As one of the most under-rated premium smartphones in the market, the Z3 full of interesting features and high-specs but lacks the marketing appeal of Apple's iPhone, Google's Nexus or Samsung's S-range.

Pros

· Aluminium Build
· Great Display
· Water and dust proof
· Large-capacity battery with rapid charging
· PS4 connectivity

Cons

· OS about to be outdated
· Sony UI can be cumbersome
· Camera auto-focus could be better

Design

The Z3 is a beautifully designed, and while it may lack the instant appeal of the HTC M8 or the iPhone 6, it boasts nothing short of a premium build. Encased in a slim (only 7.3mm), rounded aluminium frame, the phone feels smooth and durable. The design itself seems somewhat minimalistic but that does not hide the well-polished finish. All this metal does not seem to compromise its weight: 152g.  Available in four different colours - black, white, green and copper - the Z3 can have its own personality of sorts.

The best design feature is the water and dust proof exterior. The Z3 features an IP65/68 rating, which means you can dunk this in up to 1.5 m of fresh water for about 30 minutes (IP68). But keep in mind that you'll need to close all the ports for this to actually work. You can even take pictures under-water without any special accessories.

Display

Sony uses its proprietary Tiluminos Display technology on the Z3, borrowed from its line of Bravia TVs. The technology is supposed to increase the palette of RGB colours. With a 5.2" screen size and a resolution of 1080x1920, Sony wants to play to its strengths. The Z3 also comes loaded with IPS technology, which improves the viewing angle of the display. Beyond these features, it is worth noting that the tapered glass does quite a good job preventing scratches, so you could use this phone without a screen cover. Of course, I am only referring to everyday objects, so if you have a habit of walking around with diamonds (or even sand) in your pockets, then a screen cover might be a good idea after all.

Performance

An impressive quad-core Qualcomm SnapDragon 801 processor, clocked at 2.5GHz, powers the Z3. Moreover, 3GB of RAM and an Adreno 330 GPU compliment this performance further. Sony also boasts the 3rd generation LTE/4G modem, which is supposed to double download and upload speeds. Of course, your ultimate speeds depend partly on your ISP.

In the sound department, the Z3 features a DSEE HX (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) designed to improve low-resolution songs. It can also refine a wide variety of sound formats. The Z3 also features Digital noise cancelling technology, which it claims can reduce external noise by up to 98% when paired with its MDR -NC31EM headset (produce placement). Of course, the basic science behind noise cancellation will not change. So, while this will work well in an environment where the background noise is more or less constant (e.g. bus stops, shopping centre, traffic) it's not going to cancel out sound when it is not constant (e.g. an high-pitched argument/screeching match with one of your loved ones).

Camera

The camera has always been one of Sony's best attributes and it certainly impresses with the Z3. Featuring a 20.7 MP primary camera with a relatively large 1/2.3" sensor (the bigger sensor the more light captured for the shots), the shots are great. There are also features for better wide-angle and low-light shots. One area it falls short, however, is the autofocus. Pictures seem slightly off balance and while this does not affect every shot, it is noticeable when you go on a photo-shooting spree.

Battery

Sony's 3100 mAh battery is quite impressive and while I don't like the fact that it is not replicable, it does feature some impressive attributes. Importantly, though Sony claims a two-day usage capability, you will need to charge this at night if you do a lot of browsing and social media work on your phone. Like Samsung and others, it also features a low-battery usage mode, dubbed "stamina mode". This puts most of the background functions to sleep while still allowing you to receive calls and texts. Extended usage mode, meanwhile, gives the Z3 a 14% burst of power awhile adjusting performance. Lastly, ultra-stamina mode, limits all core functions to calls and texts. Battery charging is also made easier; users can extract 60% in 30 minutes.

Conclusion

Right now, the Z3 retails for about LKR 100,000. While it may be somewhat cheaper abroad, do not expect a huge price differential for some time. With an Android 5.0 update, the Z3 will continue to be more or less future-proof but if you want to hit the ground running, you can wait until the first quarter of 2015 to get your hands on the Z4 (Sony has a faster development cycle). Should you get it? If you want a premium phone right now, then the Z4 should be right up there on the top of your list. You may not like the UI or Sony's bloatware, but the impressive hardware features compensate well enough. While it may be under-rated, its performance is anything but.

By Navam Niles