Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact review

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Before I even open the box, I know that Sony’s new smartphones are going to be a big deal. They have no obvious spec weaknesses and are going up against the iPhone by emphasizing what’s probably its biggest shortcoming: battery life. With durable, waterproof designs, advanced cameras, and the greater flexibility of Android, the new Xperias strive to be the best thing on the smartphone market, no matter the size or the operating system.

IT TOOK ME NEARLY THREE DAYS TO DRAIN THE Z3 COMPACT’S BATTERY

One of my biggest challenges with this review was figuring out ways to use up these phones’ batteries. It took me two days and 20 hours to drag the Z3 Compact’s battery to below 10 percent. Even on the day when I went out shooting sample photos and video with the Z3 Compact, I was only able to eat up about a third of its charge. The Galaxy Alpha, which accompanied it on the trip, was in need of a recharge in the evening having been fully topped up in the morning. The Z3 is just as impressive as the Z3 Compact, though its larger screen consumes more power under intensive use and leads the bigger phone to run out of juice a little bit quicker.

Even without activating the Battery Stamina mode — which minimizes data transfers to improve endurance even further — I found the Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact to be the longest-lasting smartphones I’ve tested. There’s an extra Ultra Stamina mode, to make the most of the last few drops of power remaining, and a power consumption monitor that can tell you if some apps are being particularly greedy. Sony has put together an excellent combination of the biggest possible batteries, the most efficient possible processor, and some of the most useful power management software around.

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