Sony Xperia XZ3 vs XZ2: What changed?

Sony recently launched the successor to the Xperia XZ2, the XZ3, which looks more pleasing based on the latest trends of the company. But what really changed between the newest flagship device and its predecessor? Let’s check it out!

Here are their detailed specs

Specs	Sony Xperia XZ3	Sony Xperia XZ2
Display	6.0-inch 18:9 QHD+ HDR OLED TRILUMINOS display @ 2880 x 1440px, Corning Gorilla Glass 5	5.7-inch 18:9 Full HD+ HDR TRILUMINOS display, @1080 x 2160px Corning Gorilla Glass 5
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (8 x 2.8GHz Kryo 385 CPU)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (8 x 2.8GHz Kryo 385 CPU)
GPU	Adreno 630 GPU	Adreno 630 GPU
RAM	4GB	4GB
Storage	64GB UFS	64GB UFS
Expandable Storage	expandable via microSD up to 512GB	expandable via microSD up to 400GB (uses SIM2 slot)
Rear Camera	19MP f/2.0 AI Motion Eye rear camera with LED Flash	19MP f/2.0 rear Motion Eye camera with LED Flash
Video recording	960fps Full HD slow Mo, 4K HDR video	960fps Full HD slow Mo, 4K HDR video
Front Camera	13MP 23mm wide-angle front camera	5MP f/2.2 23mm Exmor RS front camera
Connectivity	LTE Cat18, up to 1.2 Gbps download speed	4G LTE Cat. 18 6CA 1.2Gbps 256QAM 4x4 MIMO
SIM	Single SIM, Dual SIM variants	Dual SIM
Wi-Fi	WiFi, Miracast	WiFi, Miracast
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX
NFC	Yes	Yes
GPS	DLNA A-GNSS (GPS+GLONASS)	GPS with aGPS, GLONASS
USB	USB Type-C 3.1 Gen1	USB Type-C 3.1
Sensors	- Fingerprint scanner	-Fingerprint Scanner
Features	- IP65/IP68 dust and water resistance	- IP65/IP68 dust and water resistance
Audio	-Stereo Speaker with S-Force Front Surround -Qualcomm aptX HD audioHi-res audio -DSEE HX -LDAC -ClearAudio+	-Stereo Speaker with S-Force Front Surround -Qualcomm aptX HD audio
OS	Android 9 Pie	Android 8.0 Oreo
Battery	3,330mAh battery with Quick Charge, Qnovo adaptive charging, wireless charging support	3180mAh battery w/ Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, Qnovo adaptive charging, Qi Wireless Charging

So what changed in the Xperia XZ3 from the XZ2?

Lesser bezels
Larger screen size
QHD+ resolution
OLED display
Increased expandable storage
Higher front camera resolution
Android 9 Pie operating system
Slightly higher battery capacity

Sony finally decided to follow the lesser bezel trend in the XZ3. They did a major upgrade with the display as it is now equipped with an OLED panel, has increased size, and better resolution. With this, the viewing experience of users is significantly better than with the XZ2.

Sony retained the Snapdragon 845 processor in the XZ3 as it has the best performing processor currently in the market. There shouldn’t be any real-world difference with the overall performance since both smartphones have the same chipset and RAM configurations.

Camera-wise, Sony didn’t change the setup of the rear camera since it already delivered great performance. (Check our sample shots for the XZ2 here) The company, however, upgraded the front camera by increasing the XZ3’s resolution and adding a wide-angle lens.

In terms of battery, Sony slightly increased the battery capacity due to the display configuration of the XZ3. Based on our video loop test done with the XZ2, it lasted for 14 hours and 33 minutes but we expect that the former will last for a shorter period due to a more power consuming setup.

The newer flagship will also have Android 9.0 Pie out of the box. As it stands, the Xperia XZ2 is not yet on the pipeline to receive the new OS.

The Sony Xperia XZ2 is priced at Php43,990USD 750INR 63,548EUR 714CNY 5,459 while the XZ3 is priced at USD900PHP 52,817INR 76,275EUR 857CNY 6,550 (~Php48,204USD 821INR 69,635EUR 782CNY 5,982). What do you guys think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.