Sony Xperia Z2 Keeps Waterproof Design, Adds 4K Video Recording and Noise Cancelling

This morning, Sony Mobile took the wraps off of its update to its flagship, now the Xperia Z2. What sets this line apart from the rest, the Z2 is also dust-resistant and waterproof (IP55 & IP58). 

Xperia Z2 packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with 2.3 GHz quad-core Krait CPUs and 4G LTE along with the Adreno 330 GPU. Keeping it on is a large 3200 mAh battery, which along with Sony's Battery STAMINA mode should keep you charger-free for an entire day.

The first point Sony emphasized with the Z2 is its camera and camcorder that use the 20.7 megapixel 1/2.3-type Exmor RS for mobile CMOS image sensor, Sony's G Lens and intelligent BIONZ for mobile image processing engine. From a pure specs standpoint, this appears to be the same camera sensor as in the Xperia Z1 and Z1s, so we'll have to take a better look before we can make any calls on whether there are any improvements.

What we do know about the camera function, however, is that the software and firmware must be different as the Z2 can capture video in 4K resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels/30p), giving Sony the very specific title of boasting that it has "the world's best camcorder in a waterproof smartphone." All the other custom Sony features are there, including SteadyShot and the new Movie Creator video editor.

Sony's got a few other Xperia camera apps pre-loaded, which include:

·       Timeshift video: To relive every moment of the action in slow motion detail, the new Timeshift video mode lets you shoot in 120 frames per second and select scenes to slow the playback speed for dramatic slow motion effects exactly where you want, even underwater.

·       Creative effect: Use a range of new creative effects for your photos and videos. Available in real-time for video, these adjustments enhance your clips with a range of effects such as colors, image trails, mirror and motion effects.

·       Background defocus: This new camera app simulates a shallow depth of field. Capture two photos at different focus settings and blend together the different depths, leading to a blurred out background for more professional looking photos.

·       AR effect: Now available for video recording, have some fun with your photos and videos with new augmented reality animations, including sound effects for video.

·       Vine: Create short, beautiful, looping videos in a simple and fun way for your friends and family to see – all from your camera's viewfinder. Plus, using the dedicated camera button, you can capture Vine videos underwater as well.

The Xperia Z2 keeps the same design language as its predecessors with glass panels encased in a single aluminum frame with smoother edges. The screen is new too, at 5.2-inches, and boasts the usual BRAVIA TV. Sony says that its new 1080p TRILUMINOS display has a feature called Live Color LED that uses red and green phosphor with blue LEDs and customized color filters to produce a brighter and more uniform light. The result should be richer colors on the screen for all of your smartphone viewing without the risk of saturation. There's also the software-based X-Reality, which analyzes each image to optimize colors, sharpness and contrast while also reducing noise. Given some of the disappointing panels in recent Xperia Z phones, we hope this is a good one.

New in the Z2 are stereo speakers (should you ever want to share your music and jams... but please not on the bus) and digital noise cancelling technology. Sony tells us that its digital noise cancelling technology and dynamic sound in Xperia Z2 helps reduce up to 98 percent of ambient noise, when used with the compact in-ear MDR NC31EM Noise Cancelling Headset. We'll have to go hands-on and ears-on before we can tell you whether this is better than standard noise cancelling headphones.

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Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
  • loosescrews
    "Keeping it on is a large 3200 mAh battery, which along with Sony's Battery STAMINA mode should keep you charger-free for an entire day."

    This quote really shows how ridiculous things have become. Any smartphone that does not last an entire day is one that shouldn't even be on the market.
    Reply
  • aegisofrime
    Boo Sony!It's unbelievable that they didn't add 4K recording to the Z1; We know that they Snapdragon 800 in the Z1 supports 4K, since the Note 3 does it, so the only reason why Sony didn't support 4K is... Greed, laziness or incompetence.
    Reply
  • Sonny73N
    Still use TFT display? Fail.
    Reply
  • idisarmu
    The phone can't be both IP55 and IP 58. It's either one or the other. The first number stands for level of dust resistance and the second number stands for level of water resistance. It can't be compliant with 2 standards unless it's compliant with the more stringent one, in which case: Why bother mentioning the IP55?
    Reply
  • Sonny73N
    After a quick check on gsmarena, Sony has indeed upgraded to IPSs unlike the ZL which I had purchased and returned after realized it had no IPS as with the rest of their products just 4 months ago.
    Reply
  • Innocent_Bystander-1312890
    Nice. Now bring one out with Windows Phone 8 and I'll buy one.
    Reply
  • tomc100
    I wonder if they'll add these features to the tablet.
    Reply
  • grebgonebad
    Quite interested about this actually. My dad's got the Z1 and I have to say its an excellent phone. If theres one thing I would say I dislike about it I would say that the colour scheme is a bit 'doom and gloom'. And before you all start telling me how I am wrong, this is coming from someone who has previously owned Samsung and Nexus devices, which as you all know are very bright and colourful with thier colour schemes.
    Reply
  • Darkpagey
    The phone can't be both IP55 and IP 58. It's either one or the other. The first number stands for level of dust resistance and the second number stands for level of water resistance. It can't be compliant with 2 standards unless it's compliant with the more stringent one, in which case: Why bother mentioning the IP55?
    Yes it can be both. The IP55 means that the phone is protected against low pressure jets of water from all practicable directions, and the IP58 means that it can be kept under 1.5m of water for up to 30 minutes. One does not imply the other so both are stated.
    Reply
  • Queenslander
    The phone can't be both IP55 and IP 58. It's either one or the other. The first number stands for level of dust resistance and the second number stands for level of water resistance. It can't be compliant with 2 standards unless it's compliant with the more stringent one, in which case: Why bother mentioning the IP55?
    Yes it can be both. The IP55 means that the phone is protected against low pressure jets of water from all practicable directions, and the IP58 means that it can be kept under 1.5m of water for up to 30 minutes. One does not imply the other so both are stated.
    IP55 - Protected agaist dust and water jets at 12.5 litres per minute at a pressure of 30 kPa at a distance of 3 meters for a duration of 15 minutes.IP58 - Protected against dust and continuous immersion below 1 meter (depth specified by manufacturer, generally up to 3 meters) In most cases implies equipment is hermetically sealed.Thus IP58 is all they would need to specify as it would surpass the IP55 rating.
    Reply