Sony in the middle of a mobile of consciousness, but for all the positive critical response, though the Japanese monolith of that fallen out of favor with the major US carriers as of late. The Xperia Z3v ($ 199.99 with contract) is the first Nokia mobile phone to come to Verizon Wireless because the sinister Xperia Play in 2015. Luckily for Sony, and Sony diehards tied to Verizon, it's a good one. The Z3v is better developed than the Samsung Galaxy S5 and shoots better pictures than the HTC one (M8). Waterproofing and exclusive PS4 remote play add to the flagship Bona Fides. Choosing among the current crop of high-end Android smartphone is mainly down to personal taste, but Z3v joins the upper echelon of the phone with Verizon, achieving our Choice award Editors' in this way.
Design, Features, and Call Quality
A variant of the Z3 correct we first saw at IFA, looks almost unchanged from z2, which itself looked a lot like Z1S we tested on T-Mobile last year's Z3v. Circular, rubbery nylon with flat aluminum insert surrounds the perimeter Z3v, sandwiched between the two panes of scratchproof glass. Call it mild or conservative, but Sony have nailed down the art of industrial design.
At 5.85 by 2.89 by 0.35 inches (HWD) and 6.02 ounces, the Z3v is noticeably larger and heavier than the Z3; It is actually closer to the size of z2. It is also thick and heavy side for a flagship phone these days, although I personally do not consider that a huge disservice as they feel solid, like a high-end piece of kit should. That extra volume can be thanks to a slightly larger battery and integrating Qi wireless charging support. Line Power, Volume, and the camera button on the right side, below the flap covering the microSD card slot. On the opposite side two more flaps covering the SIM card tray and micro USB port.
The 5.2-inch, 1080p LCD has not undergone any appreciable change in quality over z2. It is pointed (424ppi), bright, and has a wide viewing angle, but these are table stakes for high-end display. It does not correspond to maximum brightness or contrast the GS5, but its white looks cleaner and there's never any color shift when viewed off angle. I want to put this display in line with one M8 LCD's. Above and below the display are two slits speaker, bomb loud audio that rivals the front facing speakers mentioned Moto X and M8.
As regular Z3, featuring IP65 and IP68 Z3v Water- and dust-proof rating. That means you can dunk with 4.9 feet of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. The tradeoff here is the need for port cover, but if you have a Qi charging pad, you will not have to fuss too often with cable or uncovering port. It worked on a Nexus Wireless Charger, but finding the right position takes some skill. Z3v I dunked in a container filled with water for 30 minutes with no ill effects. You can not use the display while it is submerged, but thanks to the physical camera shutter, you can open the camera and snap some pictures. Water sets off the touch screen, causing errant snapshots and erratic behavior, but adds a clever setting of Sony camera app that allows you to disable the touch input.
The Z3v CMDA supports Verizon's 3G (850 / 1900MHz) and LTE (Band 4 and 13) network, and featuring international support for GSM (850/900/1800 / 1900MHz) and UMTS (850/900/1900 / 2100MHz ) network. As we will see in our latest test Fastest Mobile Networks, Verizon has a nationwide general the best LTE network and seamlessly taps Z3v at blazing fast speeds. Call quality, though, is only average, falling short of the GS5 and M8. Earpiece is gets very strong, but tends to sound harsh on the upper level of the volume. Shipping through the mic is muffled in my test, and the environment Louder noise cancellation gave my robotic voice quality.
In my test, the 3,200mAh battery is good for 4 hours, 10 minutes of video streaming over LTE with the screen brightness set to max. That is comparable to 4 hours, 33 minutes turned in by the iPhone 6, but short of 7 hours of GS5.