783 inch 157 g0.3461 lbs146.5 mm / 5.77 inch 72 mm / 2.83 inch 7.3 mm / 0.2874 inch 152 g0.3351 lbs146.3 mm / 5.76 inch 71.9 mm / 2.83 inch 6.9 mm / 0.2717 inch 144 g0.3175 lbs144.9 mm / 5.7 inch 71.8 mm / 2.83 inch 6.4 mm / 0.252 inch 147 g0.3241 lbs142.1 mm / 5.59 inch 70.1 mm / 2.76 inch 7 mm / 0.2756 inch 132 g0.291 lbs137 mm / 5.39 inch 71 mm / 2.8 inch 9.8 mm / 0.3858 inch 170 g0.3748 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Cameras

The Xperia Z3+ reports overheating
The Xperia Z3+ reports overheating

The front-facing camera has been upgraded to a resolution of 5.1 MP. That should be enough for most selfies, and the device also made a good impression with the first sample photos.

The primary camera of Sony's Xperia Z3+ has not been modified nominally. It still has a resolution of 20.7 megapixels, but the superior automatic mode has allegedly been improved even more. The Exmor RS image sensor is combined with a 25 mm wide angle lens. The sensor's light sensitivity, which the manufacturer specifies with up to ISO 12800 in photo mode and ISO 5000 in videos, makes it special. Those are impressive specs, and we are curious about the lens' noise behavior. Our first sample photos in daylight exhibit a comparatively high dynamic range and decent focus; the pictures are only slightly blurry toward the edges.

Videos are recorded in Ultra HD (30 fps) and Full HD (30 or 60 fps). The message that the camera would stop automatically if it overheats appears directly after starting the recording mode in the former. That is not only annoying, but it also even tops the autonomously dimming screen of LG's G4. Sony wants to improve that with an update.

Normal shot
Normal shot
x8 digital zoom
x8 digital zoom

Display

The IPS screen in Sony's Xperia Z3+ still has a size of 5.2-inches and a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. That has not changed compared with the precursor. The brightness is specified with 700 cd/m², which we cannot confirm based on our review sample. However, the screen does not look impeccable from the outset because we had a big light spot on the screen that is well visible on a single-colored surface.

The first measurements with the photospectrometer also display poor results in the grayscale levels. We contacted Sony in regards to that, and another device will be sent to us as soon as possible.

620
cd/m²
605
cd/m²
619
cd/m²
589
cd/m²
605
cd/m²
603
cd/m²
573
cd/m²
602
cd/m²
590
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 620 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 600.7 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 605 cd/m²
Contrast: 1142:1 (Black: 0.53 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 9.24 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 10.01 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
97.1% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
65.65% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
Gamma: 2.22
Sony Xperia Z3+
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Sony Xperia Z3
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
PowerVR GX6450, A8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
Huawei P8
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
HTC One M9
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Nokia Lumia 930
Adreno 330, 800 MSM8974, 32 GB eMMC Flash
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Screen
-3%
17%
6%
18%
4%
-23%
8%
Brightness middle
605
702
16%
343
-43%
519
-14%
453
-25%
474
-22%
275
-55%
566
-6%
Brightness
601
671
12%
338
-44%
496
-17%
439
-27%
458
-24%
278
-54%
536
-11%
Brightness Distribution
92
90
-2%
94
2%
90
-2%
91
-1%
85
-8%
89
-3%
90
-2%
Black Level *
0.53
0.72
-36%
0.62
-17%
0.28
47%
0.4
25%
0.47
11%
Contrast
1142
975
-15%
837
-27%
1618
42%
1185
4%
1204
5%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
9.24
8.92
3%
2.2
76%
3.67
60%
4.7
49%
6.32
32%
10.99
-19%
6.17
33%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
10.01
9.59
4%
2.37
76%
3.78
62%
5.03
50%
6.36
36%
8.29
17%
6.26
37%
Gamma
2.22 99%
2.75 80%
2.41 91%
2.42 91%
2.27 97%
2.43 91%
2.16 102%
2.48 89%
CCT
10343 63%
9408 69%
6425 101%
7327 89%
7439 87%
8218 79%
6731 97%
8171 80%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
65.65
87.77
34%
72.04
10%
58.81
-10%
65.48
0%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
97.1
98.63
2%

* ... smaller is better

Performance

Sony installs Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 MSM8994 processor in the Xperia Z3+, which is notorious for its overheating issues. 3 GB of working memory and the SoC-integrated Adreno 430 are also part of the bundle. The Japanese manufacturer thus relies on the same basis as found in HTC's One M9 or LG's Flex 2.

The benchmarks do not show any major irregularities until now and attest the smartphone a swift performance. Google's Android 5.0.2 Lollipop alongside Sony's proprietary user interface also runs agreeably smooth seen purely subjectively.

It will be interesting to see how the surface temperatures behave under permanent load because they increase noticeably just under little load. We are also curious if Sony also manages to maintain the performance in the stress test.

AnTuTu v5 - Total Score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
49332 Points
Sony Xperia Z3
42125 Points -15%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
72094 Points +46%
HTC One M9
55374 Points +12%
LG G Flex 2
48029 Points -3%
LG G4
49941 Points +1%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
50360 Points +2%
Huawei P8
45927 Points -7%
Linpack Android / IOS
Single Thread (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
250.2 MFLOPS
Sony Xperia Z3
375 MFLOPS +50%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
626 MFLOPS +150%
HTC One M9
578 MFLOPS +131%
LG G Flex 2
396 MFLOPS +58%
LG G4
361.4 MFLOPS +44%
Nokia Lumia 930
232.5 MFLOPS -7%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
766 MFLOPS +206%
Huawei P8
122 MFLOPS -51%
Multi Thread (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
473.8 MFLOPS
Sony Xperia Z3
700 MFLOPS +48%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
839 MFLOPS +77%
HTC One M9
685 MFLOPS +45%
LG G Flex 2
640 MFLOPS +35%
LG G4
507 MFLOPS +7%
Nokia Lumia 930
930 MFLOPS +96%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
1441 MFLOPS +204%
Huawei P8
272.5 MFLOPS -42%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
22389 Points
Sony Xperia Z3
17882 Points -20%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
22723 Points +1%
HTC One M9
22783 (22783min - 23171max) Points +2%
LG G Flex 2
22346 Points 0%
LG G4
18821 Points -16%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
17873 Points -20%
Huawei P8
9080 Points -59%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
36316 Points
Sony Xperia Z3
19606 Points -46%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
23954 Points -34%
HTC One M9
34429 (34429min - 34485max) Points -5%
LG G Flex 2
34201 Points -6%
LG G4
23390 Points -36%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
23937 Points -34%
Huawei P8
8743 Points -76%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
9559 Points
Sony Xperia Z3
13674 Points +43%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
19260 Points +101%
HTC One M9
10432 (10432min - 10786max) Points +9%
LG G Flex 2
10097 Points +6%
LG G4
11178 Points +17%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
9473 Points -1%
Huawei P8
10494 Points +10%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
47 fps
Sony Xperia Z3
29.4 fps -37%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
32 fps -32%
HTC One M9
50 fps +6%
LG G Flex 2
41 fps -13%
LG G4
24.9 fps -47%
Nokia Lumia 930
20 fps -57%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
52.4 fps +11%
Huawei P8
11 fps -77%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
49 fps
Sony Xperia Z3
27.5 fps -44%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
53 fps +8%
HTC One M9
49 fps 0%
LG G Flex 2
41 fps -16%
LG G4
33.7 fps -31%
Nokia Lumia 930
15 fps -69%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
44.8 fps -9%
Huawei P8
10 fps -80%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
19 fps
Sony Xperia Z3
12.6 fps -34%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
15 fps -21%
HTC One M9
24 fps +26%
LG G Flex 2
20 fps +5%
LG G4
9.5 fps -50%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
30.6 fps +61%
Huawei P8
5.8 fps -69%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
23 fps
Sony Xperia Z3
11.8 fps -49%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
25 fps +9%
HTC One M9
23 fps 0%
LG G Flex 2
19 fps -17%
LG G4
15 fps -35%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
18.8 fps -18%
Huawei P8
5.5 fps -76%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
1142 Points
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
1821 Points +59%
HTC One M9
1410 Points +23%
LG G Flex 2
1479 Points +30%
LG G4
1596 Points +40%
Nokia Lumia 930
1085 Points -5%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
1299 Points +14%
Huawei P8
1085 Points -5%
System (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
1679 Points
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
3989 Points +138%
HTC One M9
1672 Points 0%
LG G Flex 2
1781 Points +6%
LG G4
2368 Points +41%
Nokia Lumia 930
1296 Points -23%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
2038 Points +21%
Huawei P8
1860 Points +11%
Memory (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
543 Points
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
1426 Points +163%
HTC One M9
933 Points +72%
LG G Flex 2
1290 Points +138%
LG G4
1558 Points +187%
Nokia Lumia 930
1500 Points +176%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
536 Points -1%
Huawei P8
1216 Points +124%
Graphics (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
2864 Points
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
2489 Points -13%
HTC One M9
3210 Points +12%
LG G Flex 2
2850 Points 0%
LG G4
1995 Points -30%
Nokia Lumia 930
1233 Points -57%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
2389 Points -17%
Huawei P8
882 Points -69%
Web (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
652 Points
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
778 Points +19%
HTC One M9
789 Points +21%
LG G Flex 2
732 Points +12%
LG G4
881 Points +35%
Nokia Lumia 930
579 Points -11%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
1092 Points +67%
Huawei P8
694 Points +6%
AndroBench 3-5
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
248.1 MB/s
Sony Xperia Z3
149 MB/s -40%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
319.3 MB/s +29%
HTC One M9
235.1 MB/s -5%
LG G Flex 2
212 MB/s -15%
LG G4
251 MB/s +1%
Huawei P8
139.9 MB/s -44%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
76.6 MB/s
Sony Xperia Z3
18 MB/s -77%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
139.1 MB/s +82%
HTC One M9
123.8 MB/s +62%
LG G Flex 2
68 MB/s -11%
LG G4
153 MB/s +100%
Huawei P8
39.58 MB/s -48%
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
18.64 MB/s
Sony Xperia Z3
15 MB/s -20%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
77.4 MB/s +315%
HTC One M9
20.66 MB/s +11%
LG G Flex 2
19 MB/s +2%
LG G4
31.5 MB/s +69%
Huawei P8
22.46 MB/s +20%
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
13.57 MB/s
Sony Xperia Z3
2 MB/s -85%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
19.84 MB/s +46%
HTC One M9
13.91 MB/s +3%
LG G Flex 2
10 MB/s -26%
LG G4
15 MB/s +11%
Huawei P8
10.04 MB/s -26%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
792 ms *
Sony Xperia Z3
828 ms * -5%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
347.1 ms * +56%
HTC One M9
840 ms * -6%
LG G Flex 2
1433 ms * -81%
LG G4
719 ms * +9%
Nokia Lumia 930
534 ms * +33%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
347.4 ms * +56%
Huawei P8
1164 ms * -47%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Sony Xperia Z3+
6796 Points
Sony Xperia Z3
5339 Points -21%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
8650 Points +27%
HTC One M9
6493 Points -4%
LG G Flex 2
7246 Points +7%
LG G4
7832 (6791min) Points +15%
Nokia Lumia 930
2737 Points -60%
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
7276 Points +7%
Huawei P8
4084 Points -40%

Legend

 
Sony Xperia Z3+ Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994, Qualcomm Adreno 430, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Sony Xperia Z3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AC, Qualcomm Adreno 330, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Samsung Exynos 7420 Octa, ARM Mali-T760 MP8, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
 
HTC One M9 Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994, Qualcomm Adreno 430, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
LG G Flex 2 Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994, Qualcomm Adreno 430, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
LG G4 Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 MSM8992, Qualcomm Adreno 418, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Nokia Lumia 930 Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974, Qualcomm Adreno 330, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Apple iPhone 6 Plus Apple A8, PowerVR GX6450, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei P8 HiSilicon Kirin 930, ARM Mali-T628 MP4, 16 GB eMMC Flash

* ... smaller is better

Energy & Battery Runtime

Sony has reduced the battery size of the precursor (3100 mAh) to 2900 mAh in the Xperia Z3+ to make a slimmer casing possible. The ascertained power consumption of the new model is roughly identical with that of the Xperia Z3. It consumes a bit more power in idle, which will likely translate into shorter runtimes.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0.3 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.6 / 2.5 / 2.7 Watt
Load midlight 5.5 / 6.1 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 870
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Preliminary Verdict

In review: Sony Xperia Z3+. Review sample courtesy of Sony Germany.
In review: Sony Xperia Z3+. Review sample courtesy of Sony Germany.

Updated interfaces, a swift 64-bit SoC and improved cameras are the pros of Sony's Xperia Z3+. Unfortunately, that will likely affect the battery life, and the build of our review sample was not impeccable, either.

The heat issue will unlikely only extend over the camera but will also slow down the SoC in the long run. A fortune teller is not needed to forecast that. An update for the smartphone has allegedly already been released. However, which errors it exactly eliminates is not yet known, especially since another update has been announced.

Until now, a lot of illusion and little reality. We place hope in the announced updates and the replacement device.

The Xperia Z3+ is soon to be launched onto the market, but it does not make a market-ready impression. The screen of our review sample was also an improvement for the worse, but it was apparently not in an impeccable state. The promised replacement device will hopefully show improvement because that is not enough for a premium smartphone which is to cost 699 Euros (~$778). The outstanding connectivity qualities and IP certification cannot belie that, either.

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Daniel Schmidt, 2015-06-29 (Update: 2018-05-15)