Sony Xperia Z2 Unboxing: The Best Xperia Yet?

Time to finally unbox the Sony Xperia Z2!

Xperia Z2 Finally at the Unbox HQ!

The Sony Xperia Z2 was launched locally a few months back together with a full slate of devices from Sony which included the Xperia T2, T2 Ultra, M2, and the Z1 Compact. Since the launch event we’ve seen several of the devices hit the market but it was only recently that the flagship, the Xperia Z2, finally landed in official Sony retail stores. Priced at Php33,490, the Xperia Z2 is Sony’s premiere offering for people looking for the best smartphone that they can buy. It definitely has all the bells and whistles of a top-tier device so we’re pretty psyched to finally have a review unit here at the Unbox HQ! We’ll be putting this bad boy through the paces in the next few days but for now please do enjoy our unboxing and initial impressions.

For starters, let’s review the specifications!

Sony Xperia Z2 Spec Sheet

2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor
3GB of RAM
5.2-inch full HD Triluminos display, X-reality engine, 1080 x 1920 resolution
16GB storage, expandable via microSD up to 64GB
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, WiFi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0
3G, HSPA, LTE
20.7-megapixel camera with 1/2.3-type Exmor RS CMOS sensor, G lens and BIONZ image processing engine, 4K recording capable
2.2-megapixel front camera
IP55 & IP58 dust and waterproof
3200mAh battery
Android 4.4 KitKat

Definitely ain’t no slouch. The latest 801 Qualcomm processor, 3GB RAM, and a whopping 3,200mAh battery. Anyway, let’s jump right into the unboxing!

Unboxing and Packaging: Usual Sony

The Sony Xperia Z2 has the same packaging as the previous Xperia Z smartphones. We have the square white soft carton box with the product glamor shot up front and the technical specifications and features listed at the back. The front of the box also has a logo of the 2014 Brasil World Cup which Sony is a a sponsor of.

Opening the box was with little fanfare. We removed the circular tapes at the sides and popped open the lid. We were immediately greeted by a gorgeous 5.2-inch black slab of advanced technology, the Xperia Z2. We picked it up and felt its hefty, yet reassuring body against our palm. The Xperia Z2 is definitely heavier than the Galaxy S5 or the LG G3. The weight, of course, is attributed to the dual glass set-up and the metal frame of the device.

Other than the phone, we found the usual stuff inside the box: earphones, manuals, certificates, USB to micro USB cable, and the wall charger.

By the way, we’re happy to note that the earphones that come in the box were pretty good compared to the earphones from a lot of other smartphone brands. We daresay it’s even better than Apple’s highly touted (and grossly expensive) EarBuds.

Hardware and Software Impressions

Sony has firmly established their design and product language with the Xperia series. They popularized the dual glass set-up, metallic gray frame bands, and even the waterproof feature. Sony took all of those, improved them, and put them all in the Xperia Z2. The moment we picked the phone up we knew and felt that it was a Sony Xperia device. The familiar solid and cold rectangular frame with the premium glass of the back softly nestling against the flesh of our palm — definitely Sony.

Along the sides we found the usual trays, ports, and the iconic Sony power button. At the back we saw the 20.7-megapixel shooter. Up front we have the 2.2MP camera and the gorgeous and highly improved 5.2-inch display.

Ever since the first Xperia Z, Sony has been on the receiving end of criticisms for their display quality. We kinda agree with all the critics having been owners of the Z, Z1, and even the Z1 Compact. However Sony finally put all of their critics to rest with the Z2. The 5.2-inch display produces bright, vibrant, and warm colors, something that finally makes their screen quality competitive with Samsung and LG. Truth be told, this was our major complaint with the first two Xperia Z handsets and we’re flippin’ happy that Sony finally fixed it.

Here are two close up shots of the display for your appreciation. Notice how the icons of the apps just pop out of the screen. This is something we’ve never seen with previous Xperia Z handsets!

Best display we've ever seen on an Xperia smartphone! — Best display we’ve ever seen on an Xperia smartphone!

On the software side, Sony runs a less cluttered and much cleaner version of their TimeScape UI on top of Android 4.4 KitKat. As expected, Sony’s widgets put music and video at the forefront. An also notable improvement is the notifications bar with more options for toggles and controls (we were complaining about this with the Z1).

As for performance, we barely felt any lags or slow downs which is thanks to the monstrous Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and 3GB of RAM powering the phone. We’ll know more though once we spend more time with the Z2.

Full Review Coming Soon!

Lots of potential. Excited to put this through the paces!

Without a doubt the Xperia Z2 is already the best Xperia smartphone yet. The big question though is if it came compete head-on with the other global flagships like the HTC One M8, Samsung Galaxy S5, LG G3, and yes, even the iPhone 5S. Based on our initial impressions the answer to that question is a big YES.

Watch out for our full review coming soon.