Sony Xperia Z deals and reviews

Released in early 2013 as Sony's flagship phone, the Xperia Z stands out from rivals by being waterproof in addition to having a quad-core processor, 5 inch screen and 13.1 megapixel camera.

What the critics say (scores are out of 100)

100	What Hi-Fi? Leaner and meaner than previous Sony handsets, it's in its practical aspects that the Xperia Z really shines: a 16GB device with expandable storage to make room for all those HD downloads, a waterproof chassis and a battery Stamina mode that means your smartphone's standby is your new faithful friend. Read full review
100	Stuff | Sophie Charara With a stunning screen and plenty of power, this is one of our favourite smartphones. The Xperia Z even stands tall in a downpour. Read full review
100	T3 | David Phelan The Sony Xperia Z is a pretty spectacular phone. Read full review
100	Expert Reviews | Chris Finnamore The Sony Xperia Z has the looks and the high-resolution screen to make it a worthy high-end smartphone. Read full review
90	Eurogamer | Damien McFerran The Xperia Z offers a good overall experience, but the specification demonstrates that it lags behind both the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One in processing power. Read full review
90	AndroidPit | Nico Heister Sony offers an overall successfully-made smartphone with its new Xperia Z, which has only a few weaknesses: animation and operating could be a bit smoother in some places. However, there's a good chance that Sony will tweak its performance with a future update. Read full review
90	SlashGear | Vincent Nguyen The Xperia Z is a surprise. From our original review, we knew it was a solid performer, but even with the Galaxy S 4 and the HTC One on the scene, it's impressive how well it holds up to - and, in some cases, out-performs - its newer rivals. Read full review
90	ITProPortal | Sandra Vogel Sony's handsets tend to frustrate me more often than they please me, showing glimpses of greatness let down by some annoying issues. The Xperia Z, however, gets so much right that my grumbles seem almost wilful. Read full review
90	PC Advisor | Chris Martin The Xperia Z is the first smartphone which Sony has really nailed. We love the stylish, desirable and rugged design. The combination of excellent performance, a stunning screen and great cameras make the Xperia Z a force to be reckoned with. Read full review
90	Wired UK | Dave Oliver If you can handle the size and the weight, it's a phone to be proud of. Read full review
90	TechRadar | Phil Lavelle There is so much to love about the Sony Xperia Z - and while there are some annoyances, they pale in comparison. Read full review
90	CNET UK | Damien McFerran The Sony Xperia Z combines looks, power and connectivity to supply one of the most impressive Android experiences we've seen in quite some time. Read full review
85	phoneArena | Ray S Sony has done a wonderful job with the design of this phone. Read full review
83	PC Pro | Mike Jennings The sharpest screen, fast components and ample battery impress, but we still - just - prefer the Samsung Galaxy S III. Read full review
81	TheEffect.Net | Tony The Xperia Z is Sonys flagship phone and it shows! Read full review
80	Digital Trends | Jeffrey Van Camp The Xperia Z is as good as any top phone on T-Mobile, but it's water and dust proof case sets it apart from the crowd. Read full review
80	MSN Tech | David Phelan This is Sony's big and beautiful handset. It's fast and capable, matches great build quality with stylish and appealing design. There are some hands that will find it just too big, but for many it will be the ultimate mobile phone. Read full review
80	Know Your Mobile | Basil Kronfli Well done, Sony; a fetching flagship and one phone we'd happily recommend. Read full review
80	Engadget | Mat Smith The Xperia Z proves that Sony has what it takes to make a compelling phone in an increasingly competitive market, but issues like battery life need to be confronted, even at the expense of the design. Read full review
80	Trusted Reviews | Luke Johnson With the IP57 waterproof coating lining up as an inspired addition that we now covert on all future handsets, the quad-core CPU and 5-inch Full HD display of the Sony Xperia Z take it so close to becoming the next must-have handset. However, struggling to achieve close to a day's standard use severely knocks the Xperia Z's footing in our eyes and is an issue that could well be its downfall. Read full review
80	Mobile Choice Sony's Xperia Z may rock a hefty body that proves best friend to dust bunnies, and suffer from sub-par battery life, but it's still a sleek, desirable and durable superphone that's loaded with power and killer features. Read full review
79	Mobile Syrup | Daniel Bader The Xperia Z is a gorgeous smartphone – Sony's best to-date. The all-glass design is something that any user would be proud to hold, but one must be careful not to drop it. Other than aesthetics, there is no real reason to choose the Xperia Z over the ZL, which is cheaper, smaller and available across more carriers. Read full review
75	TechnoBuffalo | Todd Haselton Its hardware is good, but the screen really let us down and we aren't overly pleased with the phone's industrial design. It's not a bad phone with any means, but it's hard to justify buying an Xperia Z when you can get a better device. Read full review
72	The Verge | Vlad Savov Much like the Xperia S that came before it, the Xperia Z suffers from the unfortunate duality of being both Sony's best phone to date and a merely average Android handset. Read full review
72	Which? It has an excellent display, a speedy processor and an extra-long battery life that beats many other high-end rivals, including the iPhone. [subscription required for full access to review] Read full review
70	The Boxed (UK) | Editorial Team The Xperia Z is the best smartphone Sony has ever built. It has an amazing display, a powerful processor and a strong camera that can even shoot photos or videos underwater. Read full review
60	V3 | Alastair Stevenson A solid smartphone, bristling with camera and screen innovations, but let down by poor battery and a lack of storage space. Read full review

Compare Sony Xperia Z specs side-by-side with other phones COMPARE SPECS

Dimensions & Form	Form factor: Touchscreen Bar Dimensions 139 x 71 x 7.9 mm (5.47 x 2.8 x 0.31 in) Weight: 146 g (5.15 oz)
Screen	Size: 5 inches diagonal Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels Screen Density: 441 ppi Screen-to-Body Ratio: 69.8 % Display Type: TFT
Runs
Performance	Chipset: Qualcomm APQ8064 Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU: Quad-core 1.5 GHz Krait GPU: Adreno 320 RAM: 2GB
Camera	Main Camera: 13MP with LED flash Secondary Camera: 2MP, 1080p video recording
Storage	Built-in Storage: 16GB Expandable Storage: Micro SD
Battery & Charging	Capacity: 2330 mAh Removable Battery: No Wireless Charging: No Quick Charge: None
SIM standard	Micro SIM Compare SIM Only deals
Water & Dust Resistance	IP57 Rating: Partial protection from contact with harmful dust, and protection from immersion in water up to a depth of 1m for up to 30 minutes
Fingerprint Reader	None
References & More info	Official website GSMArena specs page

Photos taken with the Sony Xperia Z

We've used Flickr to find a selection of pictures taken by the Sony Xperia Z camera. Here is a selection of photos taken by users from around the world so you can see what kind of picture quality you can expect from real-world use of the Sony Xperia Z.

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All images shown are used under the rights and terms specified by the Creative Commons.