Sony Xperia XZ1 G8342 64GB

Sony Xperia XZ1 review

There's no single flaw in the Sony Xperia XZ1 and while it has some decent specs including good audio features and a good camera, it struggles to stand out in a busy market. Phones like the Galaxy S8 and LG G6 make this newer phone look dated and devices like the OnePlus 5T are better at a lower price point.

Sony Xperia XZ1 review review

Sony Xperia XZ1 review

Let's be honest: unless you've been paying attention very, very carefully over the past four years, you'd struggle to tell the XZ1 apart from any of the multitude of Xperia phones that came before it. Sure, the hardware has improved. HDR video on something that slips in your pocket is very cool, and bringing the same camera tech as the top-end Xperia XZ Premium down to a more affordable price was always going to be a good move - it's just all wrapped up in a distinctly unexciting design. Even if the metal finish is a whole lot better at hiding fingerprints than the Premium's shiny glass. It's perfectly competent, but when the rest of the smartphone world is making the jump to front-filling screens with minimal bezels and smooth, curvaceous handsets that are a joy to hold, the XZ1 feels instantly dated before it even goes on sale. It’s not exactly a bargain, either: at £600, it’ll set you back just as much as a Galaxy S8, and only slightly undercuts the new crop of iPhones. Gimmicky 3D scanning tricks just aren’t enough to make up the difference.